The Vancouver School District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) has many working groups that parents can get involved in if they would like to see change in an area they care about. One of these working groups is the Inclusive Education Working Group.

The IEWG has recently completed a report on the inclusion of students with disabilities in Vancouver schools. The 2023–2024 school year saw resource teacher shortages and reduced educational assistant support, prompting data collection and parent surveys.

The report’s findings show a decline in support and barriers to inclusion, leading to exclusions from learning and activities. The report calls for urgent action to restore meaningful inclusion.

You can read the report here: https://www.vancouverdpac.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IEWG-report-Advocating-for-Equity-Final-January-23-2025.pdf

You can watch a video with the highlights of the report here: Inclusive Education Report - Presentation (January 2025)

If your child has experienced exclusion at school, please complete the BC Ombudsperson’s survey here.

For Parent/Caregiver Peer Support, please email: info@familysmart.ca, or call: 1 (855) 887 8004.

Your child does not need an official diagnosis for the caregiver to receive emotional support here.

For more information on any of the above, please email: iewg@vancouverdpac.org