WHO WE ARE

BC People First Society (BCPF) is a non-profit provincial organization that is part of the international PEOPLE FIRST movement. BCPF has been the independent voice of self-advocates in BC for over 40 years. We are a society made up of a group of BCPF Members from across British Columbia who want to make sure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are included and respected in our communities as full citizens. We do this by supporting each other to speak up for ourselves and by sharing advocacy skills with each other.

Our vision is a diverse community where all people are:

included and involved
honoured and respected
seen for their abilities
and supported to participate

BC PEOPLE FIRST VALUES

FREEDOM

CHOICE

RESPECT

DIGNITY

INCLUSION

These are just some of the things that matter most to BCPF Members:

Employment and fair wages - equal work for equal pay, entrepreneurship support, and closing Sheltered Workshops in Canada.
De-institutionalization - getting people out of institutions and into the community.
Affordable housing - everyone should have a good, clean home and choice in where they live.
Equal disability benefits and a livable income - everyone deserves a guaranteed livable income!
Access to quality services - all government services should be individualized, person-centred, helpful, and hopeful.
Accessible transportation and passageways - society should be made for everyone not just some.
Inclusive, non-segregated communities - everyone should be part of the community on their own terms not segregated based on labels.

BC People First is run by a Board of (5-10) Directors, all Self-Advocates, representing the province by region and the Executive Board. Director positions are usually 3-year terms. Executive positions are voted on every year, with the President taking a 2-year term. BCPF Members who want to get more involved are invited to join BCPF Committees, focus groups, and advocacy projects.

WHAT WE DO

We write letters, do presentations, and advocate with governments about issues affecting people with disabilities. We advocate for all people to be seen as equal citizens and for issues that matter to our Members.

At BCPF we work to stop the stigma surrounding intellectual and developmental disabilities and unite our Members' voices in the fight to be considered People First. The fight to not have people speak for us or down to us and to help everyone in society understand what "nothing about us without us" really means and why it matters.