Job Posting: DABC Community Advocate - Provincial Disability Assistance

Open: December 9, 2024
Closes: January 13, 2025
Location: Vancouver, BC
Category: Community and Social Services Job
Type: Full-time
Salary: $54,000

Who We Are

Since 1977, Disability Alliance BC (DABC) has been a provincial, cross-disability voice in British Columbia. We champion issues impacting the lives of people with disabilities through our direct services, community partnerships, advocacy, research and publications.

Our mission is to promote a more inclusive and equitable society for people with all disabilities through direct services, community partnerships, systemic advocacy, research, and publications.

Job Description

DABC is seeking a Community Advocate to join our Advocacy Access Team. The Advocate will be responsible for individual and community advocacy relating to provincial disability benefits (known as PWD).

Responsibilities:

  • Assist people with disabilities with applications and appeals relating to provincial disability (Persons with Disabilities and Persons with Persistent and Multiple Barriers)
  • Conduct workshops/webinars about provincial disability benefits for community organizations, people with disabilities, healthcare professionals, and other interested individuals and groups
  • Be a provincial resource for community advocates and individuals on policy and legislation governing PWD/PPMB

Working hours and location

This position is full-time for 5 days per week at 8 hours a day (including 1 hour as a paid lunch break) and is a hybrid work opportunity; the successful candidate may be required to work at the Downtown Vancouver office two or three days a week, and at home the rest of the time. The position may also require occasional travel to other BC communities. During your initial training, you will be required to be in the office 5 days a week until successful completion of training.

The position is located in downtown Vancouver, on the traditional, ancestral and stolen lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.

The successful applicant must:

  • Have a minimum 2 years combined post-secondary education and/or applicable work experience
  • Have strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to communicate complex concepts in plain language
  • Be able to work effectively with people with disabilities from a client-centered approach
  • Be self-motivated, adaptable, and able to work effectively with a team
  • Have strong analytical and research skills
  • Have excellent organizational skills
  • Be computer literate and proficient with word-processing software including the Microsoft Office Suite
  • Maintain the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive client information

The following are strong assets for this position:

  • Experience with provincial disability benefits (PWD/PPMB)
  • Experience in the non-profit sector
  • Background in law, social work, or a related field
  • Lived experience with a disability and/or supporting people with disabilities
  • Experience with legal research
  • Understanding of anti-oppression principles

Salary: $54,000 per year

This position offers the following benefits after a three-month probationary period:

  • 15 days of paid vacation annually
  • 18 days of paid sick leave annually
  • 100% of the cost of extended health and dental care benefit premiums
  • 2 weeks of paid time off during DABC’s annual holiday office closure in December
  • Generous health spending account

DABC is an open and diverse organization that promotes inclusive hiring practices. We encourage applications from qualified applicants who identify as visible minorities, Indigenous persons, and of all sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities. People with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply.

Importantly, we are looking for people who want to make a long-term commitment to our organization and have a strong desire to uphold the rights and dignities of people with disabilities.

To Apply:

Please submit a resume and brief covering letter addressed to Sharareh Saremi, Program Manager of Advocacy Access at sharareh@dabc.ca – no phone calls please.

Applications are due no later than midnight on January 13, 2025. DABC welcomes all applications, however, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview.

Job Posting: DABC Community Advocate

Open: November 15, 2024

Closes: November 29, 2024

Location: Vancouver, BC

Category: Community and Social Services Job

Type: Full-time, Part-time, 6-month contract with possibility of extension

Salary: $54,000 (prorated to number of days working)

Who We Are

Since 1977, Disability Alliance BC (DABC) has been a provincial, cross-disability voice in British Columbia. We champion issues impacting the lives of people with disabilities through our direct services, community partnerships, advocacy, research and publications.

Our mission: to support people with all disabilities, to live with dignity, independence and as equal and full participants in the community.

Program Description

The Access RDSP program provides direct support through the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) and related benefits including the Child Disability Benefit, Canada Disability Benefit and Registered Disability Savings Plan to promote financial literacy and financial security for people with disabilities in British Columbia. Access to the DTC and related benefits has become more relevant, as many people with disabilities will need the DTC to apply for the upcoming Canada Disability Benefit. We are seeking advocates passionate about social justice issues to join our dynamic team and help grow our impact in BC and beyond.

Job Description – Community Advocate

You will join a team of advocates, working one-on-one with people with disabilities to provide in-depth support through the DTC and associated benefits. You will help raise awareness about DTC through the development of strategic partnerships and community outreach. You are also an active team member, able to contribute to the additional administrative responsibilities associated with the day-to-day operation of the program.

The successful applicant must:

  • Be able to work effectively with people with disabilities
  • Have a minimum of 2 years combined post-secondary education and/or applicable work experience
  • Have strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate complex concepts in plain language
  • Be computer literate and proficient with word-processing software including the Microsoft Office Suite
  • Be available for occasional travel to communities across BC
  • Be self-motivated, adaptable, and able to work effectively with a team
  • Have excellent organizational skills
  • Have strong knowledge of social media
  • Maintain the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive client information

The following are strong assets for this position:

  • Experience with the DTC and other disability benefits (e.g. RDSP, Child Disability Benefit, Canada Pension Plan-Disability)
  • Experience in the non-profit sector
  • Experience with community outreach or program planning
  • Experience with presenting complex information to diverse audiences
  • Experience working with Adobe Creative Suite
  • Experience with a disability and/or supporting people with disabilities
  • A driver’s license

This is a fixed term position, ending at the end of March 2025 and can be negotiated to be either part-time or full time (anywhere between 3-5 days/week) and will be based out of DABC’s Vancouver office, with occasional travel across Canada.

Depending on future funding, this role may be extended and may further develop to involve direct client work when the contract period ends.

DABC is an open and diverse organization that promotes inclusive hiring practices. We encourage applications from qualified applicants who identify as visible minorities, Indigenous persons, and of all sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities. People with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

To Apply:

Please submit a resume and brief cover letter addressed to Cynthia Minh, Director—Tax AID & Access RDSP at cynthia@dabc.ca using the subject heading “Job Application: Community Advocate”. No phone calls please.

Applications are due no later than 4:30 p.m. on November 29, 2024. DABC welcomes all applications, however, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview.

Download a PDF of the job posting here.

Job Posting: Project Manager for the Accessible Organizations Project

Who We Are

Since 1977, Disability Alliance BC (DABC) has been a provincial, cross-disability voice in British Columbia. We are a non-profit organization and registered charity that champions issues impacting the lives of people with disabilities through our direct services, community partnerships, advocacy, research and publications.

We work to support people with all disabilities to live with dignity, independence and as equal and full participants in the community.

Job Description

DABC is seeking a Project Manager for our Accessible Organizations Project. In 2022, DABC received funding by the BC Government to allocate, distribute and administer one-time grants to public sector organizations to support their work in meeting requirements under Part 3 of the Accessible BC Act. The Project Manager will be responsible for maintaining and cultivating relationships with public sector organizations, and providing guidance on Part 3 of the ABCA, notably the:

  • Requirement to establish accessibility committees under Section 9
  • Requirement to produce an accessibility plan and public feedback mechanism under section 11 and 12.[1]

A project of this size and scope will require a Project Manager that is able to manage multiple relationships with external agencies, as well as having subject-matter knowledge on accessibility in order to properly guide and encourage meaningful implementation on accessibility by the public sector organizations. The ideal candidate will have a fine attention to detail with previous experience in project management, as well as lived experience with disability that will ground the project in DABC’s values of equity and inclusion.

The goal of this project is to strengthen the public sector in its ability to meaningfully support and take accountability for accessibility and inclusion in the province, through the process of sharing information, building relationships, and developing resources on accessibility. This will ultimately ensure that the Accessible BC Act is effective in identifying, removing or preventing barriers to inclusion for people living with disabilities in BC. The successful candidate will work closely with the Executive Director at DABC to ensure the project is inclusive of DABC’s organizational knowledge on accessibility and the Accessible BC Act.

Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Executive Director, the Project Manager will carry out the following responsibilities and tasks:

  • Establish and maintain relationships with public sector organizations, including managing contracts and agreements
  • Collate and review progress reports from grantee organizations
  • Coordinate all communications with public sector organizations
  • Oversee the BC Accessibility Hub website
  • Develop and manage the project’s workplan and all subsequent planning documents and processes, which may be used to report on the project’s progress.
  • Produce and maintain guidance documents and resources related to obligations to Part 3 of the Accessible BC Act
  • Work in collaboration with public sector organizations to share best practices and lessons learned on the implementation of the project.
  • Engage with the disability community and other external stakeholders on community engagement initiatives related to the project as appropriate.

The successful applicant must:

  • Have prior extensive experience managing projects of a similar size
  • Have experience in promoting accessibility initiatives
  • Have strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate complex concepts in plain language
  • Have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with organizations across different sectors
  • Be self-motivated, adaptable, able to work independently and take initiative
  • Have excellent organizational skills
  • Be proficient with Microsoft Office software and relevant Project Management software
  • Be able to manage time well and meet the deliverables and timeline of the project

The following are strong assets for this position: 

  • Lived experience with disability
  • Knowledge of accessibility and how to identify, remove and prevent a wide range of barriers to inclusion of people with disabilities
  • Experience in the non-profit sector
  • Experience supporting the disability community

Working hours and type of position: This is a contracted position for an average of 20-25 hours per week. There is flexibility to spread these hours throughout the workweek. The office hours at DABC are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

At present, the Accessible Organizations Project funding cycle ends on March 31, 2025, however there is possibility for extension.

Location: This position will primarily operate remotely, with some possibility to work at DABC’s office in downtown Vancouver on an ad-hoc basis.

Wage: $38.00 per hour

Please note that as this is a contracted, fixed-term position, the successful applicant would not be eligible for extended health benefits.

DABC is an open and diverse organization that promotes inclusive hiring practices. We encourage applications from qualified applicants who identify as visible minorities, Indigenous persons, and of all sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities. People with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply.

To Apply:

Please submit your resume and answer the questions through the job survey link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7WSX3CL

For questions about the position or if you require any accommodation to access the survey questions in an alternate format, please contact aop@dabc.ca. No phone calls or faxes please. Applications are due no later than 4:30 p.m. on June 21, 2024. DABC welcomes all applications, however, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview. Interviews will be conducted in June and July, and the position start date will be as soon as possible.

[1] https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/21019#part3