Accessibility Advisory Committee

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Looking for Volunteer Applications

The City of Grand Forks is looking for 3 members of the public interested in joining the City’s Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC).

  • The AAC is a five-member advisory committee appointed by City’s Council.
  • The AAC is intended to assist the City in identifying barriers to individuals in or interacting with the City while also advising the City how to remove and prevent those barriers.
  • The AAC duties and responsibilities are governed by the Terms of Reference for the committee.
  • The AAC is tasked with assessing 2024 and future priorities regarding accessibility for Council consideration.
  • The AAC members are not eligible for compensation for their services.

Knowledge or experience related to the role of the City when addressing accessibility is an asset for this position. Persons with disabilities and persons representing a disability-serving organization are encouraged to apply.

The first meeting of the committee will be scheduled for September 2023 and the committee is expected to meet two to three times a year while developing priorities for Council consideration. More information can be found on the City’s website at www.grandforks.ca/

Interested applicants should apply in writing with resume to:

info@grandforks.ca
Attention to: Corporate Services
P.O. Box 220
Grand Forks, BC V0H 1H0

Application deadline is Monday, June 19, 2023, at 8am.

 

 

Background:  (230508 – Accessibility Advisory Committee report presented to Council on May 8, 2023)

On June 17, 2021, the Province established the Accessible British Columbia Act (the “Act”) with the regulations coming into effect as of September 1, 2022. Based on these regulations, the City must comply by September 1, 2023.

Part 3 of the Act outlines the responsibilities for organizations including the City regarding accessibility.
On a high level, 3 items are required by the City by the September 1, 2023 deadline:
1. An accessibility committee
2. An accessibility plan
3. A tool to receive feedback on accessibility

Terms of Reference highlights
The Accessibility Advisory Committee – Terms of Reference is broken down into several categories and includes all the items set out under Part 3 of the Act.

Purpose: The Purpose section identifies the reason for the committee and includes the mandate from the provincial legislation:
a. assist the City to identify barriers to individuals in or interacting with the City, and
b. advise the City on how to remove and prevent barriers to individuals in or interacting with the City.

Membership: The Membership section outlines the composition of the Committee. Provincial requirements in this case prescribe the following:
Accessibility committees, to the extent possible, should have at least half of its members:
a. Be persons with disabilities.
b. Represent a disability-serving organization.
Membership should also reflect the diversity of British Columbians and have Indigenous representation. Committees may include members from inside or outside of the organization.
The current recommendation is to establish the Committee with a total of 5 voting members that are appointed by Council. It is further recommended that one of those 5 members is a member of Council who would also act as a Liaison to Council. A City Staff representative will be appointed by the CAO to the Committee.
To complete the Committee, Staff are conducting a public search (through advertisements) for 3 additional members from the community that preferably have previous Board or Committee experience, and that understand the role of the City when addressing accessibility. It is also critical that the Provincial requirements listed above are considered in the selection of Committee members.

Time Commitment: It is anticipated that the Committee meets two to three times a year, once in March, once in September, and if necessary, in preparation for Council budget presentations in December or January as part of the annual budget process. The initial term would be for 18 months to provide a solid start for the committee from September 2023 to March 2025, and annual terms thereafter with appointments by Council to occur each spring.

Focus Area: The Committee’s intended focus is on areas that are within the jurisdiction of the City and where the City’s role is to deliver a service to the community. As such, the following three key categories can be used to highlight the City’s area of responsibilities when establishing goals to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility barriers:
a. Public Infrastructure
b. City programs and services
c. Municipal Information, regulations, and policies