(links to an external website)What is a community of practice?
A community of practice is a group that has a shared interest or passion for a topic, or who have shared concerns or problems within their professional practice.
The purpose of a community of practice is knowledge sharing and building capacity among group members through learning. Communities of practice are often informal and drive their own work based on their priorities and needs.
The Community of Practice for Municipal Accessibility Leads initiative is a space for you to give and receive support, and to learn and collaborate with other accessibility leads in municipalities and villages across Nova Scotia.
Accessibility leads will:
- Connect with other accessibility leads for peer support and build/strengthen relationships with your peers.
- Hear a diverse range of experiences, perspectives, and ideas about implementing accessibility plans and related work.
- Learn effective strategies from other accessibility leads to support your professional development in the field of accessibility and municipal administration.
- Collaborate and work with peers to solve common problems and shared issues.
- Have your questions answered and help others by answering questions they have.
- Create, capture and share knowledge to help improve your work and the work of your municipality as it relates to accessibility.
- Promote and evaluate best practices in accessibility within a municipal context.
Session details
Community of Practices is scheduled for the first Thursday of each month from 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm via Zoom. Each session covers a topic advertised ahead of time, with questions and ideas to explore with your colleagues. Special guests may be invited to present, or one of the Leads may be the special guest presenter. If you are a new Accessibility Lead in your Municipality, please contact Julie Glaser to be added to the Accessibility Leads contact list:
Commitment
There is no commitment required to join the community of practice. This initiative is designed to be flexible. The drop-in format allows you to attend sessions that are most relevant to your work and your interests, you are not required to sign-up or attend every session. Members are encouraged to participate in ways that are most comfortable for them.
We recognize everyone is coming into the space with different levels of experience and knowledge. All we ask is that you come with an open mind and a willingness to learn and engage with your peers.
What topics do you want to see at community of practice sessions?
We are looking for suggestions on what topics you want community of practice sessions to cover.
- What topics do you think are most relevant to your work?
- What topics do you want to build your skillset and capacity in?
- What topics do you wish you had someone to problem solve with or ask questions to?
- Are there topics or areas of your work you feel “stuck” with and are not sure how to move forward with?
- Are there topics colleagues in your municipality or village need support with, but you are not sure how to provide?
If you have any questions about the Community of Practice, please email us at
