VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C – The contributions of people with disabilities are being celebrated during British Columbia’s first AccessAbility Week.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, the week will be celebrated from May 27 to June 2, 2018.
“AccessAbility Week is a time to recognize the people, communities and organizations that are actively increasing opportunities and removing barriers, so people of all abilities have a better chance to succeed,” said Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
“It’s an opportunity to focus on making our neighbourhoods more welcoming for people with disabilities, and working together to build the most accessible, inclusive province in Canada.”
According to the Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC), more than 500,000 British Columbians self-identify as having a disability.
SPARC BC said that the population of people with disabilities is growing rapidly, and that with an aging population, they expect one in five people in BC to have a disability by the year 2036.
The provincial government is giving $10,000.00 in provincial funding to SPARC BC for the celebrations.
Events and announcements are being held throughout the week, wrapping up with Access Awareness Day June 2.
Communities throughout the province are hosting events and supporting activities that promote the importance of inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities.
Learn More:
To get information on government accessibility initiatives, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/accessibility
To find out more about Access Awareness Day events on June 2, 2018, visit: http://www.sparc.bc.ca/
