‘Make tourism more inclusive and accessible’
is among the key priorities of the
Strategic Framework for Tourism in BC.
It is an important aspect of how tourism supports people & communities
and contributes to improving the quality of life for all.
Strategies that align with the accessible and inclusive tourism priority include promoting British Columbia as an inclusive and welcoming destination for everyone as well as building capacity to support more inclusive and accessible tourism products, services and experiences.
This page is a resource centre for a variety of standards and guidelines, marketing materials, employer programs, opportunities and more.
ENHANCE YOUR ONLINE LISTING BY ADDING THE ACCESSIBILITY FEATURE TO HELLOBC.COM
Destination BC actively supports the development and improvement of accessible tourism products, services and activities to ensure every person can participate in BC’s transformative experiences. Destination BC has organized Accessibility info into five categories: Mobility, Vision, Hearing, Cognitive & Sensory and General. View an example of how the Accessibility feature appears on HelloBC, here.
You can add your accessible attributes to your listing at any time following the steps below or, if you prefer to have a Destination BC team member assist you, please email: BusinessListings@DestinationBC.ca.
- Log-in to the Tourism Business Portal
- Select your business name found under ‘Manage My Listings’
- Click the Accessibility tab
- Click the Update button
- Check off the criteria on the list, which your business meets in full.
Only the criteria that you have selected will display on your listing. - Click Next to save.
Once your accessibility amenities and services are uploaded to HelloBC.com, your business listing will automatically be updated on KOOTENAYROCKIES.COM – REGIONAL TRAVEL WEBSITE.
- Here’s some KootenayRockies.com links of interest for you:
- Accessibility Landing page
- Accessible Travel Road Trip with Itinerary and mapping
- Regional Accessible Accommodation properties
- Regional Accessible Activities
- Regional Accessible Attractions
Your listing on HelloBC.com and KootenayRockies.com are complimentary / There is no cost involved in this web presence.
Qs? please contact: Karen Cook, Manager, Stakeholder & Corporate Communications, Karen@KootenayRockies.com
ACCESSIBILITY DATA COLLECTION
Kootenay Rockies Tourism (KRT) is committed to working with communities and the tourism industry towards a fully-inclusive British Columbia. Since 2018, KRT is signatory to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Spinal Cord Injury BC (SCIBC) with the goals including establishing a coordinated approach to the development of accessible travel and tourism products and services.
Additionally, to promote the adoption, development and promotion of accessible tourism industry practices to stakeholders through audits and assessments of relevant regional sites, products and services; universal design and accessibility education and awareness; and resource development implemented through our partnership.
An agreement was signed to further Universal Design support in the region. A Tourism Access and Inclusion Assistant has been contracted to continue the accessibility consultations with campgrounds in the region and to begin accessibility data collection on the accommodation properties throughout the Kootenay Rockies.
A quality experience is one of the most important things you can offer your customers. Accessibility removes barriers so everyone feels welcome when they visit your business. North Americans with disabilities spend an estimated $19 billion per year on travel—and that doesn’t include the friends and family they travel with.
PLEASE TAKE THIS SHORT SURVEY IF YOU ARE AN ACCOMMODATION PROVIDER – We would like to hear from Resorts, hotels, motels, b&bs, campgrounds, etc.
MAKING NATURE ACCESSIBLE
FOR EVERYONE
British Columbia is home to spectacular outdoor recreational spaces,
but not all of them are accessible to everyone.
School of Planning and Sustainability Associate Professor Dr. Mark Groulx, Spinal Cord Injury BC, and a team of researchers are exploring ways to change that so everyone can enjoy the benefits of spending time in the natural world.
Groulx and the research team received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Development Grant worth $177,838 to bring together partners from across the spectrum and develop tools they can use to identify barriers to access and develop plans to remove them.
The Nature for all:
A barrier free Canada through standards-based practice project includes academic researchers, accessibility advocates, agencies in the tourism and parks sectors and government organizations.
Some specifics regarding the Survey – Information about accessible services and programs is key to providing good customer service and helping guests determine if your business meets their individual needs. Accessibility attributes indicate whether your business’ parking, entrance, public spaces, elevator, services and programs are accessible for people with diverse cognitive or sensory abilities and with mobility, visual or hearing requirements.
The purpose of this self-assessment check list is to provide accurate information about your business’ accessibility, which will form part of your listing on HelloBC.com and KootenayRockies.com. If you are unsure if your business meets one or more of the attributes, we recommend that you leave this field blank; please don’t guess.
Neil Squire Programs
Working Together
Connecting Employers with Skilled, Job Ready Individuals with Disabilities
This program will help to identify the right candidate for the job and include information on wage subsidies and employer advantages.
Program PDF information sheet
NeilSquire.ca
Solutions
Maintaining Good Posture
Posture is the most important aspect when looking at work station design.
Illustrations depict the ideal sitting posture while using a computer.
PDF information sheet
NeilSquire.ca
Universal Design Principles
The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without adaptation or specialized design.
The authors, a working group of architects, product designers, engineers and environmental design researchers, collaborated to establish the following Principles of Universal Design to guide a wide range of design disciplines.
PDFs outlining 7 principles: Page 1 / Page 2
More Resources
Access BC
A Spinal Cord Injury BC initiative helping to make British Columbia further accessible by providing key information and trip planning tools for visitors of all ages and abilities.
Accessibility Standards for CTA
The Canada Transportation Act gives the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) the responsibility for ensuring that persons with disabilities obtain access to Canada’s federal transportation network by eliminating unnecessary barriers.
Building Code Accessibility Standards
BC Government Office of Housing and Construction Standards – Building Access Handbook – Illustrated Commentary on Access Requirements.
Some information links:
Ensure your business is accessible and inclusive for all employees and travellers.
The Learning Centre features articles, tools, case studies, guides, videos and webinars.
go2HR
go2HR serves British Columbia’s tourism and hospitality industry with programs and services. It is BC’s tourism human resource association.
Spinal Cord Injury BC (SCI BC)
A resource centre: find a consultant, how to access funding, how to get your property or community certified as universal, tools to market your business and public spaces.