Accessibility Audit
In partnership with the Accessibility Committee, Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC) and the CV Community Health Network, the Comox Valley Social Planning Society began an Access Audit Project in the spring of 2023. The purpose of the project is to:
- engage community members and people with lived experience of disability in planning for the audit and doing the audit.
- demonstrate the value of accessibility and universal design as a benefit for all community members.
- identify areas/policies/processes in the CV Regional District that require modification to be a community that is accessible and inclusive.
- create a living document/map that can be used by local government and community organizations to improve accessibility and inclusion in the Comox Valley.
In April 2023 five community conversations were held with people with access barriers to ask what accessibility and inclusion meant to them. The conversations were led by people with disabilities and carers of people with disabilities. The information in the graphics is first person experience with accessibility in the Comox Valley and, in some cases, beyond. Also, please note that many of the graphic recordings share information beyond physical access – accessibility is not limited to physical access but is also about other barriers in our community.
Below is some of what they told us!
In the spring of 2023, 21 Auditors with accessibility barriers and 4 support people were hired to conduct an audit of public spaces in the region. SPARC BC provided training for the auditors and audits began in late spring. The audit is ongoing to create a map of potential accessibility barriers and the map will be used to create more barrier free spaces. The vision is that we build ongoing capacity in the community to continue to update the map and conduct more audits.
There will be an audit report released in early 2024. Watch for it!
