The Province of British Columbia has appointed 30 individuals to develop our first ever provincial standards for accessibility: The Employment Accessibility Standard and the Accessible Service Delivery Standard.
These accessibility standards will help to remove and prevent barriers that restrict people with disabilities from equally participating in their community.
Small Business BC CEO, Tom Conway, has been appointed to the Accessible Service Delivery Standard committee, which has a mandate to carry out the following tasks:
- Recommend requirements for the proposed new standard
- Identify desired outcomes (long-term or short-term) of each requirement
- Identify types of barriers each requirement would identify, remove or prevent
- Identify recommended persons or organizations/classes of organization who would be subject to the requirements
- Create a recommended timeline for the implementation of the proposed standard
As a person who lives with disabilities himself, accessibility is an issue of great importance to Tom, and has been for over thirty years. Earlier in his professional career, while at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Tom advocated for service people with disabilities through his work with the White House Commission on Veterans with Disabilities. Tom has also led Easterseals Central California and the BC Schizophrenia Society to actively promote change for folks and their families living with disabilities and severe mental illness.
Alongside his role as SBBC CEO, Tom sits on the board of the Presidents Group, a network of 25 change-driven BC business leaders working to create more accessible and inclusive workplaces.
Discover Accessibility Resources for Business at SBBC
At Small Business BC, our goal is to make our educational resources as widely accessible as possible, while acknowledging we still have progress to make in providing barrier-free access to our services. Visit our dedicated Accessibility Resources for Business and find resources and supports including the Workplace Accessibility Grant. This direct financial support is designed to help employers create an inclusive work environment for people with disabilities.
Learn How BC is Working to Improve Accessibility
Visit the Province of BC website to learn more about the Accessible British Columbia Act and its implementation, including an accessibility feedback tool, the Provincial Accessibility Committee, and the new newly formed technical committees.
