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Audience diversity

Last updated on December 15, 2025

British Columbia is home to a diverse population with different cultures, languages, life experiences, abilities and access to technology. Understanding audience diversity helps us design and deliver content and services that work for more people, more of the time.

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Diversity of disability

Anyone can have a disability, and a disability can occur at any point in a person’s life. However, disabilities are more common among adults 65 years of age and older. 

Disabilities also include neurodivergent conditions such as autism, ADHD and cognitive or processing differences. All of which can affect how people read, focus and navigate content. Some stats to consider:

  • 28.6% of British Columbians aged 15 years and older live with a disability
  • 70% of people with disabilities report more than one disability
  • 41.7% of British Columbians over the age of 65 live with a disability
  • As of 2021, over one million British Columbians were aged 65 years or older, representing about 20% of the population of B.C.

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Cultural diversity

Cultural diversity affects how people interpret language, images, symbols, tone and assumptions in content and services.

  • We live and work on the territories of more than 200 distinct Nations across B.C. Each with their own unique cultures, traditions and history.
  • As of 2021, there are over 290,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in B.C.
  • In 2024, we welcomed over 63,000 new immigrants
  • 29% of British Columbians immigrated to B.C. from another country
  • Residents of B.C. trace their origins to over 200 countries or regions

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Languages in B.C.

Many people may read English as an additional language, making clear structure, simple vocabulary and multilingual content especially important.

  • There are 35 First Nations languages with 7 distinct, unrelated language families in B.C. There are over 93 dialects within these languages
  • More than half of all First Nation languages in Canada are represented in B.C.
  • After English and French, the most common languages spoken at home are Mandarin, Punjabi and Cantonese
  • In 2021, just under 1 in 3 British Columbians spoke a language other than English or French as their first language

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Socio-economic diversity and access

People access government information and services in different ways depending on income, access to technology and connectivity. Some people rely on older devices, limited data plans, shared computers or public internet access. Designing content that is lightweight, mobile-friendly and works across devices helps ensure services are accessible to more people.

Literacy levels 

Literacy levels can change depending on context, stress, health, or familiarity with a topic, which is why clear, plain language benefits everyone.

Literacy is measured across six levels. People with Level 1 or below are considered to have very low literacy skills, while Level 3 is considered the minimum required for coping with everyday life. Of British Columbians aged between 16 and 65 years:

  • 45.9% are reading at a Level 2 or below
  • 38.7% at Level 3
  • 15.4% at Level 4 to 5 (the highest level)

Use the plain language checklist to create content that people can read and understand.

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