The Tyee
Families Want Nurses Back in Child Care
“We can finally just be a regular family.”
A Surrey child could not receive tube feeds at daycare without a parent coming in to help. The article examines gaps in nursing support that restrict child care, limit children’s participation and make it harder for parents to work.
Global News
B.C. school district backpedals after excluding student with complex needs from field trip
Langley reversed a field-trip exclusion after media questions, but the family said planning for their daughter’s participation should have happened from the start.
Vancouver Sun
Langley girl with autism excluded from class field trip — until she wasn’t
A Langley girl was initially excluded from a class field trip before the decision was reversed. The story raises the question of why participation had to be fought for instead of planned from the outset.
Global News
Surrey mom calls out lack of rec centre programing for kids with special needs
Surrey parents described disabled children missing recreation programmes because support was unavailable, limiting chances to learn, make friends and participate safely.
CBC News
N.L. school board spent $682K fighting human rights complaint by 5-year-old deaf child
CBC reported that a Newfoundland and Labrador school board spent $682,000 defending a human rights complaint involving a deaf child. The story raises questions about the cost of fighting families over access to education.
CBC News
Parents of deaf child win human rights case against N.L. school district
“There was so much evidence there to show that there was discrimination.”
Carter Churchill’s parents won a human rights case over access to education in American Sign Language. The decision required support and assessment in his language, showing why simply attending school is not enough when a child cannot meaningfully access teaching.
CBC News
B.C.’s representative for children, youth urges immediate help for kids with special needs
B.C.’s children’s representative welcomed continued individual autism funding but warned that other disabled children still had little or no help. She called for immediate, equitable support so families would not remain excluded because of their child’s diagnosis.
CBC News
Parents of kids with disabilities demand similar support as B.C. restores autism funding
After B.C. retained individual autism funding, parents of children with other disabilities called for comparable support. Their concern was whether their own children would continue waiting for services while the province reconsidered its broader plans.
Speaking Up BC
Surrey School District’s application denied in student’s human rights complaint
CTV News Vancouver
‘They fail special needs students’: B.C. mom speaks out after son excluded from field trip
“It was sort of heartbreaking watching him go into an empty classroom”
A Nanaimo mother learned her son had been left out of a class bowling trip without advance discussion with her. His family later took him bowling successfully, raising questions about why the school had not planned the support needed for him to join his classmates.
Global News
Mother’s heartbreaking post focuses attention on special needs children in school
A Surrey mother shared her autistic son’s isolation at school, drawing attention to missing support for friendships and participation during breaks.
The Tyee
Is French Immersion Unwelcoming for Students with Special Needs?
Families described disabled children being steered out of French immersion when learning support was missing. The article examines staffing and assessment barriers, and asks whether children can receive the help they need without giving up learning in French.
CityNews Vancouver
B.C. parent hopes for more supports in schools for children with special needs
“So it’s every family for themselves”
A Richmond parent said pandemic school plans did not explain how her autistic child would receive adequate support. She continued learning at home with her children, highlighting the difficult choices families faced when school access and safety remained uncertain.
CBC News
Mother of twins with disabilities calls B.C.’s child-care system ‘opposite of inclusive’
“They say you’re on the wait list and there’s no other option.”
A Langley mother found child-care spaces for her disabled twins but could not use them without support workers, after more than two years waiting. She described lost work and exhaustion, while her children missed opportunities to play and learn with other children.
Global News
B.C. students in need of additional support have fallen behind amid COVID-19 pandemic: report
Families reported losing learning support during pandemic disruptions, raising concerns about children being left further behind.
BCEdAccess released the survey report.
The Tyee
How’s BC’s Plan for Closed Schools Working? This Is Our Report, Now Send Us Yours
“In ‘inclusive education’ we consider the needs of all students at the same time.”
As schools shifted to remote learning, families reported uneven access to education assistants, accessible assignments and mental-health support. BCEdAccess’s survey captured both helpful responses and gaps, showing why providing online work alone did not ensure every child could participate.
Tracy Humphreys was interviewed; BCEdAccess’s parent survey and communication with the province informed the report.
Global News
Human rights complaint filed against Vancouver School Board over student’s racist video
A human rights complaint challenged Vancouver’s response to an anti-Black racist video after students felt unsafe, raising questions about protection and accountability.
The Dawg House podcast
Abbotsford News
‘Neither rare nor unusual’: 3,600 cases of students with disabilities excluded in B.C.
The report covers thousands of recorded exclusion incidents involving disabled students in B.C. For families, documenting missed school can help show that an individual child’s experience is part of a wider problem.
The Globe and Mail
Two moms on supporting children of all needs in our schools
Two mothers called for schools to provide better support: one challenged the labelling of children with complex needs as violent, while the other described her daughter’s anxiety. Both wanted schools to make inclusion work for all children.
