The Accessible Community Forum
You are the expert of your experience. Be heard.
Accessible Community Forum: Event Accessibility 101
Are Accessible Events Truly Accessible For You?
On April 7th 2025, we held the Accessible Community Forum: Event Accessibility 101. This session explored ways to make events more inclusive and ensure equal participation for all. We will highlight the experiences of individuals with disabilities as they navigate community events. Topics covered include:
- Transportation
- Physical Accessibility
- Communication
- Accessibility Accommodations
The forum aims to identify what is working and explore changes needed to create a more inclusive environment for everyone.
The panelists for the coming Accessible Community Forum include:
- Host: Amy Amantea – Artist, Actor and Advocate for Persons with Disabilities
- Karen Lai – Accessibility Planner for the City of Vancouver
- Brianna Ingram – Manager of Access Transit Planning at TransLink
- Porson Lee – Technology Solutions Manager at Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility
- Dora Patkos – Senior Accessibility Manager for B.C. Pavilion Corporation
- Kay Slater – Multidisciplinary artist, accessibility consultant and arts worker.
Please click here to take a moment and fill out our pre-forum survey to help drive the discussion.
About our Accessibility Community Forums
Presented by the Disability Foundation and hosted by the ConnecTra Society, Accessible Community Forums create a conversation between organizations and our community of people with disabilities.
Event accessibility is a common topic in our outreach, past Accessible Community Forums, and affiliated societies’ regular programming. Through our survey and forum, we will build on our current knowledge and broaden our collective understanding of your needs and how best to accommodate them.
Help us explore possible solutions and resources to make community events more accessible for everyone.
You are the expert of your experience. Be heard.
About the Disability Foundation: Established in 1985 and based in Vancouver, B.C., the Disability Foundation strives to support people with physical disabilities by supporting accessible programs to enjoy outdoor activities, make social connections, and access personalized adapted devices. With the support of our well-rounded, multi-disciplinary board members, our leadership team has experienced great success in empowering the disability community to reimagine what is possible.
About the ConnecTra Society: Formed in 1999 by Vancouver tetraplegic Sam Sullivan, the ConnecTra Society is a connecting agency linking people with physical disabilities to activities and programs that will, over time, allow them to grow, gain confidence and become increasingly more active and involved in community life. We aim to get all people with significant disabilities living in British Columbia as socially active and engaged as possible through our workshops and other resources.
Past Forums
Disability and the Media
October 23rd, 2024
Are Arts and Culture Easily Accessible in BC? At this ACF, our community and panel of experts addressed the representation of disabilities in the media. We will discuss important topics, such as fostering more diverse disability narratives and how we can enhance honest representation within the media industry.
Panellists
- Susanna Uchatius, Theatre Terrific
- Katie MacMillan, Kello Inclusive
- Grant Hardy, Accessible Media Inc.
- Tilly Nelson, Photographer and advocate for equal representation
- Ladan Sahraei, Iranian-Canadian deaf actress, director and filmmaker
- Amy Amantea, Artist, Actor and Advocate
Arts and Culture in BC
April 4th, 2024
Are Arts and Culture Easily Accessible in BC? Listen in as our community and panellists discuss the accessibility and inclusivity within arts and culture in British Columbia.
Panellists
- Monique Nelson, posAbilities
- Keiko Honda, Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society
- Ashley Daniel Foot Vancouver Opera
- Joanne Smith, Fruitful Elements Nutrition
- Amy Amantea, Artist, Actor and Advocate
Accessible Arts and Culture Survey Results
Arts and Culture Resources
Accessible Healthcare
October 27th, 2023
Do you feel you have equitable access to Healthcare in British Columbia? Listen in as our community and panellists explore possible solutions and resources to bridge the gap between the healthcare accessibility you currently experience and what it could become.
Panellists
- Charmaine Niebergall, Health Quality BC
- Cassie Starc, Tall Tree Integrated Health
- Pascale Jendral, Pathways Clubhouse
- Joanne Smith, Fruitful Elements Nutrition
- Heather Lamb, SCI-BC
Transcript of the Forum Discussion
Transcript of the Zoom Forum Discussion
Healthcare Accessibility Survey Results
Healthcare Resource Page
Digital Accessibility
July 21st, 2023
Do you feel you have equitable access to Digital Accessibility in British Columbia? Listen in as our community and panellists explore possible solutions and resources to bridge the gap between the digital accessibility you currently experience and what it could become.
Panellists
- Kim Donaldson, Pathways Lead at Fable
- Shane Kehoe, Community Talent Manager at Fable
- Ean Price, Innovation Strategist and Peer Team Lead at Technology for Living
- Nate Toevs, Marketing Manager at Neil Squire
- Katrina Summers and Jenn McLean, Web Governance and Content Strategy Team Leads at BC Government
Transcript of the Forum Discussion
Digital Accessibility Survey Results
Digital Accessibility Resource Page
Accessible Travel
March 10th, 2023
Do you feel you have equitable access to Accessible Travel Opportunities in British Columbia? Listen in as our community and panellists explore possible solutions and resources to bridge the gap between the travel opportunities you currently experience and what they could become.
Panellists
- Susie Chant: Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility
- Marco Chiaramonte: Senior Accessibility and Inclusion Specialist at YVR
- David M Lyons-Black: Personal Travel Business Owner
- Kathleen Harvey: Manager of Visitor Services for Destination BC
- Tarita Karsanji-Davenock: Founder and CEO of Travel For All
Transcript of the Forum Discussion
Accessible Travel Survey Results
Accessible Travel Resource Page
Accessible Education
November 18th, 2022
Do you feel you have equitable access to Accessible Education in British Columbia? Listen in as our community and panellists explore possible solutions and resources to bridge the gap between the education opportunities you currently experience and what they could become.
Panellists
- Dr. Carly Christensen: Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia
- Mike Prescott: Project Manager for the Accessible Organizations Project at Disability Alliance BC
- Dr. Jennifer Fane: Director of Education at LDS (The Learning Disabilities Society)
- Frank Smith: National Coordinator of the National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
- Uli Egger: Accessible Standards Canada Technical Committee for a model standard of accessibility for the built environment
Transcript of the Forum Discussion
Accessible Education Survey Results
Accessible Education Resource Page
Accessible Housing in BC
July 22nd, 2022
Do you feel you have equitable access to Housing in British Columbia? Listen in as our community and panellists explore possible solutions and resources to bridge the gap between the housing opportunities you currently experience and what they could become.
Panellists
- Host
Transcript of the Forum Discussion
Accessible Housing Survey Results
Accessible Housing Resources
Inclusive Employment in BC
March 25th, 2022
Do you feel you have equitable access to Employment in British Columbia? Listen in as our community and panellists explore possible solutions and resources to bridge the gap between the employment opportunities you currently experience and what they could become.
Panellists
- Moderator: Tony Botelho, Director of SFUs Career and Volunteer Services
- Serena Bains, Youth Leadership Coordinator with the Disability Foundation
- Ross MacMillan, Employer Engagement Specialist with Canucks Autism Network
- Sandy Labermeyer, Vocational Counsellor with WorkBC
- Micaela Evans, Advocate and Communications Specialist with Presidents Group
- Gary Birch, Executive Director of Neil Squire Society
Transcript of Forum Discussion
Accessible Employment Survey Results
Accessible Employment Employment Resources
Accessible Parking in BC
December 3rd, 2021
Do you feel you have equitable access to Parking in British Columbia? Listen in as our community and panellists explore possible solutions and resources to bridge the gap between the parking opportunities you currently experience and what they could become.
Panellists
- Moderator:
Accessible Parking Transcript
Accessible Parking Survey Results
#SpotTaken Accessible Parking Campaign
Accessible Parking Resources
Accessible Recreation in BC
August 27th, 2021
Do you feel you have equitable access to Recreational activities in British Columbia? Listen in as our community and panellists explore possible solutions and resources to bridge the gap between the recreational opportunities you currently experience and what they could become.
Panellists
- Host:
Accessible Recreation Forum Transcript
Accessible Recreation Survey Results
Accessible Recreation Resources
Built Environment in BC
May 21st, 2021
Do you feel as though the built environment around you considers your disability? Listen in as our community and panellists explore possible solutions and resources and what they could become.
Panellists
- Host:
Built Environment Forum Transcript
Built Environment Survey Results
Built Environment Resources
Accessible Transportation
December 4th, 2020
Do you feel you have equitable access to Transportation in British Columbia? Listen in as our community and panellists explore possible solutions and resources to bridge the gap between the Transportation options you currently experience and what they could become.
Panellists
- Host:
Accessible Transportation Forum Transcript
Accessible Transportation Survey Results
Accessible Transportation Resources