BCEdAccess Society

Our mission is to ensure equitable access to education for students with disabilities and complex learners in British Columbia.

Tag: AdvoCon

  • INClusive childcare and the early learning framework with the inclusive education partner group at #AdvoCon2021

    Led by Angela Clancy of the Family Support Institute of BC, the Inclusive Education Partnership Group will present a discussion about the move of childcare into the Ministry of Education, and change coming in about 2 years.in We hope you will be able to make it to be a part of the conversation at AdvoCon2021, our 7th annual education advocacy conference held September 22nd to 26th online!

    Tickets still available on Eventbrite now – sessions are recorded and viewable after the event for ticket holders!

    GET TICKETS HERE

    The Inclusive Education Partnership Group (IEPG) is a network of provincial organizations that come together around their interest to raise awareness, support and improve inclusive education in our province. We ground our understanding of inclusive education within Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities according to which all children have the right to the support they need to access education on the basis of equal opportunity. This network includes organizations that consider inclusive education from a variety of perspectives including non-profit provincial and community organizations, post-secondary programs, unions, and service providers.

    Workshop: Letter Writing and Other Advocacy Communications

    With the movement of child care to be the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, we want to ensure inclusion of children with disabilities is not forgotten. Access to inclusive child care within the Early Learning Framework and before/after school care within the Seamless Childcare Framework means that children with disabilities and diverse learning needs that require additional support will have a supported spot. This will allow them to be part of the community, just as they will also become part of the learning community as they transition to their K-12 education. We, as the Inclusive Education Partners Group, acknowledge that all changes will involve the development of policy and sufficient funding to support full implementation. This session will explore a range of questions to ponder and shine a light on to help explore solutions and/or raise as this transition occurs.

    Read all the details about our conference here, and remember to share!

    AdvoCon

  • Workshop: letter writing and other advocacy communication with TINA DAM at #AdvoCon2021

    Workshop: letter writing and other advocacy communication with TINA DAM at #AdvoCon2021

    Tina Dam is a truly amazing person who works with Inclusion BC, and she’ll be conducting a workshop on advocacy and communication, so key in the work we do to ensure supports for our children and youth. We hope you will be able to make it to see her at AdvoCon2021, our 7th annual education advocacy conference held September 22nd to 26th online!

    Tickets on Eventbrite now – members of the BCEdAccess Facebook group receive a significant discount, don’t delay, event starts soon!

    GET TICKETS HERE

    Tina Dam is an Advocate at Inclusion BC. Tina has extensive knowledge about supports, services and resources that exist in BC for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. She is a problem solver who is passionate about helping people. Before joining Inclusion BC Tina spent 8 years supporting people with people with intellectual disabilities to live full lives in the community.

    Workshop: Letter Writing and Other Advocacy Communications

    Find out effective ways to communicate with the school team including people at the district level that is clear and concise and able to motive change and collaboration. We will also discuss contacting your MLA and speaking with the media.

    You’ll learn:

    • The power of language, context and possibility
    • Stating your feelings is important
    • Why being curious is a game changer
    • How to clearly ask for what is needed

    See Inclusion BC’s work here:

    HERE

    Read all the details about our conference here, and remember to share!

    AdvoCon

  • #AdvoCon2021 – our emcee, Heidi Vinois

    #AdvoCon2021 – our emcee, Heidi Vinois

    The amazing Heidi Vinois is always the emcee of our annual education advocacy conference!

    Read all the details about our conference here:

    TICKETS

    This year the conference is being held online from September 22 to 26. Heidi brings us all together and grounds us through the experience, and then closes us off with prize giveaways and a meaningful wrapup that reflects the importance of connections and education advocacy. 

    Heidi is a parent to 5 children. Besides advocating for her own children, she works very hard behind the scenes to support families and strengthen inclusion both in her local school district, and also province-wide through her work as one of the members of the advisory board of the BCEdAccess Society. Even in her public role as conference emcee, her whole job is to support and elevate the voices of others.

    Heidi really knows how to bring a room together, and she’s pretty fun, too! We hope you will come see her in action and maybe thank her along with us at this year’s conference!

    See you online!!

  • Workshop: Distributed/Online Learning – Changes, Impact and Advocacy with jenn scharf at #AdvoCon2021

    Workshop: Distributed/Online Learning – Changes, Impact and Advocacy with jenn scharf at #AdvoCon2021

    Jenn Scharf is a member of the Anti-Ableism Committee at BCEdAccess, and a parent to a child in an online learning program. She will be conducting a discussion of the changes from Distributed to Online Learning. We hope you will be able to make it to see her and engage on this topic at AdvoCon2021, our 7th annual education advocacy conference held September 22nd to 26th online!

    Tickets on Eventbrite now – members of the BCEdAccess Facebook group receive a significant discount, and the first 100 tickets purchased receive a care package delivered to their house!

    GET TICKETS HERE

    Jenn Scharf has worked as an educator, learning designer, program facilitator and educational change advocate for over 20 years. As a late-diagnosed autistic adult and parent to an autistic child, Jenn brings first hand perspective and experience around advocacy in the education system. Jenn’s current projects include collecting and publishing Stories of Exclusion in the BC education system. When not at work, you will likely find Jenn out on her SUP somewhere in the Sea-to-Sky corridor with her son and two dogs.

    Workshop: Distributed/Online Learning – Changes, Impact and Advocacy

    You’ll learn and discuss:

    •  About the legislative changes made in from Distributed Learning to Online Learning
    • The timeline and potential planned changes for September, 2022
    • The potential impacts of these changes, both positive and negative, and how to provide feedback and engage in advocacy

    See Jenn’s work in educational equity here:

    HERE

    Read all the details about our conference here, and remember to share!

    AdvoCon

  • Panel: How to Create an Inclusion Committee at #AdvoCon2021

    Panel: How to Create an Inclusion Committee at #AdvoCon2021

    Chantelle Morvay – Adams is the Board Secretary and an all around hard working team member BCEdAccess and she will conduct a panel about how to create an Inclusion Committee. We hope you will be able to make it to see her and the panel at AdvoCon2021, our 7th annual education advocacy conference held September 22nd to 26th online!

    Tickets on Eventbrite now – members of the BCEdAccess Facebook group receive a significant discount, and the first 100 tickets purchased receive a care package delivered to their house!

    GET TICKETS HERE

    Chantelle is a passionate advocate for equity and inclusion. Her journey started over 11 years ago with the birth of her first son. A life full of detours, this new one in her life catapulted her into the role of activist and advocate. She believes creating connections in our local communities can help strengthen understanding of our diverse identities, help those underrepresented and marginalized to rise up, and to evolve our society to one that respects human rights for all.   This led her to start an inclusion sub-committee at her children’s school to foster a mindset and then took up the role of DPAC co-chair for the Mission School District, whereby she helped create and inclusion committee there as well. She also won honorable mention for her CIVL 101.7 show, All in, at the National community Radio Awards, delving into what Inclusion means to individuals and society as a whole. She now resides, with deep gratitude, with her little family on the unceded Territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nations. 

    Panel: How to Create an Inclusion Committee

    You’ll learn:

    • What are the different purposes of an Inclusion Committee?
    •  How can you start one that works for your situation and environment? 
    • Practical tips and avoiding pitfalls of committees.
    • How you can make your inclusion committee more inclusive. 

    Follow Chantelle on social media @picsofyoumorv

    Check out her Facebook page:

    All in-Addressing Equity for disabilities in BC and around the World

    Read all the details about our conference here, and remember to share!

    AdvoCon

  • Opening Keynote with Sue Sterling-Bur at #AdvoCon2021

    Opening Keynote with Sue Sterling-Bur at #AdvoCon2021

    Sue is from the Nlakap’mux and Sto:Lo Nations and is the Associate Vice President of Students and she will be sharing an Indigenous perspective of the giftedness that children with disabilities have within. She will open up our conference by sharing her values and beliefs systems, grounded in holistic and cultural ways for supporting children and youth with disabilities. We hope you will be able to make it to see her speak at AdvoCon2021, our 7th annual education advocacy conference held September 22nd to 26th online!

    Tickets on Eventbrite now – members of the BCEdAccess Facebook group receive a significant discount, and the first 100 tickets purchased receive a care package delivered to their house!

    GET TICKETS HERE

    Sue Sterling-Bur is from the Nlakap’mux and Sto:Lo Nations and is the Associate Vice President of Students and the Registrar for the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, which is the only Indigenous public post-secondary in B.C. Sue is a PhD Candidate at The University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus and working with Dr. Jeannette Armstrong and Dr. Rachelle Hole. Sue’s doctoral research will provide an Indigenous perspective on the systems of belief for giftedness in children with disabilities. She will base her research on the Nlakap’mux Spilahem stories to identify the ethics, values, and beliefs that will guide and direct working with and supporting Indigenous people with disabilities.

    Presentation: Running for Office 

    Sue will be sharing an Indigenous perspective of the giftedness that children with disabilities have within. She will share her values and beliefs systems that are grounded in holistic and cultural ways for supporting children and youth with disabilities

    – An Indigenous perspective of giftedness for children with disabilities;

    – They will hear a perspective of the ethic, value and beliefs systems from and Indigenous perspective;

    – They will learn how Indigenous stories provide the foundation for working with and supporting children and families; and

    – They will learn how Indigenous teachings guide how we are to support children with disabilities.

    Follow Sue on social media @SueSterling6

    Nicola Valley Institute of Technology:

    nvit.ca

    Read all the details about our conference here, and remember to share!

    AdvoCon

  • Presentation: Scaling the Impact of Inclusive Post-Secondary Education with Marta Carlucci of Steps Forward, at #AdvoCon2021

    Presentation: Scaling the Impact of Inclusive Post-Secondary Education with Marta Carlucci of Steps Forward, at #AdvoCon2021

    Marta Carlucci is an Inclusion Liaison with the Scaling Impact of  Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (STEPS) and she will present on scaling the impact of post-secondary education. We hope you will be able to make it to see her speak at AdvoCon2021, our 7th annual education advocacy conference held September 22nd to 26th online!

    Tickets on Eventbrite now – members of the BCEdAccess Facebook group receive a significant discount, and the first 100 tickets purchased receive a care package delivered to their house!

    GET TICKETS HERE

    Marta Carlucci is the Inclusion Liaison, for the Scaling the impact of the Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Project. funded by The Vancouver Foundation and initiated by STEPS Forward: BC Initiative for Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (BC-IPSE)   

    A vision of empowering both families and stakeholders to support equitable, inclusive and authentic lives for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is what drives her work. Marta brings over 15 years of experience supporting families who have a son or daughter with a disability and their supporters to further break down barriers to lifelong inclusion and create a positive shift in the lives of people with disabilities.  

    Her previous experience includes Program Advisor at the Advocate for Service Quality, and Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator at The Family Support Institute.  Marta holds a degree in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies from the University of Calgary and is a trained Rehabilitation Assistant.   

    Marta is committed to supporting her daughter’s lifelong vision of an authentic and inclusive life.  She knows this vision cannot be accomplished alone and requires the support and collaboration of families, professionals and community members.  Her mantra, “It’s not going to be easy, but it’s worth it” is what keeps her forging ahead. 

    Presentation: Scaling the Impact of Inclusive Post-secondary Education

    1. The commitments that guide Inclusive Post-secondary Education 
    2. The value of systems mapping 
    3. How to influence systems by combining a top down and grassroots approach 
    4. How can planning for post-secondary education in the school years support an inclusive life. 
    5. How important language is in empowering students to dream big and plan for their future. 
    6. Who plays key roles in supporting high school students to plan for their future? 

    Follow STEPS Forward on Social Media:

    Facebook: STEPS Forward.

    Twitter: @STEPSForwardBC

    learn more about them on their website:

    http://www.bc-ipse.orghttp://www.bc-ipse.org

    Read all the details about our conference here, and remember to share!

    AdvoCon

  • Workshop: Running For Office with Jodie Wickens at #AdvoCon2021

    Workshop: Running For Office with Jodie Wickens at #AdvoCon2021

    Jodie Wickens is an amazing parent and a non profit community leader who will present about running for office, a great way to further your advocacy work! We hope you will be able to make it to see her speak at AdvoCon2021, our 7th annual education advocacy conference held September 22nd to 26th online!

    Tickets on Eventbrite now – members of the BCEdAccess Facebook group receive a significant discount, and the first 100 tickets purchased receive a care package delivered to their house!

    GET TICKETS HERE

    Jodie Wickens is a parent and a non profit community leader working and living in the ancestral and unceded territory of the Kwikwetlem First Nation. She is a previous  member of the legislative assembly for the provincial riding of Coquitlam Burke Mountain and started her journey in politics because of her passion for equitable access to an appropriate education for all. Jodie’s first attempt at running for office was in the 2014 civic election for school board trustee. Since 2014 she has run in 2 other elections and gained a wealth of knowledge on being a candidate and what makes a campaign successful. She has a strong desire to pass along that knowledge so that other parents of children with disabilities can successfully run for office. 

    Presentation: Running for Office 

    • Things you should know about running for office.
    • How to get started, who needs to be on your team and what resources you need.
    • The most effective and ineffective things candidates do.
    • A timeline to Election Day (e-day). is on Instagram

    Follow Jodie on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @jbtwickens

    Read all the details about our conference here, and remember to share!

    AdvoCon

  • Love, Human Rights and Reconciliation with Symbia Barnaby at #AdvoCon2021

    Love, Human Rights and Reconciliation with Symbia Barnaby at #AdvoCon2021

    Symbia Barnaby is returning to AdvoCon again to share about love, human rights and reconciliation. We hope you will be able to make it to see her speak at AdvoCon2021, our 7th annual education advocacy conference held September 22nd to 26th online!

    Tickets on Eventbrite now – members of the BCEdAccess Facebook group receive a significant discount, and the first 100 tickets purchased receive a care package delivered to their house!

    GET TICKETS HERE

    Symbia Barnaby is an Indigenous person of Mi’kmaq and Haida descent who lives in Northern British Columbia. She is a solo parent to 6 children (5 of which have exceptionalities). She is a Practical nurse, a Birth/Postpartum Doula, a Community Inclusion Advocate, a Filmmaker, a Storyteller and a Wisdom Translator. 

    Presentation: Love, Human Rights and Reconciliation 

    You’ll learn:

    • The history of Residential school and what the “residential school legacy” is and how it impacts Indigenous learners and their families
    • Barriers to accessing/securing support services for Indigenous learners and their families
    • Inclusion/disability through an Indigenous lenses
    • Cultural Competency and its role in creating an Inclusive learning environment

    Symbia is on Instagram

    @SymbiaBarnaby

    Read all the details about our conference here, and remember to share!

    AdvoCon

  • #AdvoCon2021 Panel – BCEdAccess Anti-Ableism Committee

    #AdvoCon2021 Panel – BCEdAccess Anti-Ableism Committee

    We’re truly excited to host this panel by our own Anti-Ableism Committee, a community-member driven initiative that’s been doing great work to dismantle ableism in the education system. We hope you will be able to make it to see them speak at AdvoCon2021, our 7th annual education advocacy conference held September 22nd to 26th online!

    Tickets on Eventbrite now – members of the BCEdAccess Facebook group receive a significant discount, and the first 100 tickets purchased receive a care package delivered to their house!

    GET TICKETS HERE

    The Anti-Ableism Committee started as a collective Working Group created by members of BCEdAccess, with the purpose of advancing awareness of ableism within our systems and community, as well as promoting anti-ableism in policies, procedures, pedagogy and curriculum within the BC education system. Seeing the ongoing need for this work as integral to BCEdAccess as a whole, we have incorporated it into our structure as a board committee. Our committee members include: Levonne Abshire, Kim Block, Kaori Lau, Jenn Scharf and Chantelle Morvay-Adams, all parents of children with disabilities and complex needs, with some members also having disabilities themselves.

    Panel: Anti-Ableism Working Group

    You’ll learn:

    1. Why is Important to unpack our own biases during this journey? 
    2. What is Intersectionality and why this has to be a part of the movement.
    3. How does ableism impact our children in the education system?
    4. How does ableism show up in our IEP meetings?

    Read all the details about our conference here, and remember to share!

    AdvoCon

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