Accessibility: HCOS Commitment and Approach

Our Commitment to Accessibility:

Accessibility refers to the degree of ease with which people with disabilities can use and enjoy something such as a device, service, or place. At HCOS, 44% of our student population have significant challenges - whether physical, developmental, learning, behavioural, health or mental health. We are committed to providing an environment that is accessible and practical for all members of our diverse community. We recognize the importance of conscious planning, design, and effort in ensuring that barriers are removed and accessibility is increased.

Our school is committed to working collaboratively with the community to provide equitable treatment to people with disabilities in a way that respects their dignity. To achieve this goal, we have outlined the following commitments:

● Engage with staff, community members and people with disabilities in the development and review of its accessibility plan.

● Ensure that our school policies and procedures align with the principles of accessibility.

● Improve access to facilities, policies, programs, practices, and services for students, staﬀ, parents/guardians, volunteers and community members.

● Continually improve accessibility for people with disabilities in our school community. disabilities.

Our Approach:

At HCOS, we believe that all members of our community have the right to be treated with dignity, given an opportunity to participate, and provided with access to learning and community. Our approach is grounded in the core provincial principles of accessibility, including adaptability, collaboration, diversity, inclusion, self-determination and universal design.

In June 2023, we began the process of establishing an accessibility committee and identifying barriers to accessibility in our school community. This process will involve:

· Calling for applications for members of the Accessibility Committee

Assessing the current online and curricular accessibility of our school.

· Assessing the current physical and architectural accessibility of our school.

· Conducting surveys and interviews to understand the issues, challenges, and priorities of stakeholders within our school community

· Holding key discussions to identify barriers to accessibility

· Developing a school feedback tool

· Prioritization of actions to be taken

· Establishing a monitoring and evaluation process

Our approach is designed to recognize the gaps and opportunities to improve accessibility in our school community. By engaging in thoughtful planning, meaningful engagement, training, and direct action, we aim to deliver lasting accessibility improvements for all members of our community.