Accessibility in Comox Valley Schools

The Government of British Columbia is working towards being an inclusive province. There are over 926,000 people with disabilities in B.C. In June 2021, the Accessible B.C. Act became law. It provides a framework to identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility. The new law is important in making B.C. a more accessible province.

The Act requires prescribed organizations, including school districts to establish an accessibility committee to assist in identifying barriers to individuals in or interacting with the organization and advise the organization on how to remove and prevent those barriers. Accessibility committees must be representative and diverse.

Under the law, Public Services, including the Education sector, must have all three requirements in place by September 1, 2023:

  1. Establish an accessibility committee
  2. Develop an accessibility plan; and
  3. Establish a process for receiving public feedback

Comox valley Schools has formed an Accessibility Committee to advise the organization in its development of an accessibility plan. The plan includes identifying, preventing, and removing the barriers to accessibility that people with disabilities face within the school district, following the directives of the Accessible British Columbia Act.

The committee is following the structure outlined in the Accessible British Columbia Act. Committee reflect the diversity of persons with disabilities in British Columbia and the diverse backgrounds and experiences of staff, students, community partner groups and residents with children and/or youth in the Comox Valley School District.

As part of the new legislation, SD71 is establishing an Accessibility Advisory Committee and plan. The committee and plan will support and be representative of all members of the SD 71 community (employees, students, and visitors). The Accessibility Committee will provide advice to the district on identifying, preventing, and eliminating barriers to accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. The committee is playing a pivotal role in enhancing accessibility in SD 71 in compliance with the 2021 legislation.

If you  have any questions or are interested in learning more please contact accessibility@sd71.bc.ca

For more information about the Accessible B.C. ACT, see the following links: