B.C. Poverty Reduction Strategy Act Passed
On November 8, 2018 the provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy Act – also known as Bill 39 – was passed into law. This legislation was shaped by the experiences, voices, and hopes of more than 8,500 people who took part in a broad public engagement on poverty between November 2017 and March 2018.
The full Bill is available here: leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-
Province Tables Human Rights Commission Legislation
After an eight-week public engagement in the fall of 2017, the provincial government has introduced amendments to the Human Rights Code which aims to re-establish a human rights commission for B.C. This proposed Human Rights Code Amendment Act will create an independent human rights commissioner reporting to the legislative assembly.
More details here: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/
Indigenous Disability Awareness Month
November 2018 marks the fourth annual Indigenous Disability Awareness Month, the first and only recognition specific to Indigenous peoples living with disabilities anywhere in the world. It is known that Indigenous peoples in Canada experience a rate of disability twice as high as that for the non-Indigenous population.
More information here: rdsp.com/2018/11/06/
Proclamation located here: bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/
Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Grant
B.C. organizations that have been rated through the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ program may be eligible to apply for up to $20,000 in funding to complete an accessibility improvement project. The application deadline is November 30, 2018.
Details on eligibility and what constitutes an accessibility improvement project can be found here: rickhansen.com/become-
Learn more about the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ here: rickhansen.com/become-
Plan Institute to Host Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) Information Session
If you have a disability and are eligible for the Disability Tax Credit, you should know about the RDSP. Free information sessions about RDSPs are being offered by Plan Institute. There will be a tele-seminar, which can be attended via phone or computer, on the evening of November 27 as well as an in-house session on the morning of December 4 (located in Vancouver).
More information and registration instructions found here: planinstitute.ca/registered-
Government Funds Library Network Service Expansion
National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) is expanding to make more published works available in formats accessible to Canadians who read using alternative formats, such as braille, e-books, or audiobooks. This expansion is scheduled for completion by March 2019.
Learn more at gov.bc.ca/accessibility
