Cariboo Regional District releases accessibility plan and seeks public feedback

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District:

The Cariboo Regional District has released its Accessibility Plan, providing guidance and direction on how it will address barriers in its services and operations. Like several other local governments, we are legally required to release a plan and provide a platform for public feedback on it.

Our plan focuses on three core areas:

1. Physical barriers in our public facilities, including libraries and regional offices;
2. Virtual barriers in our digital spaces, including an overreliance on digital communications and barriers in our website navigation; and
3. Engaging with our communities to learn more from those facing barriers in our services.

Over the next three years, we will work to remove barriers in these areas on a priority basis. Targeted actions in our libraries, offices, and communication channels will be taken to remove barriers. Our goal is to do so in a manner which meets our obligations while remaining financially responsible. After three years, the plan will be reviewed to measure progress and ensure that we continue to meet the objectives of the Accessible B.C. Act.

We will also be seeking additional input from community members, including those wishing to participate on the CRD’s accessibility committee. Anyone interested in serving on the committee can express their interest by contacting our Accessibility Committee. Commitments to the committee would be for a one-year term and meetings on a monthly basis to review public feedback, assess progress on action items, and continuously identify access barriers in our services and facilities. Our goal is to ensure that at least half of its members are persons with lived experiences with disabilities or representatives of organizations advocating on their behalf.

To read the plan and provide your feedback, you can visit us online at www.cariboord.ca/accessibility.