Langley City should be a community where people's physical or mental abilities do not restrict their ability to travel around the city, use our facilities, access city services, or participate in the democratic process. Proving full access for everyone is sometimes called universal design and accessibility.
Today, there are gaps in Langley City that limit people's access. The Langley Advance Times recently ran a story on the challenges that people who are visually impaired face when navigating our community. Langley City Council is committed to closing these gaps.
The provincial government requires that all municipalities have Accessibility Committees and an Accessibility Plan, which outlines how we will identify, remove and prevent barriers. Langley City has an active and engaged Accessibility Committee, and they recently recommended that Council approve a full audit of our built environment, facilities, programs, services, human resources department, and existing plans through the lens of universal design and accessibility.
The built environment includes streets, bus stops, sidewalks and parks.
The comprehensive audit will show where the City is doing well and where we need to improve. After the City completes the audit, we will work together with the Accessibility Committee and people who face access barriers to develop a prioritized action plan to reduce barriers.
The Accessibility Committee also asked that the City require the audit to be informed by people whose physical or mental abilities limit full access in our community today. There is a saying, "Nothing for us, without us."
This audit is estimated to cost $80,000 to complete. City Council fully supported including this audit in our budget and ensuring the principle of "nothing for us, without us" during its development.
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