Economic Prosperity and Growth

MATCHED: Mapping Accessible Attractions in Hamilton

How can Tourism Hamilton identify accessible tourism attractions to better serve and attract visitors with mobility challenges to Hamilton?

Project description

According to Statistics Canada, 2.7 million Canadians (or approximately 10%) aged 15 or older have a ‘mobility disability’, a number that is only expected to increase with our aging population.

Tourism Hamilton works to promote Hamilton to leisure and business travelers to generate economic and social benefits for the city. In order to be more inclusive and drive more economic activity through increased visitation, Tourism Hamilton would like to better serve potential visitors with mobility issues by promoting accurate information about attractions and experiences that are accessible.

Tourism Hamilton would like to partner with CityLAB to help define and evaluate accessibility features of key tourism sites in the city and compile an inventory of leading attractions that are accessible (including listing accessible features).

We recognize that accessibility is a very diverse area that can include mobility, vision and hearing, and cognitive dimensions and covers:

  1. Physical access, for those with physical disabilities that require wheelchairs, walking aids or handrails

  2. Sensory access for those who have sight or hearing impairments

  3. Communication access for those involving speech, vision, and hearing challenges

For the purposes of this project, Tourism Hamilton would like to limit the scope to sites that are physically accessible (number 1 in the list above) but is open to broadening the scope in consultation with CityLAB staff and faculty or considering a phased approach.

City Staff: Dana Borcea, Tourism Destination Development Officer

MATCHED: Sense of belonging among Hamilton immigrants

What socio-demographic and self-identified factors impact the sense of belonging among immigrants to Hamilton?

Project description:

The Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council (HIPC) conducted a survey of immigrants in Hamilton in June 2023. About 700 immigrants responded to the survey, including permanent residents, refugees, refugee claimants, temporary foreign workers, international students, and Ukrainian temporary residents. The survey was aimed at understanding the diverse experiences of immigrants across a wide range of topics including education, employment, income, housing, service use, settlement supports, challenges and supports, belonging/isolation, discrimination, contributions, and more. HIPC has analyzed the data, drafted a report, and shared some preliminary findings with its partners. One of the findings from this data that our partners would like to further explore is around sense of belonging. Our data shows a large proportion of immigrants report a strong sense of belonging despite reporting high levels of feelings of isolation, experiences of discrimination, and challenges around housing, cost of living, income, and employment.

There is an opportunity to unpack this by exploring/analyzing the existing immigrant survey data that HIPC has at its disposal and by collecting more qualitative data through interviews with immigrants in Hamilton. We are interested in understanding the facilitators and barriers to a sense of belonging among immigrants in Hamilton, how immigrants define a sense of belonging, and what other socio-demographic factors are associated with a stronger or weaker sense of belonging. HIPC’s strategic plan (2021-2025) collective impact goal is to ensure that more newcomers in Hamilton feel a sense of belonging, and we hope that this project will aid us in measuring and achieving this goal.

Deliverables:

  • Primary Research (analyzing survey data and collecting qualitative data)

  • Secondary Research

  • A Report

  • A presentation to the HIPC Council

City Staff: Sarah Wayland, Senior Project Manager, HIPC

Additional Staff: Mohammad Araf, Program Officer, and Natasha Martinez, Community Relations Coordinator