PRESS RELEASE: Funding helps remove barriers for people with disabilities: Accessibility Projects Grants Recipients for 2023/2024

-For Immediate Release–

Vancouver, BC – December 4th, 2023 

Today, Disability Alliance BC (DABC) has announced the recipients of the 2023/2024 Accessibility Projects Grants, which will support better access to cultural, recreational, safety, educational and community participation opportunities for people with disabilities across the province. This year, the Provincial Government provided $450,000 to be distributed by DABC to non-profits throughout British Columbia. Since 2018, DABC has distributed approximately $2.75 million to over 80 not-for-profit organizations through this partnership with the Province.  

“It’s so heartening to see the number of strong applications we receive – it shows how important and much needed this funding is, as well as how many people want to invest their time, energy and expertise into improving accessibility for people with disabilities,” said Danielle Gauld, who works as the coordinator of the grants with DABC. 

Organizations were invited to apply for up to $40,000 for community engagement projects that will support lasting change for the more than 900,000 people (24.7% of the population over age 15)¹ in BC living with disabilities. A few examples of projects funded in previous years include: 

• Kinsight’s “Real Talk: Connecting Queer Communities” project, which increased community participation opportunities and decreased stigma for 2SLGBTQIA+ adults with cognitive disabilities. Stated one of their group members, “There’s not many programs for us out there, for disability and for LGBTQ.”   
   
• Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice’s “Intergenerational Chinatown Disability Advocacy through Arts” project, of which Sunny Chiu, Coordinator of the project, stated: “We created spaces in Chinatown and Downtown Eastside where disabled youth and Chinese seniors could connect, and attend creative and culturally relevant, physically-and language-accessible events. I think we were able to start some very necessary (and trilingual!) conversations about how language and physical accessibility operate in tandem, and what accessibility means to our participants. I really hope to continue these conversations even after this project is finished!” 

The Province observes December 3rd as the Day for Persons with Disabilities, to coincide with the United Nations’ International Day of People with Disability. “We want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy full and equitable participation in their communities,” said Susie Chant, BC’s Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility. “As we celebrate the Day for Persons with Disabilities, I am especially grateful for our work with trusted partners like Disability Alliance BC to remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities.”  

DABC is proud to work with the BC government to remove barriers and celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities to their communities.The Accessibility Projects Grants are an important step in this direction. 
 
Media Contacts: 

Danielle Gauld 
Accessibility Projects Grants Coordinator 
ap@disabilityalliancebc.org 

Helaine Boyd 
Executive Director 
helaine@disabilityalliancebc.org 

Learn More: 
To learn more about  Disability Alliance BC: https://disabilityalliancebc.org/ 

To get up to date about Government’s work on accessibility: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/about-the-bc-government/accessibility/news 

To give feedback on barriers people with disabilities face when accessing government services: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/about-the-bc-government/accessibility/feedback 

To read the Accessible B.C. Act 2022/2023 Progress Report: Accessible BC Act: 2022/2023 – Progress Report (gov.bc.ca) 
 

Backgrounders: 

DABC invited eligible organizations to apply for funding in August, and the list of recipients was announced today:  

• 221A Artist Run Centre Society – $40,000 for community-led creative gatherings, cultural workshops, and food-sharing initiatives at an Indigenous garden located in Vancouver’s Chinatown and Downtown Eastside. 
• BC Association for Advancing Communications (BCAAC)– $39,902 for delivery ofvirtual and in-person inclusion workshops for people and children with speech and language disabilities and free online resources to support people across BC. 
• Kickstart Disability Arts and Culture – $40,000 for an in-person residency in Vancouver for artists practicing in the field of disability arts and culture that gives them an opportunity to learn, have access to studio time, and build community with other practicing disabled artists. 
• Recreation Adapted Society (RAD) – $39,656 for the launch of the Langford Lake GearBox, a container with adaptive recreation devices for outdoor activities for people with mobility disabilities, helping them maintain healthy, active, independent lifestyles.  
• Stanley Park Ecology Society – $40,000 for programs with experiential learning, hands-on education, and environmental skill-building opportunities for people with disabilities to engage with and enjoy the natural world at Stanley Park in Vancouver. 
• Neil Squire Society– $39,628 for events in Greater Vancouver and beyond, to foster accessibility and inclusivity in the world of gaming with customizable assistive technology solutions. 
• Smithers Community Services Association – $40,000 for a project that will assist children (aged 6-12) with learning disabilities with improving their reading and writing skills and youth (Grades 7-12) who have fallen behind in school academics due to their learning disabilities in Smithers, Telkwa, Houston and Witset. 
• Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society – $40,000 to support newcomers with disabilities in Greater Victoria to access education, allowing them to pursue new learning opportunities and achieve their educational and career goals.  
• Worker Solidarity Network Society (WSN) -$40,000 for a project that will support low-income workers living with disabilities to build capacity for safety and wellbeing in extreme weather events in Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver and Okanagan through educational materials, ASL-interpreted video content, and the implementation of an accessible educational program. 
• Kettle Friendship Society – $40,000 for group art therapy, creative writing, choir practice, art scholarships and public performances/showcases to help people living with mental health challenges in Vancouver regain visibility and rediscover their voices in a safe space. 
• Kamloops and District Society for People In Motion– $40,000 for an initiative to examine the role that accessible and inclusive transportation choices make in addressing issues of social and economic inclusion among people with disabilities living in Kamloops, Te’kumlups First Nation and the broader Thompson-Nicola Region. 
• Northern Adapted Sports – $13,500 to expand school awareness programming and professional development for bringing adapted sports to children and youth across Northern BC. 

To learn more and download the Call for Proposals (CFP) and application forms please visit: Accessibility Projects Grants | DABC (disabilityalliancebc.org). 

¹https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310037401&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.13 

The September 1 deadline for many public sector organizations to comply with the Accessible BC Regulation is fast approaching

How can you and the Disability Community Get Involved? Read below.

In May 2021, the BC Government passed into law the Accessible BC Act (ABCA). DABC provided our review on the new ABCA, outlining our six key concerns. Many of those concerns are still outstanding, and we continue to engage with the BC Government on ensuring that the implementation of the ABCA will be meaningful and create lasting, positive change in reducing barriers for people with disabilities in our province.

A new regulation under Part 3 of the ABCA came into force on September 1, 2022, requiring more than 750 public sector organizations to establish:

1. An accessibility committee
2. An accessibility plan
3. A tool to receive feedback on accessibility

There are further criteria that public sector organizations have to meet that are related to the three requirements above. For instance, the accessibility committee must, to the extent possible, aim to have at least half of its members be people with disabilities or representing a disability-serving organization, and at least one member identify as an Indigenous person. The accessibility plan and the feedback tool must be made available to the public. Other than these criteria, the requirements are quite broad. For instance, public sector organizations can establish these requirements on their own, jointly with others in their sector, or across sectors.

The public sector organizations that must meet these requirements are:

• Municipalities and regional districts
• Post Secondary education institutions
• Public libraries
• Municipal police departments
• Francophone school districts
• Independent schools
• School districts
• Health Authorities
• Public Sector board, agencies, tribunals, and commissions

All of the above organizations were issued a one-year deadline to meet these three requirements by September 1, 2023, with the exception of the health authorities and some of the boards, agencies, tribunals and commissions, which have an extra year until September 1, 2024.

What is DABC doing to ensure that the public sector meets their 3 requirements?

In May 2022, the BC Government provided $3 million over three years to DABC to specifically support these public sector organizations in meeting the three requirements. This funding is called the Accessible Organizations Project. As this funding has a specific purpose, it cannot be used to directly fund accessibility initiatives that are implemented as a result of an accessibility plan. DABC continues to advocate to the BC Government in setting up a more robust granting system that can allow the public sector to receive funding to implement the strategies they put into their accessibility plans. DABC also hopes to see the ABCA extend to the private sector in future, as full and equal participation in society for people with disabilities goes beyond just accessing government and public sector services; all levels of society including the private and charitable sectors must be considered.

Since Summer 2022, DABC has been conducting many presentations, workshops and meetings with public sector organizations on the three requirements as well as providing direct support. This support is ongoing.

DABC came to understand that cross-sectoral resources were most needed as an initial development of support for public sector organizations. In August 2022, DABC developed their first iteration of a cross-sectoral resource – the establishment of a website: BC Accessibility Hub.

In November 2022, DABC hosted a workshop, which was attended by 2-3 representatives from each sector, to co-design what is needed in an accessibility plan template and identify any barriers they may have in reaching compliance.

In March 2023, DABC produced the Accessibility Toolkit that was co-designed with people with disabilities and public sector organizations. This toolkit includes:

• A template for organizations to develop their own accessibility plan;
• How to prioritize which actions to put in an action plan;
• Guidance for identifying barriers;
• How to connect with stakeholders and engage the disability community;
• A primer on disability terminology and language;
• Establishing a Committee guide, including how to make committees accessible;
• Templates to use for committee recruitment, committee membership agreement and committee terms of reference; and
• Advice on how to implement a public feedback mechanism.

Since March, DABC has been working with the public sector organizations to set up trainings and further sector-specific resources to make sure the public sector has all the information and support they need to meet these three requirements by the September 1 deadline this year.

Now that the September 1, 2023 deadline is fast approaching, what does this mean for the disability community?

You might wonder, what is the general public’s role in all of this? DABC’s view is that the community, including advocates, family members, people living with disability, disability-serving non profits, all have a role to play in holding the BC Government and the public sector to account in being compliant under the Accessible BC Act.

How can we be sure that public sector organizations are complying with the Accessible BC Act?

To understand whether a specific BC public sector organization is required to comply with the regulations, you can check out the list of organizations here.

We suggest reaching out to your local library, city hall, school district, college, etc to inquire directly with them on what progress they have made in meeting these three requirements. By September 1, 2023:

• Is their feedback tool easy to access?
• Have they posted their accessibility plan on their website or another public place?
• While committees are not required to be made public, some organizations may decide to have both staff and members of the public on their committee, and if that’s the case, you may inquire how you can get involved.
• If you are not sure whether a public sector organization has met the three requirements, you can inquire with the BC Government’s Accessibility Directorate here: engageaccessibility@gov.bc.ca

Disability Alliance BC provides support to obligated organizations to comply with the Accessible BC Regulation, but is not responsible for enforcing the regulation on behalf of the provincial government. If you would like to find out how public sector organizations can meet the requirements, you can reach out to the government directly to inquire with them. It is the government’s responsibility to enforce the regulation, and to support or penalize a public sector organization if they are not in compliance.

If you have any questions about these three requirements in your local community, please do reach out to DABC at aop@disabilityalliancebc.org.

Accessibility Project Grants 2023/2024 – Coming Soon!

As part of the Province’s goal to improve accessibility for people with disabilities in BC, Disability Alliance BC was selected by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (MSDPR) to distribute funding to community based “Accessibility Projects” beginning in 2018. A total of $450,000 is available to BC-based not-for-profit organizations to receive up to a $40,000 grant. Applications will open on Friday, August 4th, 2023.

Previously, Accessibility Projects Grants were available as one-time only grants. Starting this year, DABC will open the grants to organizations who received a grant at least 5 years prior. For instance, grantees who applied in 2018 and received an Accessibility Projects Grant will become eligible to apply in 2023.

These grants are for community-based projects focusing on one of the following objectives to increase accessibility for people with disabilities:

• Accessible employment;
• Accessible emergency planning and response;
• Accessible arts, culture and tourism;
• Accessible sports and recreation;
• Accessible education and learning;
• Accessible community participation.

To learn more about the grants please see: https://disabilityalliancebc.org/program/accessibility-projects/. The Call for Proposals (CFP) and application forms will be released closer to the application period.

At the bottom of the page you can also click on “sign up for updates” and enter your email to be notified of when the CFP and applications are posted, when online information sessions will be held, and other announcements related to the grants and DABC’s work in general.

Applications will be due on Friday September 15th with decisions announced in late November/early December. If you have any questions, please contact the Accessibility Projects Grants Coordinator, Danielle Gauld, at ap@disabilityalliance.org.