Representing You!

BC Accessibility Summit: Speaking the Language of Occupational Therapy

Mary Glasgow Brown, CAOT-BC Advisory Committee chair shared the table with:

Pastor Norman Oldham, Vancouver Urban Care; Fiona Macfarlane, Ernst & Young; and Derek Wilson, First College & Neil Squire Society with wife Kimiko Wilson.

CAOT-BC joined hundreds of guests and delegates for the revelation of British Columbia’s10 year action plan “Accessibility 2024” on June 16, 2014. This was a direct response to the Disability White Paper consultation, which CAOT-BC staff and advisory committee participated in through in person dialogues as well as a formal written contribution.

An audience of several hundred people included self-advocates, community organizations, government officials and business sector representatives. It was also broadcast live on the government website.

The Disability White Paper Consultation gathered information regarding British Columbia’s vision for people with disabilities from December 2013 through March 2014. It was conducted through in-person meetings, online consultations and individual submissions. The results are published in the Disability Consultation Report: Moving Together Toward an Accessible BC.

Accessibility 2024: Making B.C. the most progressive province in Canada for people with disabilities by 2024 presented by Premier Christy Clark was the morning’s focus. This plan directly cites the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The building blocks of the plan are:

• Inclusive Government
• Accessible Service Delivery
• Accessible Internet
• Accessible Built Environment
• Accessible Housing
• Accessible Transportation
• Income Support
• Employment
• Financial Security
• Inclusive Communities
• Emergency Preparedness
• Consumer Experience 

This plan is exciting for people who experience disabilities, for those of us who have family and friends experiencing disabilities, and as Occupational Therapists who support people with disabilities. It acknowledges that accessibility is important for a strong community. Occupational therapists have huge potential to offer in working with governments, businesses, communities and individuals as the vision to “[Make] B.C. the most progressive province in Canada for people with disabilities by 2024”. Accessibility is our language and we will have a greater audience with whom to speak it!

We also have a great opportunity to be part of those to “hold those in government accountable”, as Minister Don McRae discussed in response to a somewhat challenging question during the panel discussion. In that vein, CAOT-BC put forward a question regarding recent cut of the Giving in Action Program, designed to support home modifications for families of people with disabilities when this clearly falls within the mandate of Accesibility 2024. The question has yet to be answered.

If you would like to be part of CAOT-BC’s ongoing advocacy efforts to respond to community and government issues please join the Advisory Committee!