The Province is committed to developing laws, standards and policies that make B.C. more inclusive for everyone.

According to Statistics Canada’s 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, more than 926,100 British Columbians 15 and older, or 24.7% of the population, identified as having a disability. Further, 70% said they have more than one disability. The most common disability reported in B.C. was pain-related (64.1%). Mental-health related (59.5%) and learning disabilities (41.6%) were most common for people between 15 and 24 years old. The results of the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability are expected to be released in 2023.

Through the Accessible British Columbia Act, the Province is working to remove barriers, promote fairness and equity, and support a culture of inclusion throughout B.C.

Accessible British Columbia Act

Passed into law in June 2021, the Accessible British Columbia Act provides the legal framework by which the Province, alongside people with disabilities and the broader community, can work to identify, remove and prevent barriers that people with disabilities face in B.C.

Timeline of implementation

• December 2021: The Province appointed 11 people to the Provincial Accessibility Committee, a diverse group of people helping shape a truly accessible and inclusive future for everyone.
• May 2022: The Province released AccessibleBC, a three-year plan that sets out cross-government accessibility priorities.
• September 2022: The Accessible British Columbia Regulation came into effect, requiring more than 750 public-sector organizations to establish accessibility committees, accessibility plans and public feedback mechanisms by September 2023.
• October 2022: The Province launched an accessibility feedback tool to better understand provincial government services that people face.
• January 2023: With the guidance of the Provincial Accessibility Committee and supported by two newly formed technical committees, the Province is ready to begin the development of two new standards: the Accessibility Standard for Employment; and the Accessibility Standard for Service Delivery.

Learn More:

To give feedback about barriers people face when accessing government services, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/accessibilityfeedback  

For information about the Accessible British Columbia Act and its implementation, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/about-the-bc-government/accessibility/legislation

To view the Canadian Survey on Disability from Statistics Canada, visit: https://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&Id=1329901