Accessibility 2024: Making B.C. the most progressive province in Canada for people with disabilities by 2024
June 2015 One Year Progress Update
Table of Contents
Message from the Premier 3
Message from the Minister 4
Message from the Accessibility 2024 Leadership Team 5
Building Blocks for Accessibility 2024
Inclusive Government 6
Accessible Service Delivery 9
Accessible Internet 11
Accessible Built Environment 13
Accessible Housing 15
Accessible Transportation 16
Income Support 18
Employment 20
Financial Security 24
Inclusive Communities 26
Emergency Preparedness 30
Consumer Experience 31
Appendix A: Community and Employer Partnerships in Support of Accessibility 34
Appendix B: Age-friendly Planning and Project Grants 36
Appendix C: Community Gaming Grants in Support of Accessibility 40
Message from the Premier
June 2015 marks one year since the release of Accessibility 2024 our government’s 10-year action plan to make B.C. the most progressive jurisdiction in Canada for people with disabilities. Working together with the disability community and the business community, we have made progress on that vision over the past year. Together, we are moving forward on our goals, building stronger partnerships across all sectors and communities, and seeing the ideas that came out of the consultation take shape.
Under Accessibility 2024 we are working to dissolve barriers and build stronger, more inclusive communities for people with disabilities. We have invested in programs that help people with disabilities access the training, resources and technology they need to secure employment, modernized the Guide Dog and Service Dog Act, and became the first province in Canada to introduce Annual Earnings Exemptions and fully exempt child support payments for people receiving disability assistance.
Accessibility 2024 charted a course for us to change attitudes, create new opportunities and place an accessibility lens on all our decisions. Of course, no one organization, person or government can achieve our vision alone. Consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities, our government has worked closely with the disability community to implement Accessibility 2024.
I would like to thank the community members, businesses and others who have helped move Accessibility 2024 forward over the last year. As we reflect on our work over the past year, we can all share in our accomplishments. Together, we are well on our way to building a more accessible British Columbia.
Honourable Christy Clark
Premier of British Columbia
Message from the Minister
Accessibility 2024 is our government’s plan to make B.C. a more inclusive and accessible province and this report documents the progress we have made over the last year to achieve our goals.
Across our province we are seeing a growing awareness and commitment to building communities and workplaces that are welcoming to all. This is an exciting societal shift driven by the knowledge that accessibility should matter to everyone.
This update reflects the shared accomplishments of the individuals and organizations in the disability community and the business sector – champions of accessibility who dedicate their energy, vision and commitment to pushing us forward.
In the coming years, we will continue to work closely with our partners and together we will achieve the goals laid out in Accessibility 2024 and make B.C. a place where people of all abilities have the opportunity to succeed.
Honourable Michelle Stilwell
Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation
Message from the Accessibility 2024 Leadership Team
When Premier Christy Clark released Accessibility 2024 in June 2014, she laid the roadmap for a more accessible, inclusive and progressive British Columbia.
Much work has been done over the past year to move forward on the goals and commitments included in Accessibility 2024. The Accessibility 2024 leadership team is proud of the actions taken to date to move B.C. forward towards being the most progressive province in Canada for people with disabilities by 2024.
Our Accessibility 2024 leadership team includes Government and external advisory groups made up of people with disabilities, family members, business leaders, Aboriginal leaders and community representatives The Minister’s Council on Employment and Accessibility, the Presidents Group and the newly formed Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) Action Group.
We are working hard to drive our mandates forward to support the implementation of Accessibility 2024. Over the last year, B.C. has increased flexibility for income earners by allowing people receiving disability assistance to calculate their earnings on an annual basis instead of monthly and modernized its Guide Dog and Service Dog Act. We look forward to marking the second annual Disability Employment Month in September and RDSP Awareness Month in October, and continuing our work to make B.C. a more inclusive, accessible province.
Progress updates on Accessibility 2024 are available at www.gov.bc.ca/accessibility. People with disabilities and their families, friends, communities, advocates and employers are the true champions of accessibility in our province. By working together, we are creating new opportunities for people of all abilities to work, play and participate fully in their communities.
The Accessibility 2024 Leadership Team
Michelle Stilwell, Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation
Linda Larson, Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility
Carla Qualtrough, Chair, Minister’s Council on Employment and Accessibility
Tamara Vrooman, Co-Chair, Presidents Group and President and CEO of Vancity
Norah Flaherty, Chair, RDSP Action Group
Neil Belanger, Executive Director, BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society
Jane Dyson, Executive Director, Disability Alliance BC
Inclusive Government
The Premier appointed a Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility to work with the Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation to support the implementation of Accessibility 2024 across government and throughout the province. An Accessibility Secretariat has been established to work across government to develop improved navigation supports and information sharing about programs, services and resources available for people with disabilities in B.C.
A modernized Guide Dog and Service Dog Act was passed in April 2015 to safeguard public access for those who rely on guide or service dogs while ensuring clarity and safety for other members of the public and businesses. The Act will also extend tenancy rights for a certified guide or service dog team to strata properties, as well as ensuring access rights for dog in training teams. This legislation is targeted to be enacted later this year.
Over the past year, an accessibility lens has been applied to accessibility relevant legislative and regulatory initiatives such as the modernized Guide Dog and Service Dog Act and regulations for the Annualized Earnings Exemption. This accessibility lens includes working collaboratively with the disability community as legislation and regulations are developed, in a manner consistent with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the expectations of the disability community of ‘nothing about us, without us.’
Elections BC is committed to ongoing accessibility and inclusion in elections.
The Election Amendment Act was introduced in the spring of 2015, extending advance voting by two days. Voters have six days to vote at their convenience at any advance voting location, all of which are fully accessible.
The Minister’s Council on Employment and Accessibility and the Presidents Group continue to champion strategies to increase employment and accessibility for persons with disabilities.
There has been ongoing collaboration and information sharing between the provincial and federal governments to facilitate a coordinated approach to improving accessibility, including discussion on a number of Accessibility 2024-related topics, including Inclusive Government, Accessible Service Delivery, Accessible Internet, Accessible Housing, Employment, Financial Security, Emergency Preparedness and Consumer Experience.
There has been collaboration and information sharing with municipal governments to support improved accessibility in communities across B.C.
Accessibility 2024 Actions
Completed
· Commit to modernizing B.C.’s guide and service dog program
· Enshrine the Minister’s Council on Employment and Accessibility
· Launch a Presidents Group of business leaders to champion employment and improved consumer access
· Create a Parliamentary Secretary and Accessibility Secretariat
In Progress or Ongoing
· Establish an accessibility lens on regulations and legislation
· Consult on options for a made-in-B.C. approach to accessibility legislation
· As a leader in supporting an accessible electoral process for all British Columbians, B.C. will continue to move forward to support participation of persons with disabilities
Government Connections
The Employee Advisory Council formed out of a consultation session hosted by the BC Public Service Agency and the Accessibility Secretariat. The Council, comprising employees with and without disabilities and co-chaired by the Agency and SDSI provides information and advice on accessibility and inclusion including hiring, keeping and advancing employees with disabilities.
Accessible Service Delivery
Accessible delivery of government services continues to improve, with face to face services now 80 per cent accessible. To date, 80 per cent of government owned and leased building space that house offices that service British Columbians are fully accessible, with more upgrades on the horizon (where possible given heritage constraints).
New features such as call back options are being added to make phone services more accessible, and a toll-free Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) hotline has been launched to help improve financial literacy for people with disabilities. Online, 80 per cent of the B.C. government’s website meets international web standards [WCAG 2.0 (AA)] and is on track for full compliance by 2016.
The accessibility website (www.gov.bc.ca/accessibilty) includes a full listing of government programs, services and resources available for people with disabilities, as well as improved options for finding and accessing information from across multiple ministries.
The BC Public Service has released an update to Reflecting Our Communities: Building a Diverse BC Public Service with an enhanced focus on accessibility. The strategy includes the formation of a Work-Able internship program to provide work experience for recent post-secondary graduates with disabilities beginning in September 2015. As well, an accessibility audit of the recruitment system has been completed to identify barriers for people with disabilities to access and apply to government job postings.
The Vision for a Violence Free BC strategy includes consideration of the increased risk of violence faced by certain groups of women, including women with disabilities.
Government is providing $5.7 million in funding to Communication Assistance for Youth and Adults (CAYA) to support individuals with severe communication disabilities over next three years.
Working with representatives from the Deaf community, an online resource of American Sign Language interpreter services has been compiled and is now available on the accessibility website www.gov.bc.ca/accessibilty.
Accessibility 2024 Actions
Completed
· Launch a website and a 1-800 number service to assist people with disabilities to navigate government services
· Develop a disability strategy for the BC Public Service to enhance accessibility for hiring and advancement of persons with disabilities within the public service
· Create a single point of information about American Sign Language interpreter services
In Progress or Ongoing
· Commit to accessible service delivery phone, online and face-to-face
· Ensure all government-owned and leased customer service building stock is fully accessible by 2020 (where possible given heritage constraints)
· Include accessibility as an aspect in government’s 10-year capital plan
· Work on transferability of aids and devices across government programs
Community in Action
RDSP Hotline
Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network’s (PLAN) has launched a toll-free RDSP hotline: 1 844 311-PLAN or 1 844 311-7526 to help improve financial literacy for people with disabilities. This centre for financial expertise for people with disabilities makes it easier for individuals with disabilities, and their families and friends, to ask questions about the RDSP and plan for a more secure financial future.
Accessible Internet
Over the past year, ministries across government have been implementing web transformation initiatives to migrate their ministry web pages onto the upgraded B.C. government web platform. This work is on track, which will ensure the entire government website (www.gov.bc.ca) meets international web standards [WCAG 2.0 (AA)] by the end of 2016.Image of the Government's accessibility website.
The federal government is on track to bring video relay service to Canadians in 2016, which will provide enhanced communications options for people who use American Sign Language.
Government has set a goal to expand high-speed Internet access to all British Columbians by 2021, and has pledged up to $10 million over two years, to match partner contributions to finish the project before 2021.
Accessibility 2024 Actions
In Progress or Ongoing
· Upgrade government website (gov.bc.ca) to meet international web standards: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines [WCAG 2.0 (AA)] standard by 2016
· Work with federal government to bring video relay service to Canadians, starting as early as fall 2015
Community in Action
People who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Hard-of-Hearing or Speech Impaired (DHHSI) living in Metro Vancouver, Sunshine Coast and Squamish/Whistler and Northern Vancouver Island now have the ability to contact 9-1-1 through a new specialized text service, called 9-1-1. The service is provided through E-Comm the 9-1-1 answer point serving the North Island, Metro Vancouver and the northern, central and southern interiors of B.C. Register for the service www.textwith911.ca. Learn more at www.ecomm911.ca.
Accessible Built Environment
Eighty per cent of government owned and leased buildings are currently accessible, with upgrades planned for 2015/16 at the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations offices in Dawson Creek. Work is on track for government buildings to be fully accessible by 2020 (where possible given heritage constraints).
Working with the Union of BC Municipalities, government is refreshing the Planning for the Future: Age-friendly and Disability-friendly Official Community Plans guidebook. The guidebook will include suggested guidelines, accompanied by examples from local governments around the province, to help communities incorporate accessibility into their Official Community Plans.
The Building Access Handbook 2014, with illustrated commentary on access requirements in the 2012 BC Building Code, is available online. The B.C. government will be reviewing new accessibility provisions in the 2015 National Building Code and will update the next edition of the BC Building Code to ensure it remains the most accessible building code in Canada.
A program has been set up to work with B.C. technology companies to showcase and test new accessibility technologies in B.C. government buildings.