Village of Pemberton and the Pemberton and District Library are looking for the AIC to support us in the meaningful implementation of the Accessible British Columbia Act, furthering our goal to authentically identify, remove and prevent barriers to individuals in, or interacting with our organizations to meet the requirements of Part 3, section 9 of the Act, the AIC responsibilities include:

• assist us to identify barriers to individuals in or interacting with, the organization; and
• advise us on how to remove and prevent barriers to individuals in or interacting with, the organization.

We are also looking for the AIC to support our ongoing commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility through:

• sharing feedback and advice on our current Accessibility and Inclusion Plan (“the Plan”). This work will take place upon the establishment of the AIC, and then continue to involve reviews of the Plan; and,
• considering and sharing any insights around feedback that the organizations may receive about the Plan and/or the public feedback mechanisms.

We are committed to improving inclusion and accessibility within our organizational cultures as well as taking an active and meaningful role in improving accessibility and inclusion for Pemberton. It is our hope to gain insights from the AIC on:

• programs and policies pertaining to accessibility and inclusivity; and
• ways to strengthen partnerships with leading accessibility and inclusivity sector groups and associations.

NOTE: THE ACCESSIBLE BRITISH COLUMBIA ACT DEFINES “BARRIERS” IN SECTION 2, PART 1 OF THE ACT AS FOLLOWS: “(1) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ACT, A BARRIER IS ANYTHING THAT HINDERS THE FULL AND EQUAL PARTICIPATION IN SOCIETY OF A PERSON WITH AN IMPAIRMENT. (2) FOR CERTAINTY AND WITHOUT LIMITING SUBSECTION (1), BARRIERS CAN BE (A) CAUSED BY ENVIRONMENTS, ATTITUDES, PRACTICES, POLICIES, INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS OR TECHNOLOGIES, AND (B) AFFECTED BY INTERSECTING FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION.”

The AIC will consist of a minimum of four and a maximum of eight individuals. To meet the requirement of the Act, the AIC will include:

• a majority of persons who self-identify as having a disability and/or individuals who support or are from organizations that support persons with disabilities; and
• should have at least one member who self identifies as Indigenous.

Authentic representation matters. We recognize that each person’s lived experience and intersectionality is unique, and that one individual cannot speak on behalf of an entire group or community.

Having members who represent a diverse range of identities and experiences, including those who are marginalized or underrepresented, will lead to more thoughtful and inclusive decision-making, as well as more effective and equitable outcomes.

Our goal for the composition of the AIC is to not only reflect the diversity of persons in BC but also specifically reflect and uplift the diversity of persons with disabilities in British Columbia.

NOTE: THE ACCESSIBLE BRITISH COLUMBIA ACT DEFINES “DISABILITY” IN PART 1 OF THE ACT AS FOLLOWS: “DISABILITY” MEANS AN INABILITY TO PARTICIPATE FULLY AND EQUALLY IN SOCIETY AS A RESULT OF THE INTERACTION OF AN IMPAIRMENT AND A BARRIER; AND FURTHER DEFINES “IMPAIRMENT AS FOLLOWS: “IMPAIRMENT” INCLUDES A PHYSICAL, SENSORY, MENTAL, INTELLECTUAL OR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, WHETHER PERMANENT, TEMPORARY OR EPISODIC.

Applicants are encouraged to highlight their experience surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in their application forms.

The Village of Pemberton and Pemberton and District Library recognizes lived experience as expertise and the importance of ‘nothing about us without us’ (that those with relevant lived experiences must be meaningfully involved). We are looking for members with relevant lived experience and skills to:

• Provide honest strategic advice regarding Accessibility as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

To best achieve our purpose, we are seeking individuals with relevant experience in:

• The understanding of current and emerging issues related to disability and accessiblitiy; and
• General knowledge of best practices for diversity, equity and inclusion.

Term

Ideally committee members make a two year commitment and potentially serve up to four years.

Time Commitment

Presently we are planning for the AIC to meet 4 times per year. Ideally these meetings will be in person however we will accommodate virtual attendees as well. The meeting schedule will be determined once the AIC is established and by AIC members.

We welcome individual needs being shared with us so we may support full participation by the committee, and we recognize that this will look different for individuals.