Event on Legislature lawn to raise awareness of Indigenous disability issues in B.C.

Published on: October 5, 2022

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• Discrimination

Victoria, B.C. – On October 5, 2022, Indigenous Disability Canada (IDC) / British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS) will hold an event on the front lawn of the B.C. Legislature. The purpose of the event is to encourage discussion and action on disability rights issues facing the Indigenous community, including promoting the use of the Registered Disability Savings Plan.

The event will profile BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner’s new #RewriteTheRules campaign about ableism and discrimination based on disability.

Learn more about the campaign, running across B.C. during October and November at https://bchumanrights.ca/rewrite-the-rules/

“Our mission at IDC / BCANDS is to advance the unique disability and health priorities of Indigenous persons with disabilities across Canada. Through events like this and participation in the development of BCOHRC’s anti-ableism campaign, we hope to see people exploring and confronting their own biases, engaging in conversation, and taking the necessary actions to create an inclusive and accessible province for all Indigenous and non-Indigenous persons and families with disabilities,” said Neil Belanger, Chief Executive Officer of IDC / BCANDS.

“We launched the #RewriteTheRules campaign to help people see and question what are often invisible assumptions, attitudes and practices related to disability in our community,” said B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender.

“In creating the campaign, it was important to us to work directly with members from the disability community to learn about their experiences living with a disability and supporting people with disabilities. This event at the Legislature is a great opportunity to spark conversations about ableism and its unique impacts on Indigenous Peoples. We’re grateful to work with IDC / BCANDS on the event and the campaign,” concluded the Commissioner.

The event is the first of multiple events happening across three communities in British Columbia – Victoria, Terrace, and Kelowna – in relation to the campaign. With ads appearing across British Columbia, the aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of and address ableism in British Columbia, and to identify and target systemic barriers that prevent the full inclusion of people with disabilities in our communities.

About the #RewriteTheRules campaign

Launched on October 4, 2022 and running until November 20, 2022, BCOHRC’s #RewriteTheRules campaign is aimed at raising awareness about ableism and the ways people in British Columbia can address it. People across British Columbia will see the #RewriteTheRules campaign in their communities, whether in major urban centres or in rural and northern communities.

See the media release about the campaign’s launch here.

To learn more about the campaign, visit https://bchumanrights.ca/rewrite-the-rules

Partners such as IDC / BCANDS played a key role in the campaign’s development, with leaders from these organizations serving on a Community Review Committee and informing campaign outputs by sharing their experiences living with a disability and supporting people with disabilities.

About the partner

Indigenous Disability Canada (IDC) / British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS), or as more commonly known, IDC / BCANDS, is an internationally recognized and award winning, Indigenous not for profit Society serving the unique and diverse disability and health related needs of Indigenous peoples across Canada. IDC / BCANDS holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is the only Canadian organization to hold Observer Status with the European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD). 2022 marks the 31st year of IDC / BCANDS successfully delivering Indigenous disability and health programs and services across Canada.

Please find this release in PDF format here.

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Media Contact

To request an interview with Commissioner Kasari Govender, please contact Charlotte Kingston, Director, Communications, at or 1-250-216-4534.

BCOHRC is partnering with representatives from the disability community to speak about the Office’s campaign to address ableism. Depending on availability, Commissioner Govender could be joined by either Neil Belanger (Maluu’m Amxsiwaa), the Chief Executive Officer of BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society or Salina Dewar from Disability Alliance BC.

Media Kit

Download our media kit for images of Commissioner Kasari Govender.

About BCOHRC

BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner exists to address the root causes of inequality, discrimination and injustice in B.C. by shifting laws, policies, practices and cultures. We do this work through education, research, advocacy, inquiry and monitoring. Learn more at: bchumanrights.ca

About the Commissioner

B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner, Kasari Govender, started her five-year term on Sept. 3, 2019. Since then, our Office has been working swiftly to build a strong team, to listen deeply to the concerns of British Columbians, to deliver education materials on our rights and responsibilities, to issue policy guidance to protect marginalized communities and to lay a human rights-based foundation for our work. As an independent officer of the Legislature, the Commissioner is uniquely positioned to ensure human rights in B.C. are protected, respected and advanced on a systemic level throughout our society.

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