northern_college_285Northern College Timmins Campus will be hosting its 27th annual Awareness Day on Wednesday, February 17, 2016.

Awareness Day aims to give students and members of the public a deeper understanding of the challenges and difficulties faced by people with disabilities.

“Awareness Day is an excellent opportunity for us to champion our commitment to maximizing access to education for all learners in our region,” says Fred Gibbons, President of Northern College. “Over 30% of the student body use our Northern College Accessibility Services Centre, and with the dedication of our highly trained Advising staff, students are provided the essential services required to achieve success at the college.”

This year the focus will be on raising awareness towards Mental Health. Northern College’s Accessibility Services and Advising staff, along with the Northern College Student Association collaborate together on various Mental Health campaigns throughout the year to raise and broaden awareness on recognizing the symptoms and signs, how to seek help, and to shake the stigma associated with Mental Health.

“Team participants will learn that disabilities don’t have to stand in the way of someone achieving their personal, professional or educational goals,” says Jim Chalmers, Accessibility Advisor at Northern College. “This is a very important event for our community, and we look forward to hosting many more Awareness Days in the years to come.”

Awareness Day activities at the Timmins Campus will begin with opening ceremonies at 9:30 a.m., followed by the highly-anticipated annual wheelchair rally. Members of the public are invited to register for the wheelchair rally in teams of four by calling Jim Chalmers at 705.235.3211 ext. 2237. Closing ceremonies and awards presentation will be held at 1:00 p.m.