You are invited to a conversation about improving accessibility for people living with disabilities in B.C.

Dear Community Partner,

This is an invitation to attend the consultation as part of the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation’s White Paper that is being held in Vancouver January 15th.  This consultation is in addition to the other scheduled consultations across the province.

 

The Disability White Paper Leadership Team, made up of government, the disability community and the business community, wants to hear from you about how we, as a society, can increase accessibility and decrease barriers for people living with disabilities in B.C.

On December 3, 2013, the B.C. government launched a consultation with British Columbians to better understand how government, businesses and communities can increase accessibility and decrease barriers for people living with disabilities. www.engage.gov.bc.ca/disabilitywhitepaper

The online conversations have been themed around six areas: innovation, personal supports, work and contribution, housing and physical accessibility, support networks, and RDSPs/asset accumulation.

Your feedback and comments will help to inform the development of a White Paper – a document that reflects the voice of British Columbians – that will form the foundation for a Summit in June on the issues facing people with disabilities in British Columbia.

The approach is modeled after the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities pledge to ensure that any discussion of disability issues be done with the disability community – ‘nothing about us without us’.

The Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation asked the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities to help bring together a group of leaders in the disability community for an open discussion on this important issue. Thank you to the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities for their leadership and guidance in helping to make this event possible.

When:    January 15, 2014
Noon – 5 pm (lunch will be provided at 1 pm)

Where:  Creekside Community Centre
1 Athletes Way
Vancouver, BC

RSVP: Please RSVP by January 8 to disabilitywhitepaper@gov.bc.ca
            Space is limited to 100 participants

In advance of this dialogue, we invite you to think about this question:

What B.C. would look like if it was the most progressive province for people living with disabilities?