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The provincial government wants to hear input on how to make the working lives easier for those in B.C. living with a disability. (Dreamstime)
accessibility for all

Province seeks input to break down barriers for disabled British Columbians

May 30, 2024 | 4:59 PM

NANAIMO — The B.C. government wants to hear your thoughts on how to make the province more inclusive for people with disabilities.

Accessibility standards are being proposed for the delivery of social services and employment by the Provincial Accessibility Committee (PAC), who want to create a set of formal guidelines to remove societal barriers for those living with a disability.

The goal of an employment accessibility standard would be to foster a more inclusive working environment and ensure there are limited obstacles to accessing public goods and services.

Public engagement sessions will be open from May 31 to July 31 with several ways to provide feedback.

An online questionnaire can be filled out here at engage.gov.bc.ca, while a list of virtual regional town halls, including one on Vancouver Island on June 11 can be found here.

There are also community-led sessions the general public can create or be a part of along with a number of small group sessions featuring organizations from different sectors, with a $2,500 grant provided by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction to help organize these sessions.

Direct submission can be made to accessiblebc@urbansystems.ca.

Input collected will be reviewed by PAC who will then prepare a report for 2025, then bring the recommendations to the provincial cabinet for consideration.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

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On Twitter:@NanaimoNewsNOW