BCEdAccess is a British Columbia nonprofit and a registered Canadian charity, number 723648317RR0001. The BCEdAccess Board of Directors is elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Society.
Constitution and By-Laws:
Annual reports:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Nicole Kaler, she/her Chair
Nicole has 3 children, one still school aged and in the Surrey School District. Prior to having children she worked as an engineer. After her eldest child’s Autism diagnosis, Nicole dedicated herself to becoming a career parent committed to the caregiving and advocacy required to support her daughter. Nicole is currently focused on the volunteerism and community activism that can leverage the experience and knowledge that she has acquired in the process of securing her daughter’s right to an education. Her efforts have included advocacy at the school level, various political levels, and ultimately within the Human Rights Tribunal process.
Nicole works with BCEdAccess to use her experiences to empower parents and challenge our education system so that all children have an equitable opportunity and a safe and healthy experience in BC public schools.
Chantelle Morvay-Adams, she/her Treasurer
Chantelle is currently Treasurer on the Board of Directors for BCEdAccess. She is also one of the Founders and Chair of ADHD Advocacy Society of BC. She is an ADHD mom of two amazing kids.
Coming from the East Coast a few decades ago, she held some interesting jobs before settling down and having kids, from selling Papyrus, to working for a Canadian diamond wholesaler, to bill collections. Since having kids, there have been some real roller coaster rides, some of which led her to being on a Strata Council for nine years and then taking a Strata Management Course. However, while building her career, inclusive child care was a huge issue, and she had to make the choice to leave her budding career to focus on her children and their equitable access to education and supports. She found a small group of parents on Facebook who were also trying to navigate the education system and 8+ yrs later, Chantelle is proud to be on the Board of Directors of the now present day BCEdAccess and to have helped it grow to 5,000+ strong. Collaborating with other organizations, developing and delivering a yearly Education Advocacy conference, she is honored to create weekly Inclusive Minecraft social sessions for children and youth.
Not one to ever stay still and in true ADHD fashion, Chantelle had her own radio show on CIVL Radio in Abbotsford called “All In” (Honourable Mention at NCRA 2019), started an Inclusion Sub-committee with a PAC that kicked off the “Wall of Wonder” that is now popping up around the province in various schools/districts by other amazing families, and held various positions on PAC’s, including co-chair of DPAC. She was also lucky enough to have gotten back to her old career, even for a little bit, as Building Manager for a Strata, before moving to Vancouver island.
She is currently not only coordinating the Minecraft sessions, but also works in Accessibility Services at Vancouver Island University.
She is eternally grateful for her journey, even with its ups and downs, that led her here, to the incredibly beautiful, unceded, stolen lands of the Snuneymuxw, Sna naw as, and Stz’uminus First Nations. She lives here now, working with the knowledge that she has a role to play in learning the truth of colonization and moving towards reconciliation as an active ally.
Image description: Light -complexioned woman, with rosy cheeks, wearing a smile, a grey knit toque and scarf. Behind her is a beach extending into the background.
Cindy Dalglish, she/her Secretary
Cindy came to advocacy for inclusion and BCEdAccess through building trust within our community – slowly and over time. It’s a story she would love to share if it weren’t for space limits in this bio!
She hasn’t been a stranger to advocacy, however. She didn’t recognize it at the time, but Cindy has been advocating for others since elementary school where she stood up for segregated disabled students, often making herself a target in doing so.
Cindy worked in the non-profit sector for organizations such as the Lions Society of BC (Easter Seals), and CNIB. As a long-time Surrey resident and community-minded person, Cindy is past Chair and board member for the Panorama Neighbourhood Association and Treasurer for Canadian Parents for French – Surrey Chapter. Her previous volunteer commitments included PAC President, Treasurer, and DPAC rep at her daughters’ school, supporting the ALS Society of BC, Victoria Hospitals Foundation, Special Olympics, Ronald McDonald House, and baking with hospitalized children, to name a few. She ran for School Trustee in 2018 and can be often heard in media standing up for education in this Province.
Cindy has a degree in Communications and credentials in Special Event Planning and Instructional Design. She works for Prospera Credit Union as their Instructional Designer and sits on the Prospera Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council and Working Group. She is leading their DEI all-employee training program that will launch in 2023.
Cindy was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021 at the age of 46 and her family are no stranger to disabilities and brain health challenges. Cindy lives in Surrey with her husband Ian, daughters Zoe and Lucy, and rescue dogs Holly and Maggie.
Cindy’s passion is ignited by the simple fact that we are all human and are all worthy.
ADVISORY BOARD
The Board of Directors of the BCEdAccess Society works with a dedicated group of active volunteers comprising our Advisory Board, who make up the voting membership of the Society and help guide the strategic direction of the organization. As members of different Board committees, they also take on different roles such as moderating the community Facebook group, and help plan and execute group actions. Individually and collectively, members of our online Facebook community/discussion group take up action which we support and promote.
To learn more about getting involved in our work, contact us tracy@bcedaccess.com
STAFF
Tracy Humphreys, she/her Executive Director
Tracy is a lifelong volunteer and social justice advocate/activist, and found her passion for education advocacy when she was a student activist at UVic. This advocacy became focused on K-12 through having 3 children, and she came to disability justice through her children’s experiences with barriers to access to education because of their disabilities. During this time she also uncovered her own disabilities.
In 2014, she pulled together a province-wide network of BC parents and guardians of children and youth with disabilities of every kind, which eventually led to the establishment of the BCEdAccess Society, a provincial charity advocating for equitable access to education.
Now in the role of Executive Director, Tracy brings both her 30+ years professional management and operational experience as well as her experience growing BCEdAccess from grassroots to charity to the role of overseeing all facets of the organization.
Tracy remains focused on the board’s mission, vision and values while executing fundraising, operations, and collective action for equitable access to education. As a leader she is most interested in supporting and developing leadership in others and amplifying the voices of those who are the most systemically oppresssed.
wow, that an all star team. i can’t believe i’m just discovering you! thank you for all that you are doing!