A survey for Surrey residents to provide feedback on the gaps in accessibility for all people in schools is open through the district.
This is coming on the heels of the Surrey school district’s accessibility plan that was launched in September 2023, states a release from Surrey Schools. Outlined in the plan is a three-year commitment to make changes to make schools more equitable for students, staff, families and others who have disabilities.
There are two surveys open for individuals to provide their voice one; the first is for feedback on the district’s plan while the second one is to share barriers that currently exist in the district that make it less accessible.
“We really wanted to centre our work around the sentiment, ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’, that was key,” said Colin Reid, district principal with Student Support.
“What that means is, we’re not putting policies in place or creating regulations or setting up plans that will impact a group of people without ensuring that their voice is heard right from the beginning. They have to be the part of this important work.”
The accessibility plan was created after a provincial government act in 2022 that required all school districts in B.C. to do so. Committees for the creation of the plans must consist of half the members being either people with disabilities or those who work with an organization to support those with disabilities. Each committee must also include at least one Indigenous person.
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“Within the (Surrey) committee, we have an Indigenous teacher who shares an important voice and lens with us. We have a student, several staff members, a CUPE representative, an STA (Surrey Teachers’ Association) representative, a principal representative, a parent of a student with a disability and a community member. We are really proud to share that all of those members have their own lived experience with disability or supporting someone with a disability,” Reid said.
“It really is a fantastic representation of the idea behind the legislation.”
Priorities laid out in Surrey’s plan for its schools is ensuring accessible hiring practices, creating accessible schools and buildings, understanding accessibility and having “accessible employment” at the district.
“The work includes re-evaluating how job postings and interview questions are presented through a lens of accessibility, undergoing school and district site surveys to assess accessibility and prioritize related renovations and upgrades, and developing a uniform, district-wide understanding of such key terms as ‘accessibility’, ‘barrier’, ‘disability’ and ‘inclusion,’” the release explained.
In an effort to make the online surveys possible to complete by a larger population, individuals have the option of filling it out through typing, recording audio or video, or uploading an image.
School District No. 36 says feedback on the plan will be used to update it consistently throughout the three years.
“We’re constantly engaging in the process of measuring if we’re going in the right direction, listening to the advisory committee and public feedback, and we’re able to make changes between now and then,” Reid said.
“What we glean from that feedback will really help us set our targets and our goals moving forward.”