Dear Readers,
The May edition of our monthly E-Update includes various national and local events, resources, information, as well as social and civic engagement opportunities.
- Creating an inclusive and barrier-free Canada
- A Plan to Bring Us Back Together
- Inclusion BC's AGM notice
- Re-Imagining Community Inclusion
- Recommendations to the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act
- Community voices on 'tapping into tech'
- Celebrating 30 years of Vela!
- Join the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- Self Advocates of the Rockies Phone Tree
If you have any questions about the content, please email Communications Manager Claire Inkster at inksterc@inclusionbc.org
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National AccessAbility Week &
National Indigenous AccessAbility Week
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Creating an inclusive and barrier-free Canada
#NationalAccessAbilityWeek and #NationalIndigenousAccessAbilityWeek is a time to celebrate the valuable contributions made by ALL Canadians with disabilities and recognize the efforts of individuals, communities, and workplaces that are actively working to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion.
At Inclusion BC #AccessAbility means every community, workplace, learning environment, and virtual space infuses inclusion into the planning process and is developed to be barrier-free for ALL people. No one is excluded and everyone is able to reach their full potential.
As an organization Inclusion BC commits to incorporating an accessibility lens into our planning practices and to building accessible and barrier-free communities for ALL Canadians.
Thank you to British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS) for reminding us that:
"If it’s not Accessible then it’s not Acceptable!"
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Do you know of individuals, communities, or workplaces that are actively working towards removing barriers to accessibility and inclusion?
From May 30th to June 5th help us celebrate and recognize their efforts by sharing the work and tagging @InclusionBC on social media with the hashtags:
#NationalAccessAbilityWeek
#NationalIndigenousAccessAbilityWeek
#AccessAbility #Inclusion #Celebrate
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Watch the announcement on BC’s plan to safely restart the province
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A Plan to Bring Us Back Together
On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, British Columbians were introduced to BC’s Restart plan – a four-step plan to bring us back together that focuses on a slow and gradual opening of our communities.
The four-step plan outlines approximate dates for the re-opening of personal and organized gatherings, travel, sports and activities, businesses, and offices and workspaces.
The plan is guided by data and not dates. During steps 1 and 2 safety and health protocols such as mask-wearing and physical distancing will remain in place and continue to be mandatory.
Moving through, the plan is based on the COVID-19 case count trends, vaccination rates for those 18+, COVID-19 hospitalizations including critical care, and COVID-19 mortality.
Here are some links to help as British Columbians come back together:
- BC Government website
- Slide presentation
- BC Government press release
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Inclusion BC's Annual General Meeting notice
The 2021 Inclusion BC Annual General Meeting (AGM) is less than a month away and will be held virtually by Zoom on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
Everyone is welcome to attend our AGM and learn what we accomplished during 2020/2021. Plus, organizational members will have an opportunity to vote on resolutions that help guide our future.
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Re-Imagining Community Inclusion: Working together on a proposed vision and road map for community inclusion
The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (MSDPR), Re-Imagining Community Inclusion (RCI) partners, and Community Living BC (CLBC) are moving forward via a steering committee with the implementation phase of RCI’s ten-year vision.
This phase is guided by the RCI report created with input from many RCI partners and people who helped create a vision that represents our shared goals and aspirations for a more inclusive British Columbia.
View a plain language version of the report.
Since resuming the process in January 2021, the Steering Committee has:
- Identified four key initial areas of focus – Employment, Housing, Health and Mental Health, and Indigenous Strategies for Community Inclusion
- Formed working groups with diverse representation and experience to draft plans of action for each area that are evidence-based and measurable
- Began developing the plans with a target of completion by September 2021
Stay tuned for updates on progress and how to be involved in this stage of the implementation process.
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Inclusion BC's recommendations to the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act
In 2020 the Legislative Assembly of BC began a process of modernizing current policing practices and appointed a Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act to guide the process. As part of a public consultation process the Special Committee invited British Columbians to share their views and ideas on public safety and policing through written, audio, and video submissions.
Inclusion BC and our Board of Directors, in consultation with two Criminology professors at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, were pleased to participate in the process through a written submission offering recommendations to the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act that are centred on the lived experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
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Community voices on 'tapping into tech': Fostering equity for children with disabilities and medical complexities in rural & northern British Columbia
Inclusion BC congratulates Dr. Alison Gerlach, from the University of Victoria, and Jason Gordon, from the BC Association of Child Development & Intervention, on the success of being the recipients of a Vancouver Foundation grant for $200,000.
Over a two-year period, the Community voices on ‘tapping into tech’ grant will be used to explore the role of technology in promoting and expanding service quality and access for children with disabilities and medical complexities and their families in rural and northern British Columbia.
Launching in June/July 2021, Community voices on ‘tapping into tech’ will bring forward much-needed research that will benefit children with disabilities and medical complexities while taking a community-driven approach. Inclusion BC is grateful to be part of this participatory action research project team.
Read further project details at Community voices on ‘tapping into tech’.
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Inclusion BC Member Feature
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Celebrating 30 years of Vela!
Thirty years ago, Vela & Executive Director Linda Perry started the first Microboard, and so began the journey of an organization and leader mentoring individuals with disabilities and their trusted loved ones to explore and create customized and inclusive options for self-directed living right across the globe.
Congratulations Vela on your 30th Anniversary! And as Vela celebrates this important milestone, they also say farewell to their vigorous leader Linda Perry who is retiring this year.
A celebration will be held online on Friday, May 28, 2021, at 7 pm. To join the party please register through Eventbrite.
Let's join the celebrations!
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Call for election applications to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Global Affairs Canada, in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada, is launching a Call for Applications for a Canadian candidate for election to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
This UN Committee monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Important information on the position, background on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Committee, information on how to apply, and the knowledge and experience criteria can be found on the CRPD Elections Call for Expressions of Interest document.
If you have questions, would like to request alternate formats, or submit your completed applications send them to Global Affairs Canada at: HRnominations-nominationsDH@international.gc.ca.
Please note application closing is May 30, 2021 at 11:59 pm (PDT)
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Self Advocates of the Rockies Phone Tree
Are you feeling “Zoomed-Out” and looking for non-virtual ways to connect with others? Look no more as Self Advocates of the Rockies, a group of adults from Cranbrook BC, hosts a weekly group “Phone Tree” for advocates in BC to call one another and build new friendships.
The Phone Tree is held on Thursdays at 10:30 am (PDT) / 11:30 am (MDT). The weekly group phone calls fill up fast as spots are limited to 5 people per call.
To learn more and register for the “Phone Tree” please email Janine Moore at j.moore@realmbc.ca.
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A World Where Everybody Belongs
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Our work is made possible thanks to you!
Did you know that much of Inclusion BC’s important work is made possible thanks to supporters like you? Our Community Inclusion Advocacy Program has become a lifeline for many individuals and families facing barriers to fully participating in their communities.
“I received and still receive support from Inclusion B.C. for my son. He has been excluded from school and most activities that make childhood fun. Inclusion BC has been with me in my fight for equality every step of the way. Advice, support, resources and advocating, the help we have gotten has been invaluable for us. Thank you.”
With the onset of the pandemic, we have seen a steady increase in demand for this service and thanks to our generous donors we can continue to provide this much-needed resource to those needing advocacy supports.
You can make a one-off or monthly donation using the orange button below or you can reach out to our Resource Development Officer Renee MacDermid macdermidr@inclusionbc.org to ask about how you can get involved.
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