Accessibility

New Westminster Schools is committed to ensuring its facilities and programs are accessible to students, staff and families. The Accessible British Columbia Act, which came into force in September 2022, provides direction on removing barriers through accessibility standards which are then implemented by the district.

New Westminster Schools’ accessibility advisory committee, established in accordance with the Act, identifies barriers and advises on ways to remove/prevent them using accessibility best practices and support’s the district’s accessibility plan.

Accessibility Committee

The committee’s membership consists of the following:

  • David Bolan – Canadian Union of Public Employees
  • Kelly Shields – New Westminster Teachers’ Union
  • Anne Belanger – Parent
  • Salimah Haji – Kinsight Co-ordinator, Supported Child Development
  • Zahra Lalani – SHARE Family & Community Services
  • Maniya Rafiei – Manager, Settlement Workers in Schools
  • Karen Bower – Canadian Union of Public Employees/New Westminster Schools
  • Kenneth Headley – District Vice Principal, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism (New Westminster Schools)
  • Connie Swan – District Vice Principal, Indigenous Education (New Westminster Schools)
  • Rhonda Jones – Director of Instruction, Inclusive Education (New Westminster Schools)
  • Student members

New Westminster Schools Accessibility Plan

The Accessibility Plan is an evolving document intended to help the district identify and provide guidance on removing barriers in our educational community. The plan serves as a roadmap for the accessibility committee to carry out the requirements outlined in the Accessible British Columbia Act.

For more information:

Inclusive education

New Westminster Schools commissioned an in-depth review throughout the 2019-2020 school year to discover ways the district can improve inclusive education support for students, staff, and families and to identify areas that require improvement.

External consultants worked with an advisory group that reviewed inclusive practices in district schools and arrived at a series of recommendations. The advisory group consisted of the following members:

  • Maya Russell (Co-Chair) and Dee Beattie – New Westminster Board of Education
  • Pam Craven and Kathleen Chad – New Westminster Principal’ and Vice-Principals’ Association
  • Karrie Andrews and David Bollen – Canadian Union of Public Employees
  • Neesha Blajberg and Christie Hayashi – New Westminter Teachers’ Union
  • Alejandro Diaz and Deb Blount – New Westminster District Parent Advisory Council
  • Ghada Tallia – Settle Workers in Schools
  • Bertha Lansdowne – Indigenous education
  • Bruce Cunnings (Co-chair) and Maryam Naser – New Westminster Schools

For more information on the review, including details on the process, its findings, and final recommendations: