We are heading back to school, which can bring up many emotions. Each family has unique circumstances on whether you feel more calm, worried, or enthusiastic about this new school year. We honour where you are at, and in this post, we share some essential ideas about your child’s right to an education and some resources that we hope are helpful. Whether your child is starting kindergarten, transitioning to middle school, high school or moving from one grade to the next, they have the fundamental right to education at every stage. Several documents explain this right; the United Nations Convent ..read more

Inclusion BC’s expectations in the face of functional school closures due to Covid-19 Inclusion BC has been actively advocating within multiple sectors and systems for a disability lens applied to all Covid-19 pandemic responses.  The needs of children, youth, and adults with disabilities must be acknowledged, planned for, and responded to with accommodations that meet their needs and respect their human rights.  Teachers have expressed some concrete measures that would make it safer for all students and staff, including, provide high quality masks, enhance distancing, proper classro ..read more

Invest in Inclusion Submission to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services for the 2022 Budget   Inclusion BC has submitted its recommendations to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services for the 2022 B.C. Budget. We recommended that they invest in inclusion and equity to build resilience for all of BC. Specifically, we identified the most critical funding gaps that are preventing the full inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families in B.C.  See our full submission: Invest in Inclusion (PDF) On Septe ..read more

Starting a new school year is exciting and challenging. When your child has extra support needs there are many things to consider; it can feel overwhelming. Each family’s circumstance is unique and requires a student-centred approach.  During this year’s back to school, we find ourselves facing a number of uncertainties. However, we want all parents and caregivers to know all children have the right to be in school and to have an equitable access to quality education. Read more ab ..read more

Inclusion BC and the Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship (CIIC) partnered to create four short films to raise awareness about the exclusion of students with developmental disabilities and to offer key information and possible pathways to success for students, families, and schools. We convened focus groups that included former students, families, educators, Indigenous people, professionals, and community organizations to co-create the vision for these films. Drawing on their lived experiences, participants shared stories and offered examples of the issues and the barriers they fac ..read more

The first three students of the ground-breaking Including All Citizens program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University will be graduating soon. The program involves the full inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities into Faculty of Arts courses. Inclusion BC is proud to have supported this program along with the Inclusion Langley Society. Inclusion BC President Fiona Whittington-Walsh spearheaded the program and was the principal researcher for the project. Read the KPU news release here. The post KPU announces first students to graduate in ground-breaking fully inclusive program appear ..read more

February is Inclusive Education Month Every February, people across Canada celebrate Inclusive Education Month by reflecting on the many ways we can do more to support every child’s learning in our schools. Join us on Facebook and Twitter as we share resources and promote inclusion during February: #InclusiveEducationMonth #bced Inclusive Education Webinar: Disrupting Misconceptions and Forging Pathways for Students with Developmental Disabilities When: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 3:30-4:30PM Where: VIRTUAL ZOOM SESSION Thank you to everyone that participated in our virtual session! A recording ..read more

Access Denied: CBC Early Edition Series by Cathy Browne Access Denied is an excellent series on CBC’s Early Edition, produced by Cathy Browne. The series takes a look into the lives of children and youth with disabilities and their families, as they struggle to access supports and services during the Covid-19 pandemic. Inclusion BC is proud to announce an Inclusion BC media award to Cathy Browne and The Early Edition for her work on the series. The award will be given at our virtual AGM on October 5, 2020. Access Denied: Disabled community pushes for policy change after woman died alone at B.C ..read more

Exclusion Tracker 2020/2021 Since September 4th, 2018, BCEdAccess has been collecting data on the exclusion of students with disabilities from schools in BC. This survey is for parents and guardians of students with disabilities and/or complex learners in the British Columbia education system. It is intended to document exclusions of students and to encourage the province and school districts to track and examine their own data on exclusions, in order to find the best solutions to this global issue. This year Inclusion BC is proud to partner with BCEdAccess on the Tracker to provide ..read more

Back to school is an exciting time. It’s also stressful for many families, especially in these uncertain times. But we’ve all tackled huge challenges so far in 2020 and we CAN do this with a little preparation, clear prioritization of urgent needs and collaborative problem solving. And a little extra patience and flexibility as schools juggle COVID safety with all the other usual challenges. Here are some helpful tips. Step 1: Be informed Read BC’s 2020 Back to School Plan. It includes Ministry guidelines that all school districts must follow. Noteworthy sections for students with disabilities ..read more