Victoria/Fraser Valley – People with temporary and permanent disabilities, and seniors, and parents with strollers will benefit from accessibility improvements supported by $5 million in provincial funding to Rick Hansen Foundation.
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 learn more about the Rick Hansen Foundation, visit: https://www.rickhansen.com/
“We all want people to live dignified lives and fully participate in their communities,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “That’s why we’re providing funding to the Rick Hansen Foundation to help municipalities expand accessibility.”
The Province is providing $5 million to support municipalities and Indigenous communities improve accessibility for people of all abilities. The funding will expand the Rick Hansen Foundation BC Accessibility Grants Program and will be used to evaluate accessibility of facilities, upgrade three selected sites and train municipal staff on accessibility.
These grants will help 15 communities improve accessibility, including:
- eight municipalities the Rick Hansen Foundation is already working with: Coquitlam, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Port Moody, Prince George, Richmond and Whistler;
- two Indigenous communities to be selected; and
- five more municipalities the foundation will start the selection process for.
The funding will also help British Columbia become more accessible by supporting organizations through expanded accessibility training, the development of digital tools, the Accessibility Professional Network annual conference, engagement and awareness campaigns, and new accessibility research.
