How We Work
The Accessibility and Inclusion Committee is a committee within the Comox Valley Social Planning Society structure. The Committee reports regularly at CVSPS quarterly meetings and liaises with CVSPS through a designated member on the CVSPS Board.
Purpose:
To promote equity and social inclusion within the Comox Valley.
Activities:
- Identify barriers to inclusion and accessibility and make recommendations to remove the barriers to the appropriate body (e.g. local government, businesses)
- Identify best practices in other communities and make recommendations based on the findings to the appropriate body.
- Participate in reviewing local government draft plans, policies, and procedures to prevent the creation of barriers in the future
- Engage with the community on issues related to accessibility and inclusiveness
- Work to increase public awareness on issues related to accessibility and inclusion for all community members.
Composition:
The BC Accessibility Act requires Accessibility Committees to be made up of 50% or more of people with disabilities and/or service providers for people with disabilities.
The legislation does not define disability specifically; this means that committee members can cover the range of disability from invisible to visible, neurodiverse to neurotypical etc.
The Accessibility Committee’s preference is for people with disabilities to participate over service providers.
It is recognized that some people are both a service provider and have a disability.
The Accessibility and Inclusion Committee will be led by people with disabilities.
Accessibility and Inclusion Committee membership is open to community members who wish to participate. The committee will make specific efforts to recruit members representing ethnic and gender diversity. The committee will reserve some seats for people under 30 who have disabilities.
Want to find out what it is like to navigate our community in a wheelchair? The Accessibility Committee offers wheelchair tours! Contact us to book your tour.
If you are interested in reducing barriers and promoting equity and social inclusion in the Comox Valley please join us. Contact us to express your interest!