Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, and Dan Coulter, Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility, have released the following statement about AccessAbility Week:

“May 29 to June 4, 2022, is AccessAbility Week in British Columbia and in Canada. While this is the fifth year our province has celebrated AccessAbility Week, it is the first time since the introduction of the new Accessible British Columbia Act.

“This year, we recognize the many contributions people with disabilities have made toward making B.C. more accessible. We thank the individuals, communities and organizations actively removing barriers. We celebrate the steps we are taking toward a more accessible and inclusive province under the new act. This includes the recently announced Accessible British Columbia Regulation that requires more than 750 public-sector organizations to establish an accessibility committee, an accessibility plan and a feedback tool to improve accessibility.

“AccessAbility Week is a time to remember that an inclusive society is one where all people can participate equally in their communities and workplaces. AccessAbility Week is also a time for government to highlight support for people with disabilities and organizations that advocate for people with disabilities.

“Again this year, government is providing $500,000 in community grants to improve accessibility and inclusion. The grants will be distributed by Disability Alliance BC (DABC) to support local accessibility projects in communities throughout B.C. DABC will issue a call for proposals on its website this summer. Projects should focus on accessible education, learning, sports and recreation, arts, culture and tourism, community participation, emergency planning and response, or accessible employment.

“People with disabilities have diverse interests, talents and experiences that contribute richly to our society, culture and economy. We all benefit when their voices are heard and listened to.

“And we are creating a new path that breaks down barriers, promotes fairness and equity, and creates a culture of inclusion.

“This AccessAbility Week, we invite all British Columbians to celebrate the people who are working to achieve a barrier-free B.C.”

Quick Facts:

• In 2021, 15 organizations received funding for accessibility projects.
• As of 2017, there are more than 926,000 British Columbians older than 15 who have some form of disability.

Learn More:

Information about the new accessibility project grants can be found on the DABC website: https://disabilityalliancebc.org.

Accessibility in B.C.: gov.bc.ca/accessibility

A short video promoting AccessAbility Week: https://youtu.be/A4AXJ4ZE7yg