The BCEdAccess board and advisory board is pleased and heartened to see BC Minister of Education Rob Fleming taking action on inclusive spaces at schools by changing the Capital Plan requirements for the Playground Equipment Program (PEP) to be universally accessible with appropriate ground cover for fall protection and ease of mobility, by the 2020/21 fiscal year.
Founder and chair of the BCEdAccess Society, Tracy Humphreys, commented: “This is an example of how effective relationship building and advocacy can be. Accessible, inclusive school spaces can make all the difference for people with disabilities – students, staff, parents and community members.”
Tracy presented just last week at the Association for Learning Environments conference, on physical and sensory accessibility and the benefits to students, staff and families. She was excited to find this letter in our inbox upon her return:
This letter was in response to an advocacy letter sent by BCEdAccess back in March 2019. Here is a copy of that letter:
This action by the Minister will create not only inclusive learning spaces but also wonderful community play spaces for all. While the new requirement for the PEP program begins in the 2020/21 fiscal year, we would encourage School Districts across BC to consider early implementation of these standards for existing and planned playground spaces.