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DAGPWD and Naval Museum team up to offer accessible programs

From left, S1 Stephen Happe and Naval Museum of Halifax Curator Jennifer Gamble speak to clients of Easter Seals Nova Scotia during an accessible presentation on the Battle of the Atlantic on August 29.
MCPL JACLYN BUELL

DAGPWD and Naval Museum team up to offer accessible programs

By Trident Staff 

The museum team brought along a number of artefacts to help tell the story of the Battle of the Atlantic.
MCPL JACLYN BUELL

The Halifax Region Defence Advisory Group for Persons with Disabilities (DAGPWD) and the Naval Museum of Halifax have partnered on a unique program designed to introduce naval history to individuals living with disabilities. 

Both DAGPWD and museum personnel were at the Easter Seals Nova Scotia facility in Dartmouth on August 29, delivering a presentation focused on the Battle of the Atlantic. Easter Seals is an organization that provides empowering services and quality of life support to individuals with disabilities. Sailor 1st Class Stephen Happe, military co-chair of DAGPWD, said the museum has developed “portable” programs that can be delivered at off-base venues, as the museum itself is not fully accessible, and Admiralty House’s heritage status complicates any infrastructure changes to the property. 

At Easter Seals, the team from the base presented participants with the story of the Royal Canadian Navy du the Battle of the Atlantic, aided by tactile elements like medals, bells, and ship models that were passed around as their historical significance was explained. 

“Easter Seals was our first shot at one of these portable programs,” S1 Happe said, adding the group hopes to expand its outreach network of partners to include more organizations that serve people living with disabilities. Along with Easter Seals, the DAGPWD has also partnered with CNIB for presentations delivered to blind and partially sighted guests at the Naval Museum of Halifax last summer. 

Organizers said the visit was a success and participants were eager to have them back for more naval-focused presentations in the future. Easter Seals representatives expressed their appreciation by presenting the DAGPWD team with cinnamon buns, freshly prepared by the New Leaf Café, a social enterprise operated by individuals living with disabilities.