Accessibility & Inclusion

In 2021, the Province of BC adopted the Accessible British Columbia Act to make B.C. more inclusive for people with disabilities.  It is the goal of the Province to make British Columbia the most accessible province in Canada.

Keremeos is proud to have already taken the first steps towards accessibility and inclusion for its residents, through the Age Friendly Action Plan, and looks forward to further developing this plan to make Keremeos accessible and inclusive for all.

  What is meant by accessibility and inclusion?

Accessibility is about making sure that everyone, regardless of their race, gender, sexuality, or disability, can have an equal opportunity to access services and activities.

Inclusion means creating an environment where everyone feels valued, respected and has the opportunity to participate in every aspect of life to the fullest extent possible.   

Under the Accessible British Columbia Act, disability “means an inability to participate fully & equally in society as a result of an interaction and a barrier”.

One out of five British Columbians have some form of disability.        

Keremeos is committed to supporting people with disabilities to be able to be active and included in the community.  The Official Community Plan contains numerous objectives for attaining age-friendly community status.   As people age, they tend to develop disabilities.

An Accessibility Committee will assist the Village to identify barriers to individuals in or interacting with the Village and provide advice on how to remove and prevent these barriers.  At least half of the committee members will include persons with disabilities and/or represent a disability-serving organization.  The Committee should reflect the diversity of Keremeos, and include Indigenous representation, as well as other under-served groups such as seniors, youth, LGBTQ+, women, low-income, and people of diverse ethnic or cultural origin.

The essential elements to be considered are:                                                              

• Outdoor spaces & buildings
• Transportation
• Housing
• Social participation
• Respect & social inclusion
• Civic participation & employment
• Communication & information
• Community support & health services

Do you want to help make Keremeos more accessible and inclusive?                                                                                                                                                       

• If you are interested in joining the Accessibility Committee, please email coordinator@keremeos.ca
• If you would like to provide feedback on the Accessibility Plan or any barriers you are facing, please email coordinator@keremeos.ca         

Helpful Resources:

Lower Similkameen Community Services Society:              https://www.lscss.com

Disability Alliance of BC:                                                       https://disabilityalliancebc.org

SPARC BC:                                                                           https://www.sparc.bc.ca

CNIB:                                                                                     https://www.cnib.ca/en?region=bc 

BC Brain Injury Association:                                                  https://www.brainstreams.ca

Workplace Accessibility Grant for Small Business in BC:      https://smallbusinessbc.ca/workplace-accessibility-grant