Accessibility Plan

July 19, 2024

NEWS RELEASE

The City of Parksville in partnership with Access Oceanside Association is excited to pilot a mobi-mat installation for the 2024 summer season. An accessible beach mat, also known as a mobi-mat, is now in place on Parksville Bay beach, accessed from the concrete ramp in front of the waterfront gazebo. The new 100 foot-long mobi-mat will enable easier beach access for people using wheelchairs, families with strollers and others to access the water.

City of Parksville Council confirmed its intent to review beach accessibility in 2025; however, this opportunity arose thanks to the donation by Corona Canada who offered to gift an accessibility mat to an oceanfront community. The generous and unexpected donation of the mobi-mat to Access Oceanside Association prompted Council to amend its workplan and move this item forward to the 2024 budget cycle. Staff applied for the necessary permits from the federal and provincial agencies and were successful in receiving expedited approvals based on the significance of improving accessibility in the community.

Parksville Council embraces universal accessibility as a goal for the community and acknowledges many of our residents and visitors experience mobility challenges, either permanent or temporary and accessing natural spaces can be difficult for those with physical limitations. Accessibility principles benefit all people, including young families with strollers, people with injuries and those with more long-term mobility issues.

At this time, there are some unknowns about how this new service will impact staffing and how it will operate in a dynamic marine environment. The seasonal installation of a mobi-mat is a higher level of service than the City is accustomed to and over the next few months, staff will monitor the use and track issues which may arise with maintenance and operations. Council will review the information from both City staff and the community during its 2025 budget deliberations and provide direction for future accessibility projects at that time.

The donation by Corona Canada also included two beach wheelchairs which may be reserved free of charge through the Beach Club Resort, 250 248-8999 or beachclub@bellstar.ca.

QUOTE MAYOR DOUG O’BRIEN
“On behalf of Parksville Council, our sincere thank you to Corona Canada for this generous donation, to Access Oceanside Association for their dedication to the mobi-mat project and for their work in our community, and for the support of the Beach Club Resort and the Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism Association. We look forward to seeing how this project helps to improve accessibility at Parksville Bay beach.”

For more information:
Deb Tardiff, Manager of Communications
communications@parksville.ca; 250 954-3073

November 8, 2023

LINK TO PDF

The City of Parksville’s first formal Accessibility Plan was approved by Council on November 6, 2023. The plan was developed with the advice of the City’s Accessibility Advisory Committee and incorporates feedback from the community.

The accessibility plan will serve as a guide to reduce or eliminate barriers and to advance inclusion in the City over the next three years. The plan contains 34 recommendations covering four standard areas – employment, delivery of services, built environment, and information and communications. The accessibility plan is intended to be a living document which will evolve over time. The plan will be reviewed and updated at least once every three years as required under the Accessible British Columbia Act and progress will be reported to Council on an annual basis.

The accessibility plan may be viewed at Let’s Talk Parksville and feedback on the plan is welcome; please submit to accessibility@parksville.ca.

The Province of British Columbia passed the Accessible BC Act (ABCA) in 2021. This legislation requires local governments to establish an accessibility committee, develop an accessibility plan and provide a process for obtaining public feedback on accessibility.

For more information:
Deb Tardiff, Manage of Communications
communications@parksville.ca; 250 954-3073

June 25, 2023

LINK TO PDF

The City of Parksville’s accessibility advisory committee began their work in early May and are pleased to launch a public accessibility survey and invite the community to provide input into the City’s accessibility plan. The online survey will take about ten minutes to complete and features questions about barriers people face when accessing City facilities, programs, services, or information. The survey is open until August 7 and may be easily accessed from the City website, Let’s Talk Parksville and from the QR code.

The City of Parksville is creating an accessibility plan to identify barriers and to provide recommendations on how to remove them. Do you live or participate in activities in the City of Parksville? Our accessibility advisory committee is requesting input on how difficult or easy it is for you to do the things you want to do here. Your feedback will help to develop our accessibility plan which will serve as a roadmap for accessibility initiatives.

The survey was designed with accessibility in mind; however, because not all people access information the same way, if you need help completing this survey or require an alternative format, please email accessibility@parksville.ca or phone 250 947-3078. Paper copies of the survey are available for pickup during business hours at the City of Parksville, 100 Jensen Avenue East.

We encourage you to stay up to date on our progress as we work towards creating a more accessible and inclusive community for everyone. Information about this initiative is available on Let’s Talk Parksville.

Background
The Province of BC recently enacted legislation which requires local governments to establish an accessibility committee, develop an accessibility plan, and implement a mechanism for obtaining feedback on accessibility. At a meeting in February, Council approved the establishment of an accessibility advisory committee and terms of reference for the committee. The committee is tasked with providing advice to Council on the development of an accessibility plan to identify, remove and prevent barriers to individuals who are interacting with or in the City of Parksville. The principles of inclusion, adaptability, diversity, collaboration, self-determination, and universal design must be considered in conjunction with the development and review of the accessibility plan. The plan must be underway by September 1, 2023.

May 30, 2023

LINK TO PDF

Each year, starting on the last Sunday in May, Canadians celebrate National AccessAbility Week; this year from
May 28 to June 3. Established in 2017, National Accessibility Week celebrates and highlights some of the important initiatives aimed at creating an accessible Canada. The week is an opportunity to celebrate Canadians with disabilities and raise awareness of the critical need for accessibility and inclusion in our communities and workplaces. The City of Parksville is pleased to mark National Accessibility Week, dedicated to the celebration and inclusion of people of all abilities.

National AccessAbility Week is an opportunity to:

• Celebrate the valuable contributions and leadership of Canadians with disabilities
• Highlight the work of people, organizations and communities that are removing barriers
• Reflect on ongoing efforts to become a better, more accessible, more inclusive Canada

To recognize National AccessAbility Week, the City of Parksville’s Accessibility Advisory Committee has launched a new section on the City’s engagement platform, Let’s Talk Parksville, with information about the purpose of the committee and the need for an accessibility plan, a first step in identifying how we can improve accessibility going forward. This site is also an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas and where you can let us know about an accessibility challenge or barrier you may have encountered.

Your input will help us develop our accessibility plan. The community can participate by reporting barriers on
Let’s Talk Parksville, or by emailing accessibility@parksville.ca.

Resources:
Government of Canada
Rick Hansen Foundation
Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work

#NAAW

February 23, 2023

LINK TO PDF

The Province of BC recently enacted legislation which requires local governments to establish an accessibility committee, develop an accessibility plan, and implement a mechanism for obtaining feedback on accessibility. At the meeting on February 22, Council approved the establishment of an accessibility advisory committee and terms of reference for the committee.

The committee will be tasked with providing advice to Council on the development of an accessibility plan to identify, remove and prevent barriers to individuals who are interacting with or in the City of Parksville. The principles of inclusion, adaptability, diversity, collaboration, self-determination, and universal design must be considered in conjunction with the development and review of the accessibility plan. The plan must be adopted by September 1, 2023. The terms of reference are included with this release.

The City is inviting interested individuals to apply for consideration of appointment to the accessibility advisory committee. The committee will consist of a minimum of five and maximum of seven members, appointed by Council based on their experience and credentials, and to the extent possible, include representation as follows:

• At least half of members to be persons with disabilities, or individuals who support, or are from organizations that support, persons with disabilities.
• Members who reflect the diversity of persons with disabilities
• At least one Indigenous person
• Members who reflect the diversity of persons in BC
• At least one member of Council

Please apply to the City of Parksville, PO Box 1390, Parksville V9P 2H3, or by email to administration@parksville.ca with relevant background information. Deadline is March 13, 2023.