Whereas the Accessible BC Act reflects the provincial governments commitment to fostering a society where individuals with disabilities can participate fully and equally; And whereas the implementation of the Act is contingent upon the availability of resources to support local governments in meeting the outlined requirements; And whereas solutions which support accessibility require the involvement of all stakeholders, including local governments, community organizations and the Province working together to achieve key objectives, a unified approach is necessary to effectively address the needs of disabled persons across the province; And whereas the financial burden of implementing these accessibility initiatives will disproportionately impact local taxpayers, despite the Province allocating funding for critical areas like housing and environmental management, it has failed to provide equitable financial support for accessibility initiatives: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province to allocate annual grant funding specifically for audits, expert consultant assistance, and capital improvements to assist local governments in implementing accessibility initiatives identified in provincially mandated accessibility plans; And be it further resolved that the Province work alongside local governments to make the goal of accessibility become a reality by ensuring local governments have the necessary resources to provide essential training in the field.
