Accessibility Services

Individuals with disabilities can participate in a variety of programs and sports throughout the city. The City of Surrey offers a variety of support including:

• One-to-one staff support in spring break and summer day camps for children,
• One-to-one skating and swimming lessons,
• Adapted and inclusive programs for children, youth and adults, and
• SPIRIT volunteer support.

Learn more about adapted programs and sports in Surrey.

The North Surrey Sports & Ice Complex is designed with universal access in mind. The three sheets of ice are para-ice hockey ready, equipped with Plexi puck boards at the player’s benches and penalty boxes, removable player’s benches, level ice access and extra wide benches in the change rooms.

Para-ice hockey (sledge hockey) sleds are available for loan during public skates.

Indoor pools

At Surrey's indoor pools, you'll find:

• Aquatic wheelchairs
• Pool lifts
• Removable stairs
• Graduated entry
• Therapeutic temperature leisure pools

Grandview Heights Aquatics Centre, Guildford Recreation Centre, and Surrey Sports & Leisure Complex have adult-sized change tables. Grandview Heights Aquatics Centre also has a lift for the adult-sized change table.

Sensory friendly swims

Join us for drop-in sensory friendly swim times at Surrey Sport & Leisure Complex and South Surrey Indoor Pool. Sensory friendly swims are available for anyone who'd enjoy an environment with reduced stimuli, such as reduced noise & water features.

Sensory friendly swims

Outdoor pools

Our outdoor pools have limited accessibility features. Hjorth Road Pool features an aquatic lift and Unwin Pool features change benches.

Our facilities have accessible showers, changing rooms, washrooms and some facilities have adult-sized change tables. Learn more about a facility's specific accessibility features on our recreation centres, arenas, and indoor pools webpages.

Our fitness centres feature adaptive fitness equipment including:

• Arm bikes
• Rowing machines with an adapted seat attachment
• Dual Cable Cross machines
• Medicine balls with straps
• Raised stretching mats
• Treadmills with elongated arm rests
• Recumbent elliptical machines
• Universally designed strength training equipment where the seat can be removed to accommodate a wheelchair user

Our commitment to continuous improvement includes updating parks and playground with accessibility as a top priority, reflecting our belief that accessible play is vital for creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all residents in the City of Surrey. Check out some Accessible Parks: 

Unwin Park is a 12,000-square-foot universally accessible playground built to remove accessibility barriers to sport and play. 

The playground includes accessible play elements such as the We-Go-Round, Sway Fun Glider, Omnispin Spinner, Cozy Dome, We-Saw, Netplex, Smart Play Motion, Sensory Play Center, Rhapsody Music Collection, slides with transfer benches, and a variety of swings, all connected by a double wide accessible ramp system and unitary surfacing with seamless transitions. 

The accessible play elements (sensory, climbing, motion, interactive and early childhood) are designed to encourage different motor, cognitive and social skills and engage kids' sensory systems. 

Edgewood Park provides space for all to connect through nature and play. 

The playground focuses on accessible play which includes a roller table, a universal spinner, a dish swing and wide slide. Many of these elements encourage co-operative play that engages one or multiple children. The multi-sports courts accommodate both basketball and hockey, and a table tennis setup is also nearby. 

Enjoy the grassy field, walking loop, picnic areas, pollinator meadow, and wildlife corridor. 

Crescent Beach has a beach wheelchair available free for loan from the lifeguard station in Sullivan Point Park.  The wheelchair is equipped with chest straps and a seatbelt and can be used with the assistance of an attendant, friend or family member.  

The wheelchair is available during the summer between the hours of 11:00am and 8:30pm, on a first-come first serve basis. 

Special thank you to the Self-Advocates of Semiahmoo for the donation. 

The Surrey Arts Centre received a Gold Certification from the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification program and is proud to feature VocalEye performances, relaxed performances, wireless listening devices, and more! 

Surrey Civic Theatres have accessible seating with companion seating, ample accessible parking, washrooms, elevators and ramps. 

The Surrey Arts Centre features a number of accessible features for patrons to fully enjoy programming including a wheelchair-accessible pottery wheel and sensory-friendly kits for loan. 

The Museum of Surrey is a free venue featuring interactive and ever-changing exhibits for the whole family. The TD Explore Zone was created with universal design in mind, making sure that exhibits can be accessed by children of all ages and abilities. 

Additional features include: 

• a telecoil loop 

• wheelchair for loan 

• seating throughout the space 

• braille and tactile signage 

• accessible parking 

• fully accessible washrooms and more. 

Sensory friendly times and a dedicated space are available at the Museum of Surrey on the first Sunday of each month (except January) from 10:00am - 12:00pm.

Surrey's Historic Stewart Farm is a free venue located in Elgin Heritage Park.  

Washrooms in the park have automatic access, with accessible stalls including handrails. The trails around Historic Stewart Farm are packed gravel and the buildings are all accessible on the first floor. A ramp to access the main house can be found on the right-hand side of the building. A virtual tour of the upper level of the Farmhouse is available upon request.  

Sensory kits are available for loan and include fidget toys, activity books, noise cancelling headphones and more. Lighting levels inside buildings can be low, especially in winter or on rainy days. 

City of Surrey special events now feature sensory friendly spaces in partnership with the Canucks Autism Network. Sensory friendly spaces are calm and quiet areas with activities and seating designed to be supportive for those with sensory sensitivities to recharge. 

A permanent sensory friendly space is available at the Grandview Heights Aquatics Centre (second floor) and sensory friendly times are available at the Museum of Surrey. 

City of Surrey sensory friendly spaces include: 

• Noise-canceling headphones, 
• Comfortable seating and bean bag chairs, and 
• Sensory and fidget toys. 

Visual stories & videos

In partnership with the Canucks Autism Network, Surrey has created a series of visual and social stories to help community members feel comfortable attending an emergency reception centre, a fitness centre, and coming to community events. We've also created an autism spectrum disorder awareness training video for staff. 

Review our Sensory Friendly Space visual story at Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre. 

Surrey Accessibility Leadership Team (formally Measuring Up Committee) is a network of community leaders that have a commitment to increasing universal access through physical accessibility, employment/volunteerism, recreation, literacy, strategic and planning for people who have a disability in Surrey. 

This group acts as a resource and liaison to community, research and business groups as well as provides engagement and insight to City strategic plans and projects.

Ensuring that our buildings and other public spaces are accessible to our community members is a key priority. We work with the Rick Hansen Foundation, where Surrey is the highest participating municipality in their Accessibility Certification program. 

Many of our facilities have received a rating of "Certified" and five facilities have received "RHF Accessibility Certified Gold": North Surrey Sport and Ice Complex, The Cloverdale Recreation Centre, Grandview Heights Aquatics Centre, Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre and the Surrey Arts Centre. 

The Park, Recreation and Culture Attendant Pass is available in support of the City of Surrey's Attendant Procedure. When providing support to persons with disabilities, attendants will access PRC programs/services at no cost. Attendants may need to cover out-trip cost and other expenses related to the program. 

The pass is intended to reduce barriers to participation and create a supportive environment for individuals who require physical, cognitive, behavioral, sensory and/or social integration assistance. 

Email Accessibility and Inclusion at inclusion@surrey.ca to make an appointment for the pass. 

The City of Surrey is focused on attracting, hiring and promoting a diverse workforce that includes individuals with disabilities. We strive to interview and hire individuals with disabilities into existing positions within the city using a minimum of modifications. 

Our Human Resources team works closely with disability employment agencies to ensure support throughout the hiring process and into employment. Volunteers who require additional support are welcome to volunteer and will be offered the support of a Spirit volunteer. 

Effective transportation planning is another City focus. Our busses have automated electronic and audible announcements, courtesy seating for persons with a disability and the aging population and features like ramps with the ability to lower, ensuring all transit users can disembark safely. 

Transit stations feature tactile warning surfaces to indicate changes in the environment—ideal for someone who is blind or may use other kinds of assistive devices. We are continuing to work with our transit partners, city planners and contractors to ensure the highest level of accessibility in Surrey.

Hearing loops

A hearing loop is a special type of sound system that supports people who use hearing aids and cochlear implants. The loops are installed into many of Surrey’s meeting rooms, and most recently at the Museum of Surrey and in Council Chambers/Centre Stage. When you come to a meeting or performance, you just simply need to turn your hearing aid on to the T-coil setting if this is not automatic. The sound will come directly into your hearing aid or cochlear implant for you to fully participate in the event. 

Hearing loops can be found in the following facilities: 

• Council Chambers/Centre Stage 
• Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre - multi-purpose room 
• Guildford Recreation Centre - upstairs multipurpose room 
• Fleetwood Community Centre  - large hall 
• Newton Seniors Centre - large hall 
• Cloverdale Recreation Centre - upstairs multipurpose room 
• South Surrey Recreation & Arts Centre - gym #3 
• Museum of Surrey - front counter 

A wireless listening device, available on a first-come-first-serve basis is also available at the Surrey Arts Centre. Ask the Front of House staff for assistance with this free service. 

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation

ASL interpretation is available during our special event’s opening ceremonies and upon request for many of our meetings, performances and programs. When registering for a program, please let us know if this is a service you require. 

Video Remote Interpretation for ASL 

The Museum of Surrey is proud to offer a new service: Video Remote Interpretation for ASL. An iPad can be found at the reception desk, where one of our staff will connect to an interpreter through an app. You’ll be able to communicate seamlessly and even take the iPad with you during future offered programs and curated tours. 

Website and Wi-Fi accessibility

The City of Surrey is striving to meet website accessibility guidelines. We're doing this to ensure a great experience for all our users. This includes accessibility considerations like: 

• providing alternative text for images, 
• accessible colour contrast, 
• editing content for plain language, 
• closed captioning for videos, 
• working towards accessible PDFs that open in new windows, 
• working with staff to create web content that is accessible using screen readers, and 
• offering Google Translate. 

The City is also proud to offer free Wi-Fi at venues across the city, which can be found on the Wi-Fi Locator Map. 

Learn more or report an issue with website accessibility.