Starting in September more than 750 organizations will begin establishing accessibility committees, plans and feedback mechanisms under the Accessible BC Regulation.
In June 2021, the Accessible BC Act came into effect.
The Act requirements are now expanding to include school districts, post-secondary institutions, public libraries and local governments.
“In BC, there are more than 926,000 people with disabilities who face barriers in their daily lives when accessing services,” said Nicholas Simons, minister of social development and poverty reduction.
The Accessible BC Act defines barriers as anything that hinders equal participation in society of a person with an impairment. The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction says this can include environments, attitudes, policies, information and technology.
The government is allocating $3 million over the next three years to ensure organizations meet the legal requirements. The funding will be distributed through Disability Alliance BC.
The regulation will require the more than 750 public-sector organizations to also recognize AccessAbility Week annually. This year, AccessAbility Week will run from May 29 to June 4.
