Surrey Schools shares updated Accessibility Plan
With the first three years of the district’s Accessibility Plan now complete, Surrey Schools has released its updated plan for 2026-2028.
The district launched its first plan in September 2023, spanning 2023-2026. The document outlined its commitment to improving the experiences for students, staff, families and community members with disabilities and to provide equitable access to opportunities.
The Surrey Schools plan was created in adherence to the Accessible British Columbia Regulation, which required public organizations in B.C. to establish accessibility committees, accessibility plans and public-feedback mechanisms as of September 2023.
The 2026-2028 plan was presented during the October Surrey Board of Education Meeting by Assistant Superintendent Shauna Ross and District Principal Colin Reid, who also looked back on the previous plan by highlighting four key areas of achievement:
- Legal Requirements: Created our first Accessibility Plan, Advisory Committee, Public Feedback Tool, & Working Group
- Staff Education: E-learning module designed to help hiring managers reduce barriers to employment
- Gathering Data: District-wide assessment of all schools & facilities in four key areas
- Building Understanding: Created a common understanding of Accessibility, Barrier, Disability & Inclusion
Speaking to the data gathering and building understanding points in particular, Reid noted they were proud of the district-wide assessment, which gave them an invaluable look at the state of parking lots, entrances, doors, learning commons and emergency preparedness across all of the district’s sites, which have informed recent renovations and new-building decisions moving forward.
As for building understanding, Reid highlighted the success of district’s animated accessibility video series, which were created to help students, parents and staff better understand language around accessibility.
“We knew starting off we wanted everybody to be aligned and working together towards a more accessible surrey schools and the way we do that is by building some of that foundational knowledge and understanding,” said Reid.
“Those videos have been viewed thousands of times and have been used by municipalities, non-profits, disability and accessibility advocacy organizations as well as multiple other school districts across B.C.”
Looking ahead, Reid highlighted three key priorities the district will be focusing on as it begins to implement the next phase of the district’s Accessibility Plan:
- Assessment & Communication:
- Continue to conduct annual site accessibility assessments
- Create an “accessibility” space on each site’s website
- Publish accessibility features to support access to our sites for staff, students and families
- Participation & Representation:
- Continue to celebrate National AccessAbility Week with direct student input informing events
- Expand library resources featuring individuals with disabilities
- Create opportunities to raise awareness and Surrey Schools’ participation in community accessibility events
- Parking & Navigation:
- Modernize accessible parking space design and signage
- Develop and share resources to support the intended use of accessible parking spaces
- Install tactile wayfinding signage in three sites selected to maximize the impact of this upgrade at three sites: DEC, REC and Sunnyside Elementary
“When we started this work three years ago, I highlighted the fact that we were going to start this work based on the statement ‘Nothing About Us, Without Us,’” said Reid.
“Between the working group and advisory group, we’re very proud to look back say we stayed true to that, and we will continue to do so moving forward.”
