September marks the completion of the first year of CLBC’s three-year Accessibility Work Plan. We are proud to share highlights of steps taken to improve accessibility at CLBC in five key areas:
1. Relationships make all the difference
We created committees to advise on actions in our plan, including a CLBC and BC People First policy working group and Accessibility Advisory Committee. We made steps to formally incorporate Cultural Safety in our work, including our Board’s Commitment to Reconciliation Statement, our Cultural Safety Policy, and Cultural Awareness Training for all CLBC staff.
2. Clear, timely information is key
We expanded our use and understanding of plain language, making our first plain language videos for navigating CLBC processes and an Accessible Communication Guidelines for our staff.
3. Information needs to be shared in many ways
We partnered with the South Island Community Council and CAYA to pilot ‘Communication for Everyone’ picture symbol boards. We created a ‘request for alternative format’ form on the CLBC website, including the option for people to request support from CLBC staff to explain information.
4. Welcoming physical spaces
We collected feedback from the people we serve to make our physical spaces welcoming for everyone and updated our accessibility criteria for choosing new CLBC office locations.
5. Accessible employment is necessary
We hired an Equity Diversity Inclusion (EDI) Lead to create a EDI Strategy to help strengthen accessibility for people with disabilities working at CLBC.
As we move into year two of our plan, we look forward to continued collaboration with our Accessibility Advisory Committee, strengthening relationships with individuals and families and deepening our understanding of accessibility through the lens of those we serve and our colleagues who work at CLBC. Stay tuned for a detailed public report on Year 1 of the CLBC Accessibility Plan to be published in the coming months.
