BC K-12 school supports for COVID-1

Families of Kindergarten to Grade 12 students who need help during COVID-19 will have a chance to learn what they can expect from schools through a series of free online conversations from the BCEdAccess Society.
Founded in 2014 by a small group of parents struggling to get their kids support at school, BCEdAccess has grown to over 3,100 parent support group members. They participate in individual and systemic advocacy around the province.
“Students are entitled to the same access to education during COVID-19 as always – whether they are learning in person, through distributed learning, or in a flexible or hybrid program,” says Tracy Humphreys, chair of BCEdAccess.
For students with disabilities and diverse abilities, that means access to full-time, in-person instruction five days a week. It also means continuity of individual education plan goals and the supports those students need to be able to learn.
Through funding from the Canadian Red Cross and the Government of Canada, BCEdAccess will be creating videos, facilitated community conversations, GIFs, social media outreach, and offline outreach to
communities.
“We recognize that many students may not have the same access to computers and social media,” said Humphreys. “So, we will also be reaching out to community organizations with offline supports.”
Participants can take part in four upcoming talks, which include captioning and ASL interpretation.
• Nov. 8 and 9–Your Child’s Key Education Support Tool: the Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
• Nov. 15 and 16–Learning During COVID: options for when, where and how
• Nov. 22 and 23–The People Supporting Your Child: EAs, Specialist Teachers and Professionals
• Nov. 29 and 30–When Your Child Isn’t Getting What they Need or Deserve
For full details and information about the talks, go to www.eventbrite.com and search BCEdAccess.
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