VANCOUVER – New Democrat MLA Brenda Bailey says that funding through B.C.’s Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction will increase accessibility, allowing more people to participate fully in their community.

“Everyone deserves the chance to fully engage in their community, but we know this is often not the case for people with disabilities due to many barriers,” said Brenda Bailey, MLA for Vancouver-False Creek. “Our government recognizes that we need to make changes to make our province more inclusive and today’s funding will help reduce those barriers that prevent people with disabilities from bringing their skills and experiences to our community.”

In Vancouver-False Creek, $75,000 in funding has been awarded to The Arts Club of Vancouver Theatre Society and the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC, Vancouver. They are two of the 15 recipients across the province receiving grants to enhance inclusion for people with disabilities in areas like employment, emergency planning and response, arts, culture and tourism, sports and recreation, education and learning, and community participation.

This is the fourth year in a row that the New Democrat government has made grants available to not-for-profits to build a more inclusive society, and over the last three years, 44 community projects have been funded. This year’s funding total is over $450,000.

The grants are evaluated by Disability Alliance BC in partnership with the B.C. Government.