December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities – Updates around Disability in BC
Today, December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The Province of British Columbia has recognized this important day with a proclamation which you can view here. On this day, we are also excited to share some updates around disability in BC with you from the SDPR Accessibility Directorate.
Provincial Accessibility Committee: The Province of British Columbia has appointed 11 British Columbians as the first members of the Provincial Accessibility Committee. The creation of this committee marks the first step in working towards removing barriers for people with disabilities in BC. According to the SDPR Accessibility Directorate, “under the Accessible British Columbia Act, the committee’s work will include advising the Government on the implementation of the Act, helping the government prioritize accessibility standards, and overseeing the process of developing standards in areas like employment, education, the built environment and customer service.” You can read more about the Provincial Accessibility Committee here.
Accessibility Grants: This year, 15 community-based projects that will improve accessibility and community inclusion for people with disabilities in BC have received over $450,000 in funding from the Province of British Columbia. Grants awarded ranged from $10,500 to $40,000, depending on the size and scope of the project and projects ranged from the arts, movement therapy, emergency response plans, and bicycle programs for the dead and hard of hearing. You can read more about the Accessibility Grants here.
BC Building Code Accessibility Survey: The govTogetherBC website has an online survey where you can provide feedback to help improve accessibility in new buildings that will help inform proposed changes to the next BC Building Code. According to the SDPR Accessibility Directorate “removing barriers to accessibility and inclusion experienced by British Columbians will help create better buildings and stronger communities for all people.” You can take the BC Building Code and Accessibility Survey here. Please note that this survey is available in English, Punjabi, French, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese and survey submissions will be accepted until January 13th, 2022 at 4 PM PST.
Happy International Day of Persons with Disabilities everyone! Find out more about International Day of Persons with Disabilities here.