Wednesday, Sep 22
Indigenous Opening with Sue Sterling-Bur 10:00am – 10:50am
Advocacy During a Pandemic
with Tracy Humphreys & Heidi Vinois
10:50am – 12:00pm
Introduction to the conference by Heidi Vinois. What BCEdAccess has been up to and continuing challenges during the pandemic.
Distributed/Online Learning – Changes, Impact and Advocacy
with Jenn Scharf and Tracy Humphreys
1:00pm – 2:30pm
Overview of the legislative changes made to facilitate the move from Distributed to Online Learning, followed by a breakout discussion with attendees to discuss the changes and the potential impact on students with disabilities and other complex learners.
The Kwantlen 7 Laws
with Wiyé.nox (Luke Dandurand)
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Oral traditions of local teachings from the Kwantlen First Nation community.
Social Wind Down 8:00pm – 8:30pm
Thursday, Sep 23
Social Coffee Connection 9:00am – 9:30am
Jordan’s Principle: Putting Children First
with Brittany Mathews
10:00am – 11:15am
Jordan’s Principle is a child-first principle ensuring First Nations children get the services they need when they need them. Learn about how we can all ensure First Nations young people can access public services in a way that is reflective of their distinct cultural needs, takes full account of the historical disadvantage linked to colonization, and without experiencing any service denials, delays or disruptions because they are First Nations.
Dreaming Big About Education Workshop
with Anne Whitmore and Tracy Humphreys
1:00pm – 3:00pm
What is the current structure of the BC education system? What kinds of changes are possible? What would a better BC education system look like, to you? How would you create welcoming spaces, free from oppression? Join this facilitated conversation to build a possible path to a truly inclusive system!
IEPS – What You Need To Know
with Suzanne Perreault
6:30pm – 8:30pm
Suzanne will present on IEPs and what they should look like, effective goals and strategies, and how to advocate for what your child or youth needs.
Social Wind Down 8:30pm – 9:00pm
Friday, Sep 24
Social Coffee Connection 9:00am – 9:30am
Human Rights and Your Child
with Lindsay Waddell
10:00am – 11:30am
Human Rights and Your Child will provide parents with an introduction to human rights law and concepts with particular emphasis on how to protect and advance the rights of children with disabiities in elementary and secondary school systems.
Ways to file HRT, Section 11 & more
with BCEdAccess Facilitators
11:30am – 12:00pm
This short break out session will support the practical process for participants of filing Human Rights Tribunal, Ombudsman, Teacher Regulation Branch and Section 11 complaints and appeals, and can help you make sense of all the paperwork and necessary documentation.
A Classroom Perspective on Assessment
with Andrée E Gacoin
1:00pm – 2:30pm
What exactly is “assessment”? What forms of “classroom assessment” do teachers use? How do teachers identify if my child might need more support? What are “large-scale assessments” and how are they used in BC public schools? If you have any of these questions, this workshop is for you!
Scaling The Impact of Inclusive Post-Secondary Education
with Marta Carlucci of Steps Forward
4:00pm – 5:00pm
Reconciliation in the education system, what barriers exist for Indigenous learners with disabilities and how do we move forward in a positive way. This session will start with a presentation and will have some spots for discussion/self reflection of topics related to the presentation. Please be aware that there will be sensitive information being discussed and shared.
Love, Human Rights and Reconciliation
with Symbia Barnaby
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Reconciliation in the education system, what barriers exist for Indigenous learners with disabilities and how do we move forward in a positive way. This session will start with a presentation and will have some spots for discussion/self reflection of topics related to the presentation. Please be aware that there will be sensitive information being discussed and shared.
Social Wind Down 8:00pm – 8:30pm
Saturday, Sep 25
Social Coffee Connection with a presentationfrom the Moosehide Campaign 9:00am – 9:30am
How to Create an Inclusion Committee
with the Inclusion Committee Panel
10:00am – 11:15am
Want to start and Inclusion Committee in your school or district? Come and find out from others around the province what they have done and how you too can effect change in your school community!
Anti-Ableism Working Group Panel
with BCEdAccess Anti-Ableism Committee
12:00pm – 1:15pm
What is ableism, especially in the school system? Why is it important to know what it is? How does it impact our children’s education, and intersects with other marginalized identities? We will share why we started the Anti-Ableism group, what our goals are, how language is critical and needs to evolve. We will brainstorm with participants on what they would like to see addressed and how they can get involved in their own district.
Letter Writing and Other Advocacy Communications
with Inclusion BC’s Tina Dam, and Tracy Humphreys
3:00pm – 4:30pm
Join us for a practical session talking about how to write advocacy letters, op-ed articles, and other communications. We’ll share tools and techniques and you’ll write and workshop some of your own communications together with other participants.
Disability and Race: Intersectionality, Inclusion and Impact
with Symbia Barnaby & Karissa Crawley
6:30pm – 8:15pm
Presenters will be unpacking how disability and race intersect, how they impact a child and their family’s journey through the education system, and what is needed for true inclusion of all student bodies and experiences.
Social Wind Down 8:15pm – 8:45pm
Sunday, Sep 26
Social Coffee Connection 9:00am – 9:30am
Inclusive Child-care within the Early Learning Framework
a panel discussion with the Inclusive Education Partner Group, led byAngela Clancy
10:00am – 11:30am
With the movement of child care to be the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, we want to ensure inclusion of children with disabilities is not forgotten. Access to inclusive child care within the Early Learning Framework and before/after school care within the Seamless Childcare Framework means that children with disabilities and diverse learning needs that require additional support will have a supported spot. This will allow them to be part of the community, just as they will also become part of the learning community as they transition to their K-12 education.
We, as the Inclusive Education Partners Group, acknowledge that all changes will involve the development of policy and sufficient funding to support full implementation. This session will explore a range of questions to ponder and shine a light on to help explore solutions and/or raise as this transition occurs.
Self-Advocacy Matters
with BC People First Society
12:00pm – 2:00pm
Join us for a panel discussion by youth and adult self-advocates, followed by a breakout session for children and youth with disabilities, and a breakout session for parents and guardians. Learn the many reasons why self-advocacy is important and how to support children and youth in their journey towards self-advocacy.
Running for Office
with Jodie Wickens
3:00pm – 4:30pm
Jodie will share everything that she has learned from both winning and losing in civic and provincial elections. Parents interested in running for office or anyone interested in supporting a campaign should attend this session.
AdvoCon Closing
with Heidi Vinois
6:30pm – 7:00pm
Disrupting Misconceptions in our Schools
with Inclusion BC’s, Karla Verschoor
7:00pm – 8:30pm
Disrupting misconceptions and forging pathways for students with developmental disabilities. Watch a screening of Inclusion BC’s Inclusive Education film series followed by a panel.
Social Wind Down 8:30pm – 9:00pm
AdvoCon 2021 