2013 Safety Audit Report now available and downloadable

Michelle Davis, Safety Director at METRAC in Toronto, recently published a report entitled Creating a Safer Organization: Report on the AIDS Committee of Ottawa’s Safety Audit. ACO contracted METRAC to assist the agency to lead a workplace safety audit as part of an effort to engage its members, volunteers, Board Directors and staff to address both the physical and social safety issues at the organization.

The goals of the safety audit were:

  1. To facilitate a participatory and inclusive process in training and supporting staff, volunteers, Board members and other stakeholders to lead a safety audit of the workplace;
  2. To recommend changes to the social and physical safety environments aimed at increasing safety for staff, clients, members and volunteers, while reducing opportunities for multiple forms of violence.

METRAC’s approach to safety is unique in that they used a participatory model, believing that people who work, live and use a space are the “safety experts” of that area and so have the greatest understanding of any safety concerns. Thus, members, clients, volunteers, and staff were invited to participate in the safety audit.

To read the read the report and its findings, click this link:  Safety Audit Report

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Share the Warmth

The quilt has the power to be a great healer, and to Davis Colbeck, the power to bring people together. In that spirit, we are happy to announce the first annual Share the Warmth evening.

With the help of Lois Smith and the Stitch-Wits, and in collaboration with AIDS Committee Ottawa we are ready to Share the Warmth.

On Tuesday, June 4th from 6:30 to 9:30 pm we invite you to join us at Trattoria Caffé Italia (254 Preston Street) for an evening of celebration and quilt auctions. Enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres, music and bid on these beautiful quilts that brought a community together.

The evening will include live music by Gustavo Saavedra and a special harmonica duet with the one and only Richard Naster, our Bruce House Team Leader. Not to be missed!

Tickets are $25, with all proceeds going back into a quilting program for Bruce House and ACO.

For more information please contact Jill Woodley at (613) 729-0911, ext. 23.

Poster · Calendar listing · Selection of Quilts

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ACO endorsed UNAIDS Policy position on criminalization of non-disclosure of HIV status

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This statement by the UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights is issued to support the recent documents and their recommendations against overly broad criminalization of HIV exposure and/or transmission. These documents recognize that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, applying criminal law to HIV transmission or exposure does more harm than good. Rather than introducing laws criminalizing HIV exposure and transmission, countries need to change laws and policies that stand in the way of effective HIV prevention and treatment.

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