Improving Accessibility in Education

The Province is making progress on developing an accessibility standard in education.

The second phase of recommendations from the Accessibility Advisory Board were released today, June 30. They address barriers in areas such as curriculum, materials, accessibility services and assistive technology.

“This was a significant undertaking and involved extensive outreach to groups across the province by the Accessibility Advisory Board and its Education Standard Development Committee. I would like to thank them for their commitment to this important work,” said Justice Minister Brad Johns, the Minister responsible for the Accessibility Act.

The board’s recommendations are under review and will be used to draft an accessibility standard in education. When complete, the draft standard will be shared publicly for comment.

Quotes:

“This is very exciting work for the board and the province. The community has told us how impactful this accessibility standard will be in improving access to education for students with disabilities.”

– Rosalind Penfound, Chair, Accessibility Advisory Board

Quick Facts:

• the Education Standard Development Committee includes community members with diverse expertise in education as well as representatives from the departments of Advanced Education, Education and Early Childhood Development, and Labour, Skills and Immigration; the majority of committee members are people with disabilities
• recommendations for an accessibility standard in education were developed in two phases because of its complexity and scope
• more than 900 Nova Scotians were consulted on this work, including staff from education sectors, parents, students and disability organizations
• the recommendations align with and strengthen work under the Province’s Inclusive Education Policy
• the Province’s accessibility strategy, Access by Design 2030, outlines how government will achieve its goal of an accessible province by providing people with disabilities equitable access to programs, services, information and infrastructure

Additional Resources:

Recommendations for an accessibility standard in education: https://novascotia.ca/accessibility/education-committee/

Access by Design 2030: https://novascotia.ca/accessibility/access-by-design/