Victoria/Fraser Valley – Applications are open for people to serve on the new Provincial Accessibility Committee.
The Accessible British Columbia Act is now law, and the first step is to form the Provincial Accessibility Committee to advise the minister of social development and poverty reduction on matters related to accessibility and support the development of accessibility standards.
People interested in serving on the 11-member Provincial Accessibility Committee have until Thursday, July 29, 2021, to apply. As outlined in the act, the committee will represent the diversity of British Columbians and at least half of the membership will include people with disabilities or people or organizations that support people with disabilities, with a minimum of one Indigenous representative.
“For too long, the barriers faced by people with disabilities have been overlooked,” said Chilliwack MLA Dan Coulter, Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility. “We know people experience barriers differently, and our approach will reflect that. I’m looking forward to working with advocates, communities and businesses across the province in the months and years ahead to ensure all voices are heard.”
The act will allow government, with the guidance of the Provincial Accessibility Committee, to develop new accessibility standards that will address barriers in a range of areas such as employment, education and transportation, as well as buildings and infrastructure.
Next steps also include creating a forward-looking, three-year government accessibility plan, determining which other organizations the law will apply to and developing a feedback tool to ensure people throughout the province can provide input on identifying, preventing and removing barriers.
