BCEdAccess

---

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.

---

Kaori Lau, she/her Treasurer

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.