The City of Powell River, qathet Regional District and Powell River Public Library have unanimously approved the 2024-2026 Accessibility Plan which was created in accordance with the Accessible British Columbia Act.
This plan, along with the Joint Accessibility & Inclusion Advisory Committee (JAIAC) will help each organization identify, remove, and prevent barriers in order to create a community where people of all ages and abilities can fully participate in daily life and experience a sense of belonging.
The JAIAC is composed of members of the public with lived experience along with representatives from each organization. The JAIAC’s role is to identify barriers and advise each organization on how to remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities.
Tabatha Berggren, Committee Chair, stated “I am honored to serve as chair for our diversely-represented accessibility committee, and it has been a pleasure to develop the accessibility plan! This is the first step in ensuring our communities, institutions and systems are more inclusive for everyone. I am optimistic for next steps and am grateful for our talented and passionate accessibility committee for their continued dedication of this important and good work on Tla’amin territory.”
If you would like to address the JAIAC at one of their upcoming meetings, please email administration@qathet.ca or call 604-485-2260.
Examples of barriers:
- Buildings or sidewalks with no wheelchair ramps
- Round door knobs
- Information that is hard to understand
- Not being able to attend programs or events because of a disability
- Important videos without captioning or American Sign Language alternatives
- Employee attitudes or lack of awareness on how to accommodate disabilities or differences
If you or someone you know has experienced a barrier while trying to access our buildings or services, we want to know! To share your accessibility experience, please visit the websites below:
City of Powell River participatepr.ca/joint-accessibility-plan or call 604-485-6921
Powell River Public Library prpl.ca/accessibility-feedback/qathet or call 604-485-4796
qathet Regional District qathet.ca/accessibility-feedback or call 604-485-2260.
Contact
Al Radke, Chief Administrative Officer, qathet Regional District