Why We Exist

ARK (Accessibility Renovations for Kids) is a Calgary based charity which aims to help children living with mobility issues whose houses were not built for their needs.

At ARK, we believe that accessibility to the facilities in one’s own home is a basic human need. However, many families cannot afford the costly renovations that would make their home accessible for their child.

ARK develops and executes an individualized plan for each ARK Kid, so these children are empowered to safely and easily access spaces within their own home.

Here in Calgary, an ARK Home Accessibility Renovation can Reshape Their World, empowering children and making the everyday easier for these ARK Kids and their families.

What We Do

At ARK, we envision a community where all children with mobility challenges live in a home specifically suited to meet their needs. Sadly, this vision is not a reality for many due to the high cost of accessibility renovations.

ARK began its first Home Accessibility Renovation in the summer of 2019. We extensively remodeled the bathroom to widen the doorway and create a wheelchair accessible wet room for ARK Kid Caleb. Since then, we have found 3 more ARK Kids, Jaydon, Kholbey and Andrea. These projects range from a simple outdoor ramp to a three-part renovation including a ramp, a new bathroom and a chair lift. All of these projects will have been completed by Spring of 2021.

These renovations make an immediate and tangible impact on the families their ARK Kids. The joy on a child’s face as they use their very own ramp for the first time is unmistakeable. More enduring are the easing of the daily routine and those vital moments of independence that an accessible home can provide a child with mobility challenges.

This is what it means to Reshape Their World.

How We Do It

Our ARK Kids are nominated by someone in the child’s life, often a medical professional. Once selected ARK meets with the family several times to develop the plans for the renovation. Funds and materials for the renovation are donated by both the general public as well as businesses and people in the trades.

Nearly all of our construction personnel are donating their time to ARK, and we couldn’t do it without them. In fact, we have recently announced a partnership with Shift Accessibility Contractors Ltd.( www.shiftaccessibility.ca/)! The good people at Shift have been invaluable friends to ARK, lending their unique expertise to our projects.

What You Can Do

The simplest way to help is to donate online at www.arksociety.ca/donate/. More than 95% of each dollar donated to ARK goes into funding our projects.

ARK is also grateful for material donations, from individuals or businesses.

Check out our website for more about ARK www.arksociety.ca/

For donor inquiries or material donations, please contact us at: [email protected]

Want to Volunteer? We get positively giddy for volunteers of all kinds! We have a wide variety of opportunities available! www.arksociety.ca/volunteer/