Call for advisory group participants: non-profit housing accessibility and safety project

Help to make non-profit housing more accessible for tenants with disabilities! We are seeking applications for an exciting opportunity where lived experience of disability could help shape educational materials for BC non-profit housing providers.

The opportunity

The Core Advisory Group will be key contributors to the BC Non-Profit Housing Association fire safety project. We are recruiting 6-8 people who can tap into their lived experience and help us understand how to best support disabled tenants in emergency situations.

Eligibility

You can apply if you are a tenant, former tenant, or prospective tenant of non-profit housing in BC who has lived experience of disability.

Role of advisory group
  • Identify barriers to accessibility in non-profit housing settings
  • Provide recommendations on what non-profit housing providers need to know in order to remove and prevent barriers
  • Contribute to discussions related to emergency planning and preparedness
  • Participate in group discussions and collaborate with other Core Advisory Group members to provide feedback on draft materials
Time commitment

The Core Advisory Group will meet five times, biweekly between mid-July and mid-September. Specific dates and times are to be determined based on group availability. Meetings will be 1.5 hours with a 10-minute break in the middle. Meetings will be held online via Zoom.

  • Meetings will be 1.5 hours and any review of materials before or after meetings will take no longer than an additional 1.5 hours.
  • The total number of hours you can expect to commit to this project is 15 hours.
Compensation

We recognize the effort and emotional labour that it requires for people to share their lived experiences in a group setting. BCNPHA will provide a $150 honorarium per meeting to Core Advisory Group members.

Core Advisory Group members will be paid for each meeting they attend or contribute to. If a member is unable to attend the meeting but they still spend time reviewing materials and provide feedback within a week of the meeting date, they will still be compensated for that meeting.

Accessibility statement

We are committed to making sure your participation in this group is as accessible as possible. A wide range of disability experiences will make this project better!

By default, we will provide the following accessibility features at all meetings:

  • Accessible Word and PowerPoint materials sent at least 48 hours before meetings
  • 10-minute breaks built into agendas
  • Auto-captioning in Zoom
  • Optional camera-on and microphone policy – participate in whatever way works best for you!

Further accessibility measures can be provided by request:

  • CART captioning
  • ASL interpretation
  • Alternative formats of materials (plain text documents, audio versions etc.)

Something we missed? If there is anything else that you need that’s not listed above, please feel free to reach out to Untapped Accessibility and we’ll explore more options!

How to apply

To apply, please fill out the online Expression of Interest form. The form will ask questions about who you are and what perspectives you will bring to the group. All questions are optional, other than your name and email address.

The form will be open for submissions until July 10, 2025.

If you need live support in completing the application, please call Untapped Accessibility at (236) 476-3262.

Next steps

We’ll be reviewing applications as they come in, until July 10, 2025. Next, we’ll reach out to you through email by July 18 to let you know about any next steps. If it seems like you’d be a good fit for this group, we’ll request a phone call with you to through some more project details and learn more about you.

If we’re not able to offer you a spot in the Core Advisory Group, we’ll invite you to stay connected to the project and be part of our Community Network. The Community Network will not meet regularly or have the same time commitment, but there will still be opportunities to provide feedback on the materials we’re developing.

Spread the word

If you know someone who meets the eligibility requirements and who might be interested, we encourage you to share this opportunity with them.

Contact information

For more information, please contact Nora Loyst from Untapped Accessibility at nora.loyst@untappedaccessibility.ca

Join BCNPHA for great benefits.