ABOUT THIS EVENT
Image above sourced from the Canadian Association for Supported Employment Inclusion 2023 toolkit.
In recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM), Diversity Circles – part of the BCIT Respect, Diversity and Inclusion office – is excited to be co-presenting this event with Untapped Accessibility.
BCIT has released our first Accessibility Plan in response to the Accessible British Columbia Act. The plan is our first step towards identifying, removing, and preventing barriers to accessibility at BCIT. Everyone has a part to play, and we hope you join us on our journey to making BCIT a barrier free for all.
This Diversity Circles event which will explore accessibility, including the progress we’ve made, and the work still to be done. Participants will hear from Jackie Gruber and Kacem Habiballah, Co-Chairs of BCIT’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, and panelists Chris Lytle, Melissa Lyon, and Trish Kelly from Untapped Accessibility.
- Trish Kelly, Managing Director (she/her/hers): As an accessibility subject matter expert, she has supported Canadian organizations to operationalize accessibility and inclusion.
More recently, she was the lead researcher and project manager for the Disability Inclusive Employer Self-Assessment, which launched nationally in June 2022 and has helped over 200 organizations assess their current state of disability inclusion in their workplaces. Her knowledge of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility is informed by her experience as a leader in socially responsible organizations, as a justice-focused advocate in the community, and as a child of a disabled parent. Trish identifies as a member of the 2SLGBTQAI+ community and a citizen of the Métis Nation of BC with family ties back to the Prince Albert, Duck Lake, and Red River communities. - Chris Lytle, Senior Accessibility Consultant (he/him/his): Chris is an accomplished accessibility expert who specializes in legislative implementation and organizational capacity building. Chris’ past work includes assisting the Council of Canadians with Disabilities in drafting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and assisting in the development of human rights monitoring initiatives in the African, European and Asian regions. He led the Bank of Canada in developing and publishing their first accessibility plan in accordance with the Accessible Canada Act. Chris can speak French and is a person with a disability. He lives in Guelph, Ontario with his partner and their three children.
- Melissa Lyon, M.Ed., B.Ed., TESOL (she/her/hers): As an educator with a Master’s Degree in Special Education and as a person with a disability herself, Melissa Lyon offers self-paced or synchronous online accessibility and inclusion courses through her Accessibility & Inclusion Matter Consulting company. She is an instructor at Vancouver Island University. Her areas of expertise include knowledge and strategies for both K-12 education & post-secondary education; creating resources or courses related to disability awareness, inclusion, & accessibility; and mentoring other people who have disabilities.
Join us in-person or via Zoom for a panel discussion exploring topics on accessibility in the learning environment, in the built environment and in employment. There will be a chance for audience members to share their experiences of barriers to accessibility.
Register Now!
Captioning and ASL will be provided. If you require any other accessibility services in order to participate in the event, please let us know in your registration form, or email info@untappedaccessibility.ca.
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Expectations for Behaviour
Diversity Circles, as part of the BCIT Respect, Diversity, and Inclusion (RDI) Office, has outlined the Expectations for Behaviour for our events and initiatives.
Diversity Circles has always benefitted from the empathy, sincerity, and respectful curiosity of our community, and this has helped create events and initiatives where we hold productive and authentic discussions, advancing our knowledge and utilization of equity, diversity, and inclusion principles.
As our events and initiatives continue to reach out to diverse audiences which include BCIT employees, students, and partners (BCIT Student Association, BCIT Alumni Association, and industry guests), and as we have moved towards presenting events both in person and via teleconferencing platforms, we realize that having a set of expectations for behaviour will help maintain the accountable, respectful spaces our community has come to expect from Diversity Circles events and initiatives.
Please take the time to review our Expectations for Behaviour prior to your upcoming participation.
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