Resources

Lifetime Networks is a member of the Federal Accessibility Legislation Alliance which is a social movement powered by people with disabilities. Over 100 Canadian disability organizations, representing thousands of people with disabilities, are joined to improve access and inclusion. The goal is to create an accessible Canada.

The Government of Canada is consulting Canadians on how to improve the lives of Canadians with disabilities. Your feedback will support the development of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan.

The Disability Inclusion Action Plan will focus on:

• reducing poverty among Canadians with disabilities

• getting more persons with disabilities into good quality jobs

• helping meet the Accessible Canada Act goal of a barrier-free Canada by 2040

• making it easier for persons with disabilities to access federal programs and services

• fostering a culture of inclusion

On May 29, 2018, Bill C-81 – Accessible Canada Act was passed in the House of Commons with unanimous support. On June 21, 2019 the Bill received Royal Assent. The goal of this legislation is to benefit all Canadians so that everyone, and especially those with disabilities, can get to and use information, spaces, and places.

The Act adds to the existing rights and protections for people with disabilities, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act and Canada’s approval of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

You can read the full Act here

You can read the full Act in plain language here

You can see the visual representation of the Act here

The BC Government has a 10-year Accessibility Action Plan, which was developed in response to the 2014 public consultation. It contains 12 building blocks based on themes that emerged during the consultation.

The Accessibility Secretariat provides annual Accessibility progress update each year. These updates outline highlights and information on progress towards Accessibility goals from:

• Government

• Business

• Communities

The 2018 Progress Update – Building a Better B.C. for People with Disabilities provides an overview of the policies, programs and activities helping make B.C. more inclusive for individuals with disabilities. It displays a selection of the work that government, community and businesses have been doing to improve accessibility throughout B.C.

The Accessibility Committee of Lifetime Networks subscribes to email updates regarding the 10-year Accessibility Action Plan. Further information can be found here

On Monday, May 27, 2019, the Province launched B.C.’s second annual AccessAbility Week. During AccessAbility Week, communities throughout the province hosted events and activities that promote inclusion and accessibility. The celebrations were supported by $10,000 in provincial funding to the Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC). AccessAbility Week 2019 concluded on June 1, Access Awareness Day.

As part of the celebrations, the government of British Columbia announced the funding of $500,000 for community projects that improve accessibility. The funds will be distributed through grants administered by Disability Alliance BC (DABC). A call for proposals were posted on the DABC website in summer 2019, and grants will be awarded by the end of the year.

Lifetime Networks applied to, but was not successful in obtaining a grant from the Disability Alliance BC.

Additionally, The Accessibility Committee will be working harder to promote BC AccessAbility Week in 2020 amongst it Stakeholders.  It is unclear now how this will be achieved, but the Committee thinks that our social media platform would be a good place to start.

Disability Alliance BC has been a provincial, cross-disability voice in British Columbia. The mission is to support people, with all disabilities, to live with dignity, independence and as equal and full participants in the community. It champions issues affecting the lives of people with disabilities through its direct services, community partnerships, advocacy, research and publications.

Lifetime Networks often refers its stakeholders to the resources provide by the Disability Alliance of BC. These self-help guides explain various benefits and programs, and how to apply for them.

CCD is a national human rights organization of people with disabilities working for an inclusive and accessible Canada.

In November 2019, Lifetime Networks Accessibility Committee signed up for “a Voice of Our Own”, the quarterly newsletter from CCD.

In November 2019, we became a member of The BC Community Accessibility Network (BC CAN) which is a way to stay updated on provincial accessibility issues and developments.

The Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia (SPARC BC) was established in 1966 and is a leader in applied social research, social policy analysis and community development approaches to social justice. The mission is to work with communities in building a just and healthy society for all. It is a provincial organization with over 16,000 members, governed by a Board of Directors that is representative of all regions of British Columbia.

Lifetime Networks Accessibility Committee receives regular email newsletters from SPARC.

The Canadian Disability Benefit Initiative – Disability Without Poverty – is led by people with disabilities. The goal of the initiative is to define the best benefit model that will get people with disabilities out of poverty.

More info here

The Cerebral Palsy Guide is a great source of information, support, and resources to those affected by birth injuries, brain injuries, cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy or other disabilities.

Have a look at the link here for the most in-depth resources nationwide to help guide and serve all families with disabilities caused by physical birth injuries: