October is Inclusion Month & CLBC announced the winners of the Widening our World (WOW) awards earlier this week. Inclusion champions from Princeton, Surrey, Kamloops, Salt Spring Island and Vernon have been selected as this year\’s WOW winners. Learn about the winners by clicking here.

An evaluation committee of self advocates, family members, service providers and CLBC staff scoured the 62 nominations received to identify these four people and an organization who are working in ways large and small to make their communities more welcoming.

Each winner will be celebrated with a presentation event in their home community during Community Inclusion Month.

It was announced on Monday, September 16^th  by the Government of BC that the consultation process for forthcoming provincial accessibility legislation has begun. British Columbians will have the opportunity to provide their input and help shape the legislation until November 29^th, 2019.

You can read the Accessibility Framework document and make your voice heard by completing the online questionnaire, sending your comments by telephone or email, attending an in-person session, and/or participating in a virtual town hall.

The Accessibility Framework and all information about how to participate is available by clicking here: https://www.engage.gov.bc.ca/accessibility/. Community groups, libraries and other organizations can also participate by applying for funding and resources totalling up to $2,000 to hold their own community meetings and provide feedback. For details, visit SPARC BC: https://www.sparc.bc.ca/accessibility-legislation/.

Alongside other agencies in BC, CVS is very excited by the framework of the consultation process and excited to see how this legislation will evolve.

At CVS, we believe the best way to engage with your community is face-to-face but we also recognize that more and more people are finding community online these days. Social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram offer a way to build and join online communities with individuals across the world.

For the individuals we serve, joining an online community can be a nice way to share their unique interests with people across our own community or in other parts of the world. It opens up doors that may not be bound by geography. Building positive connections gives us ways to discuss topics, give and receive comments and be part of something important to us.

When seeking out online communities, it\’s important to do your research – so you can reduce wasting time but also to be safe (we\’ll talk more about that later). Before you join or interact in an online community, try looking into the following:

• How is the online community managed? The best communities have managers who are hands-on and interactive. They do their best to get everyone involved and keep up a regular flow of topics.

• Who is commenting? Successful communities have regulars, but they also have brand-new members and people who pop in from time to time. If the same few people are the only ones who are participating, see whether you can figure out why.

• What is the reaction by members of the community? If you see a good response to messages and comments, it’s a good indication of a positive, healthy community.

You also need to be aware of how to engage in an online community and stay safe. There are unique and serious risks to consider when sharing information online. Be careful with the personal information you share and try to ensure that the group has the right intentions by asking questions before you join.

Online communities are growing in popularity and can be an extremely valuable way of connecting with others. Sharing information can be a great way to grow as a person by learning more.