Smithers is working toward making the community more accessible and inclusive.
At its Oct. 10 regular meeting, council adopted the Smithers Accessibility Plan that has been in the works since January. Council also voted to create a “Request for Service” form and a “Report an Issue” webpage as the town’s official mechanism to receive public feedback on the accessibility plan and on barriers to individuals interacting with the town. The plan was jointly prepared by the town and the Smithers Public Library. The purpose of the plan is to identify, remove and prevent barriers to individuals participating in community life or who are employed by the town or library.
It provides a road map of ways the town can move toward being a more accessible and inclusive place to live and work. The plan states that in a more accessible Smithers, all people can take part in community life, everyone benefits—especially people with disabling conditions — and community inclusion and independence improves. As per a provincial mandate, local governments must establish an accessibility advisory committee, develop an accessibility plan that requires review every three years, and establish a formal mechanism to receive public feedback on accessibility-related matters.
The advisory committee was formed earlier this year. Council approved $30,000 to complete the plan and hired a local consulting team to lead the project.
The plan identifies three focus areas for improvement including accessible infrastructure, accessible service delivery and accessible employment.
According to a staff report, the actions recommended under each focus area have been identified based on community feedback and the degree of impact each action can bring to improving accessibility.
During the engagement process for the plan, six key barrier themes emerged including sidewalks; accessible amenities, such as washrooms and picnic tables; improving communication that includes plain language and having accessible civic engagement options; improving mental health awareness; changing attitudes to be more inclusive; and physical barriers — both visible and sensory in town-owned buildings.
The plan identifies 15 actions to improve community accessibility and inclusion of infrastructure, services and employment. Some of these actions are already underway and require little or no money while others will require future planning and funding.
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