Accessibility Plan

Accessible BC Act

The Accessibility British Columbia Act came into effect in June 2021. The Act requires municipalities and other organizations to identify how the organization will identify, remove, and prevent barriers to those in your organization and those who interact with it. Organizations must also review and update plans at least once every three years. As accessible organizations, municipalities are required to have the following:

1. An accessibility plan

The accessibility plan must include the following principles:

1. Inclusion: All British Columbians, including persons with disabilities, should be able to participate fully and equally in their communities.
2. Adaptability: Accessibility plans should reflect that disability and accessibility are evolving concepts that change as services, technology, and attitudes change.
3. Diversity: Every person is unique. People with disabilities are individuals with varied backgrounds. Individual characteristics including race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and lived experience greatly inform the experiences of individuals. Accessibility plans should acknowledge the principle of intersectionality and the diversity within the disability community.
4. Collaboration: Promoting accessible communities is a shared responsibility and everyone has a role to play. Accessibility plans should create opportunities for Organizations and communities to work together to promote access and inclusion.
5. Self-determination: Accessibility plans should seek to empower people with disabilities to make their own choices and pursue the lives they wish to live.
6. Universal Design: The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design defines Universal Design as “the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.” An accessibility plan should be designed to meet the needs of all people who wish to interact with the Organization.

A barrier can be anything that hinders the full and equal participation in society of a person with an impairment. Some examples are:

Attitude

When people think and act based upon false ideas, like:

• Making decisions about people with disabilities without including them
• Not believing that a person with a disability can contribute to the workforce

Physical

When obstacles make access difficult, like:

• A washroom with an accessible stall but no automatic door opener
• Hosting a meeting in a space with no wheelchair access

Information or communication

When communication methods do not reach people with disabilities, like:

• Using small print or not providing large-print versions of material
• Videos, events, or meetings that do not have closed captions

Systemic

When an organization’s policies or procedures aren’t inclusive, like:

• Not providing an American Sign Language interpreter or closed captioning
• Requiring a driver’s licence for a job when another form of transportation could be used

Technology

When technology can’t be accessed by people with disabilities, like:

• Websites, documents, or databases that are not accessible for screen readers
• Website graphs and charts do not have text to explain them

Sensory

When lights, sounds or smells prevent participation in the environment, like:

• Co-workers wearing perfume in the workplace
• Use of fluorescent lighting in the workplace