Accessibility Committee

The key purpose of an Accessibility Committee is to support the City to identify opportunities to address barriers to accessibility in the organization.

Members of the committee will:

• Provide guidance and advice on the development of the Accessibility Strategy.
• Help with the development of a public feedback mechanism to identify accessibility barriers, in relation to the Accessibility Strategy, and provide advice to the City on how to remove or prevent barriers identified through the public feedback.
• Embed an accessibility lens on matters such as policy, by-laws, and planning decisions and encourage others to apply this lens.
• Review and provide feedback on 3-year Accessibility Strategy departmental action plans.
• Review and provide feedback on Accessibility Strategy annual progress reports by departments, including monitoring progress and timelines, and providing recommendations on priorities.

There will be 16 committee members total, made up of 11 community members with lived experience and 5 non-voting City staff to allow for public accountability, and direct communication and feedback.

Public membership to the committee is limited to people with lived experience of disability, and representatives from organizations who provide services to, or support, people with lived experience of disability. The majority of the committee’s public membership will be comprised of people with lived experience.

The committee will include:

• 11 community members with lived experience, including:
  • At least 2 people from Indigenous communities
  • At least 2 youths with disabilities on the committee
  • A representative from the Persons with Disability Advisory Committee
  • A representative from the Older Persons and Elders Advisory Committee
• 5 non-voting City staff

All members must live in the City of Vancouver.

Definition of disability

As defined in the Accessibility Strategy, PDF file (2.5 MB) disability is:

“any physical, mental health, cognitive, intellectual, sensory or age-related impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. These disabilities may be visible or invisible and may be permanent, temporary or episodic. As well, disability can intersect with various identities of an individual which may result in compounding effects.” 

Time commitment

The Accessibility Committee will meet at least 6 times per year. Additional meetings may be scheduled as required.

Meetings may be held in person, virtually, or in a hybrid model. 

Term

Committee members are committed to a 2-year term. Some memberships may be renewed for an additional term. Membership terms will be staggered so that there is both renewal and continuity in the work of accessibility within the City.

Accessible participation

We will provide funding for all members to fully participate on the Accessibility Committee, including honoraria and support or reimbursements for transportation, interpreters, technical equipment, or other resources deemed necessary for full participation.

We are looking for persons with lived experience of disability to apply.

If you feel called to be a part of our Accessibility Committee to ensure that the Accessibility Strategy PDF file (5.2 MB) becomes a part of our policies, programs, and services, then we are inviting you to apply.

Application process

• Tell us who you are and why you want to be a part of the Accessibility Committee. To the extent that you are comfortable doing so, outline your lived experience with disability and any intersectional identity factors. Feel free to express your desire to be involved in the Accessibility Committee in any way you like.

  You can:

  • Complete the form online
  • Complete the application form PDF file (258 KB) and email it to accessibilitystrategy@vancouver.ca, or mail a hard copy to:
    • Karen Lai, Accessibility Planner, Social Policy and Projects
      City of Vancouver 
      2nd floor – 510 West 10th Avenue
      Vancouver, BC
      V5Z 4A8
  • Record a video and email it to accessibilitystrategy@vancouver.ca.
  • Call 3-1-1 to complete the application over the phone.

Important note The application deadline has been extended.

Application deadline: Friday, September 15, 2023

Once your application is received, we will contact you to schedule a meeting with us. It will be a simple conversation between us to further your application. It can be an in-person meeting, online, or telephone meeting. We will provide any supports needed for you to successfully participate in the meeting.

Information icon The final selection of committee members will be made by City staff along with some existing Accessibility Taskforce members. We encourage applicants of all ages, abilities, genders, gender identities, racialized identities, ethnicities, ancestries, sexual orientations, income levels, residential status, and other lived experiences to apply. Be aware that the Accessibility Committee has limited spaces, and we will be going through a careful and thoughtful selection process for its membership, aiming to represent the wide range of diversity of disabilities in Vancouver. This will help shape our policy, services, and programs to better serve everyone in the community. We thank you for your interest, and we will make sure to keep everyone updated on the Accessibility Strategy.