Accessibility Action Plan

Action 1.0 - Partner with organizations and persons with disabilities to increase offerings of programs that are innovative and inclusive.

Progress:

• Ongoing partnerships with the Surrey Accessibility Leadership Team, Canucks Autism Network, Centre for Child Development, REACH, Rick Hansen Foundation, Surrey School District, and other key organizations to expand innovative and inclusive program offerings.

Action 1.1 - Involve people with lived experience in service development to gather feedback.

Progress:

• Feedback from persons with lived experience is actively integrated into city-wide projects. The Surrey Accessibility Leadership Team (SALT) is involved in departmental initiatives, while the Internal Accessibility Advisory Committee ensures ongoing opportunities for SALT to contribute feedback on City programs and services.

Action 1.2 - Encourage all permitted events, City, corporate and private, to have an accessibility plan for before, during and after the event.

Progress:

• City of Surrey–hosted and community-hosted FEST events guidelines developed.

Action 2.0 - Explore creating an accessible GIS mapping system allowing users to search for information on accessible buildings and services.

Progress:

• SALT provided input on the current WALKit system and on accessibility features to highlight in social media communications. 
• Next steps: Auditing facilities and compiling data to inform the efforts to communicate accessible features and amenities at Surrey facilities.

Action 2.1 - Incorporate accessibility standards into civic facilities and park development, considering the range of disabilities, to ensure new parks and public buildings are accessible.

Progress:

• Park Design Guidelines are being updated with an accessibility focus, and a new signage guideline is also in development.
• Communication has been re-issued for the City’s commitment to achieving RHF Gold certification for all new builds.
• Accessibility and Inclusion staff & parks planning staff are completing the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification Professional Training.

Action 2.2 - Evaluate civic facility design and construction procedures to ensure requirements include accessibility needs and are designed or built according to universal design principles.

Progress:

• Civic facility design and construction procedures are under review to align with universal design principles and ensure accessibility is integrated from the planning stage onward.

Action 2.3 - Develop an accessibility checklist for park/facility audits.

Action 3.0 - Develop procedures on the use of technology to make things more inclusive for people with disabilities, including the request process for new accessibility-related software or applications.

Progress:

• IT developed accessibility and computing resources for all staff, including guidance on assistive technologies, requesting adaptive software, and inclusive digital communication.
• Resources have been shared across communication channels to support inclusive technology use City-wide.

Action 3.1 - Create an internal SharePoint accessibility directory for staff.

Progress:

• Internal SharePoint site has been developed, with final content being added. The directory will include accessibility-related policies, respectful language guidance, neurodiversity terms, and training resources for staff, with completion targeted for Summer 2025.

Action 3.2 - Develop an accessible communication procedure related to American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and communicating with persons with speech disabilities.

Progress:

• American Sign Language Procedure developed with SALT's input.

Action 3.3 - Identify and address gaps in access to council meetings for persons with accessibility needs.

Progress:

• An internal staff review was conducted by IT, considering mobility, hearing, vision, neurodiversity, and learning needs.
• A new livestream solution with built-in transcription and captioning has been selected to enhance accessibility for council meetings.

Action 3.4 - Increase awareness of accessibility features that are currently available through various communication channels including webpage updates, social media, and signage.

Progress:

• An audit of current communication channels was completed by the Web Team. 
• Plain language edits have been made to the top 50 high-traffic web pages, and consultation with SALT is planned for Summer 2025 regarding web experience. 
• Web staff are providing training to other staff on digital accessibility, plain language & accessible design.
• An Internal Inclusion Calendar was also created to highlight monthly accessibility features on social media.

Action 3.5 - Update the City’s digital accessibility approach and resource list (2021) and review/update actions.

Progress: 

• The 2021 digital accessibility resources are under review by the Digital Services team.

Action 4.0 - Review and update recruitment processes to incorporate best practices in accessibility and inclusion.

Progress:

• HR processes are under active revision to integrate best practices in accessibility and inclusive hiring.

Action 4.1 - Advocate for inclusive and accessible work environments and support universal design principles in new constructions and renovations.

Progress:

• Interdepartmental recommendations have been drafted to promote accessible work environments and apply universal design principles to all new builds and renovations.

Action 4.2 - Develop accessibility/inclusion training for staff.

Progress:

• Accessibility and inclusion training curriculum is in draft with HR. It will be launched as a citywide onboarding module for all staff.

Action 5.0 - Review and update the Purchase and Payment Process Manual to incorporate accessibility into the principles of procurement where applicable.

Progress:

• Finance is reviewing the manual and drafting an updated section to embed accessibility considerations into procurement processes.

The City is well-equipped to address evolving community needs and legislation. The City of Surrey Accessibility Leadership Team (SALT) effectively aligns with the Accessible British Columbia Act. SALT is made up of a network of community leaders dedicated to full inclusion and accessibility across all stages of life. Many of the committee members are people living with a disability, and thus perspectives are informed by rich and diverse lived experiences.

The purpose of SALT is to provide input on the City of Surrey’s Accessibility Action plan and help make City of Surrey buildings and services more accessible and inclusive by embracing all abilities. 

The Accessibility and Inclusion team will be the primary recipient of your input. The team will share your feedback with the relevant service area that you encountered difficulties accessing. Your feedback may influence future updates to the Accessibility Action Plan and our measures to further reduce barriers in our city offerings.

Personal information is collected for the purpose of responding to your feedback. The City of Surrey is collecting this information under s. 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The City of Surrey is fully committed to the principles of inclusivity and accessibility as outlined in the Accessible British Columbia Act (ABCA). In line with this commitment, our accessibility plan will go through a review every three years. This regular review will ensure that the plan remains aligned with the ABCA requirements and continues to address the needs of individuals with disabilities in our community.