Building Better Communities, One Grant at a Time Samuel Turcott
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Let’s Talk about How the Access to Justice Crisis Impacts People with Disabilities
isability Alliance BC is a provincial crossdisability organization that works to promote the dignity, independence, and well-being of people with disabilities in BC. In Spring 2018, with generous support from The Notary Foundation of BC, Disability Alliance BC published “Barriers and Bridges” a special edition of Transition magazine about access to justice.
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It explores some of the impediments people with disabilities encounter in the justice system as well as programs, resources, and initiatives that can help overcome those impediments. We were proud to feature an editorial from the Honourable Robert Bauman, Chief Justice of the British Columbia Court of Appeals, along with content from other experts who are working to make the justice system more accessible. The magazine also featured a special insert with educational information about access to justice resources. The Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia
Why was “Barriers and Bridges” a necessary and important initiative? The short answer is that people with disabilities routinely face seemingly insurmountable barriers to participating in the justice system. Here’s a longer answer. “Access” and “Accessibility” are not exclusively topics within the purview of the disability community. Those concepts have unique resonance for people with disabilities, however. People with disabilities and disability advocates spend a disproportionate amount of time thinking about building accessibility, access to transit, access Volume 27 Number 4 Winter 2018
