Middle School Students Champion Accessibility  

June 24, 2026 

Since 2024, students in Middle School Student Voice and Agency have been on a journey to understand accessibility. Accessibility is about making sure people can participate fully in all aspects of life, including school. 

The Middle School Voice and Agency (MSVA) group includes over 30 students from all six Chilliwack middle schools. For the past two years, the group has focused on raising awareness and making schools more accessible. They've worked hard to identify and remove barriers.

This year, the students investigated different kinds of barriers. Barriers can show up in communication, technology, and attitudes. To identify these barriers, the students designed activities to collect information. They interviewed classmates and conducted surveys. One school held an accessibility walk.  

To share what they learned, the students created videos. The videos feature students with disabilities sharing about their experiences in school. District and school staff got to see the videos as part of their professional development.  

The Journey to Belonging, a video with students from Chilliwack Middle and Greendale Elementary, was screened at the Champions for Accessibility Awards in May. At the event, district staff also recognized MSVA students for their hard work. Student panelists from each middle school had the opportunity to speak about what they learned over the year. They shared their advice for decision-makers in the district.  

“It’s important to support all students to do great things. It can be easy to overlook the special talents and interests of others that don’t look obvious,” said Adelaide Clarke. Clarke is a student from Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary Middle School. “It’s easy to overlook the challenges students face going about their day in school when it becomes a routine and you may not notice. That’s why it is important to have fresh eyes and fresh ideas.”  

The district created the first Student Voice and Agency Group five years ago. The groups meet with district leadership and the Board to share input. They discuss ways to strengthen student voice in Chilliwack schools. There are now Student Voice and Agency Groups for middle school, secondary school, and Indigenous students.  

Watch: The Journey to Belonging on the district’s website.