BC Education Minister and award-winning educator round out speaker line-up at BCEdAccess conference
SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA – March 18, 2019 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Parents and guardians of children with disabilities and complex learners; professionals, and allies will have the opportunity to hear Education Minister Rob Fleming speak to equitable access to education, in addition to two exceptional keynote speakers:
– Shelley Moore, well-known inclusion teacher, researcher, author, and storyteller
– Annie Kidder, Executive Director of Ontario’s People for Education
Two days of workshops, held at the Civic Hotel in Surrey, will provide attendees with hands-on tools and information at the fourth annual BCEdAccess advocacy conference this March 29 to 30th.
“Children with disabilities in BC schools are disproportionately suffering as a result of too many years of fiscal restraint and austerity.” says Tracy Humphreys, founder and chair, BCEdAccess Society. “Families in the past have felt isolated and alone. Conversations about the issue have happened in silos – parents talking to parents, districts talking to districts, educators talking to educators. This conference aims to provide practical information and meaningful dialogue among parents, but also among everyone involved in education.”
Attendees can attend the full conference, one day, or simply take part in the Struck by Inclusion evening on Friday. The event features a series of nine short, inspiring presentations on inclusion, delivered by self-advocates, parents and other professionals working with children with disabilities, who all strive for equitable access to education and an opportunity to network with each other.
Workshops and speakers include returning favourites like Advocacy in Action – Using Your Parent Voice (BCCPAC), IEPs – What You Need to Know (Suzanne Perreault), Human Rights in BC and Discrimination in Education (CLAS), and our popular student self-advocate panel. We also have new choices like The Kwantlen 7 Laws and Our Everyday Struggle to Find Balance and Focus (Luke Dandurand), Trauma and Folks With Diverse Abilities – A Primer (Margaret Newbury Jones), and Inquiry Based Learning as Inclusion (Jeff Hopkins).
Those interested in participating in the event either in person or online can purchase their tickets on Eventbrite. The link is:
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About the Annual BCEdAccess Advocacy Conference:
https://bcedaccess.com/2019/01/23/advocon2019-faqs/
#AdvoCon2019 on social media
About the BCEdAccess Society
(formerly B.C. Parents of Children With Special Needs – Action for Equitable Access to Education)
BCEdAccess Society is an entirely volunteer-run organization serving families of students with disabilities and complex learners all over the province of British Columbia. Our parent support group has nearly 7600 members from all over BC, and continues to grow.
Our Exclusion Tracker report data is being presented to school boards around the province. Over 2500 reported incidents of exclusion to date.
Our Forced Out report found parents of children with disabilities feel forced to pull their children from public schools. The survey found 44% of respondents note they have no access to specialized services, 42% cite inadequate training for educational assistants, and 43% said schools are not following their education plan.
You can find these reports on our website.
Background: Ministry of Education Policy
The Ministry of Education’s policy for students with special needs states: “All students should have equitable access to learning, opportunities for achievement and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of their educational programs.”
For more information, please contact:
Tracy Humphreys
Founder and Chair, BCEdAccess Society
250-858-5165
bcedaccess@gmail.com
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @bcedaccess