FAQs

Accessibility is the work we do to ensure that people with disabilities can participate in society on an equal basis with others. People with disabilities experience barriers to their participation which are not necessarily based on their impairments but rather the ways in which society is structured.

For example: 

• A wheelchair user can be included in activities as long as there are ways for them to navigate (larger washrooms, wider hallways, ramps instead of stair, etc.).
• Similarly, a D/deaf person can attend a meeting or a concert as long as there are ways for them to communicate (sign language interpretation, closed captioning, etc.).

Becoming more accessible means identifying and removing barriers so that everyone can participate.

The plan will touch on accessibility all across the District of Squamish, from buildings to websites and will address the following areas of the District:

• Built Environment and Public Spaces: Parks, District facilities, streetscapes, housing policy, etc.
• Transportation: Active transportation, transit services, etc.
• Communications and Engagement: Information and communications design, content, and public engagement
• Governance and Service Design: Decision-making, policies and bylaws, program design, etc.
• Service Delivery: customer service, programs, and events, etc.
• Employment: Internal accessibility for District staff (current and future)

 The Accessibility Plan will identify barriers to accessibility in all these areas and will recommend actions to mitigate or remove them. This work will naturally take time and many of the actions will be long term in nature. As per the Accessible BC Act, the plan will be reviewed at least every three years.

Under the Accessible BC Act, the Accessibility Plan must be written in consultation with an Accessibility Committee. The Committee is comprised of District staff, representatives from organizations who work with people with disabilities, as well as people with lived experience with disabilities themselves.

This assures that the creation of the plan follows the slogan Nothing About us Without us which was developed by disability activists in the United States and has become a rallying cry for disabled people everywhere.

In addition, the District is reaching out to the wider community to get feedback that will inform the plan. These are some of the ways in which we are prioritizing the voices of disabled people to identify barriers to accessibility.

Although there has not been a formal plan or strategy, the District has many projects and initiatives that address accessibility. These include reviewing streetscape designs and guidelines, adapting communications practices, training staff, as well as including accessibility concerns in a variety of projects (such as new facilities and developments). As the Committee develops the Accessibility Plan, they will consider this work in order to build upon it.