ReachableDays out: how to stop paying twice for one outing
If you need someone with you to leave the house, a $16 movie costs $32. A day at the pool costs double. That is the quiet reason many people stop going out at all. There are cards that fix it, and most of them are free or cheap.
Checked on 3 September 2026
At a glance
- The problem
- A support worker is not a guest. But most ticket counters charge for them anyway, so one outing costs two admissions.
- The main fix
- The Access 2 Card from Easter Seals Canada. You pay the regular price. Your support person gets in free or at a discount at participating venues.
- What it costs
- $25 for a 3-year card, or $35 for a 5-year card, as of 16 February 2026.
- How long it takes
- Allow 4 to 6 weeks after you send the application. Plan ahead of a trip.
- If money is tight
- The LIFE pass from your own municipality is free and gets you into local pools and rec centres. It is separate from Access 2 and you can hold both.
Paying twice for one outing
Some people cannot go to a movie, a pool or a museum on their own. Not because of the place, but because they need help while they are there. Help with eating. Help with medication. Help getting to a washroom. Help being understood.
That person is not a friend along for the ride. They are the reason the outing is possible at all.
Most ticket counters do not see it that way. They see two people, so they charge two fares. It sounds small. Do the sum over a year and it is the difference between a life with things in it and a life spent at home.
This page is about the cards and passes that close that gap in Greater Victoria, and how to use them without a fight at the counter.
The Access 2 Card
The Access 2 Card is run by Easter Seals Canada. It started in 2004 with Cineplex and a group of disability organisations. It is now accepted at over 800 venues across the country.
Here is exactly what it does, in the program's own words. The cardholder "pay[s] regular admission price" and "receives 1 FREE or discounted admission (for their support person)".
So the card does not make your own ticket cheaper. It removes the second ticket, or cuts it down.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Cost | $25 for a 3-year card, $35 for a 5-year card. These prices took effect 16 February 2026. Cards bought before that date were $20 and $30. |
| How long it lasts | 3 or 5 years from the date it is issued. Then you file a renewal form. |
| Who runs it | Easter Seals Canada, in Toronto. |
| Processing time | Allow 4 to 6 weeks for your application to be processed and the card delivered. |
| Who counts as a support person | Any adult 18 or older. No qualification or training is needed unless a venue says otherwise. |
Who can get one
You need a permanent disability. The program's wording is broad: "any impairment (physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication, sensory) or functional limitation that restricts the applicant's ability to attend participating venues by themselves".
And that disability has to mean you need a support person with you, doing things venue staff do not do. The examples the program gives are help with eating, medication, communication and using a washroom.
It is not only for wheelchair users. Autism, an intellectual disability, a brain injury, deafblindness, severe anxiety that means you cannot be alone in a crowd — all of these can qualify if the support need is real and lasting.
One rule that surprises people
If you already get in free because of your age, you cannot use the card at the same time. The card only works when you are the one paying an admission.
The rules that get people turned away
Most Access 2 problems are not staff being difficult. They are these rules, which almost nobody reads. Learn them and you will not be turned away.
Read this before you go
- No advance tickets. The terms say plainly: "No advanced tickets or admissions can be obtained with this card." Booking online first will not work.
- Buy in person, on the day. For cinemas, "admission tickets can only be issued on the day of the selected movie."
- Both of you must be there. Tickets "can only be purchased in person together with a support person attending the same attraction." You cannot buy the support person's ticket separately or later.
- Somebody has to pay. "One individual must pay admission, regardless of other promotions." The card cannot be stacked with another deal to make both of you free.
- Bring photo ID anyway. The terms say photo ID is not necessary, but a venue "may ask to see a second piece of photo identification."
- Every venue sets its own terms. Easter Seals says each venue decides its own policy on advance and in-person purchases. "Free" at one place may be "discounted" at another.
Where the card works around Victoria
Easter Seals publishes a British Columbia venue list. We read the version dated 10 February 2026. These are the places on it in and around Greater Victoria.
Cinemas, anywhere in BC
- Cineplex — all theatres, for movie admission tickets including Cineplex Events. The list says it is not valid at The Rec Room, Playdium, or live events at Cineplex Junxion.
- Landmark Cinemas — all BC locations.
Victoria
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria · BC Aviation Museum · Blue Bridge Theatre · BoulderHouse · Burnside Gorge Community Centre · Crag X Indoor Climbing Centre · Craigdarroch Castle · Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre · Dino Lab Inc. · Electric Alpine Biking · Eves of Destruction Roller Derby · Galey Farms · Highland Pacific Golf Driving Range · Horror Escape · Infusion VR Arcade · Intrepid Theatre Company Society · Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People · Prince of Whales Whale Watching · Recreation Oak Bay · Royal BC Museum, including IMAX Victoria · Royal & McPherson Theatre Society · Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary · Victoria Bug Zoo · Victoria Conservatory of Music · VOS Musical Theatre · Wentworth Villa Architectural Heritage Museum · West Shore Parks & Recreation · WildPlay Victoria · YMCA-YWCA Vancouver Island
Saanich
Saanich Parks and Recreation, at Cedar Hill Golf Course, Cedar Hill Recreation Centre, G.R. Pearkes Recreation Centre, Gordon Head Recreation Centre and Saanich Commonwealth Place.
Around the region
- Brentwood Bay — The Butchart Gardens, Victoria Butterfly Gardens
- Sidney — Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea
- North Saanich — Panorama Recreation
- Saanichton — Island View Farm and Mini Golf
- Langford — BoulderHouse
- Sooke — SEAPARC Leisure Complex
- Malahat — Malahat SkyWalk
- Duncan — Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, Hand of Man Museum, Pacific Northwest Raptors, The Fort Game Cafe
- Chemainus — Chemainus Theatre Festival
One special deal
The list has a short section of venues with their own offer. In Victoria there is one: Flying Squirrel, where "Access 2 Card holder pays discounted rate plus support person receives free admission." That is better than the standard deal, because your own ticket is cheaper too.
Phone before you travel
Being on the list means the venue signed up for the program. It does not tell you the exact terms on the day, and lists go out of date. We confirmed Royal BC Museum and The Butchart Gardens are on the Easter Seals list dated 10 February 2026, but we could not open their own accessibility pages on 3 September 2026 to read their wording. Phone the venue the week before and ask: "Do you take the Access 2 Card, and does my support person get in free or at a discount?" A five-minute call beats a wasted trip.
What to say at the ticket counter
This is the part that goes wrong most often. The card is real, the venue is signed up, and the person at the till has simply never seen one. They are not being unkind. They do not know.
Say it calmly, in this order. Name the card, say who pays, name the program.
At the counter
"Hello. I have an Access 2 Card. I'm paying your regular admission for myself. The card means the person with me is my support person, and they come in free or at a discount. It's an Easter Seals Canada program, and you're on their list of participating venues. If you haven't seen one before, would you mind checking with a supervisor? I'm happy to wait."
Three things make this work:
- Say you are paying. Staff often think the card means two free tickets. It does not, and saying so first removes the worry.
- Name Easter Seals Canada. It turns "some card" into a national program with a head office.
- Offer to wait. It gives the person permission to go and ask, instead of guessing and saying no.
If the answer is still no, do not argue. Say this instead.
If they still say no
"That's all right, I'll pay for both of us today. Could I have the name of the manager here? I'd like Easter Seals to give them a call, so the next person doesn't have this problem."
Then phone Access 2 on 1-877-376-6362 or email access2card@easterseals.ca and tell them what happened. Fixing it at the venue is their job, not yours.
A trick that works
Print the British Columbia venue list from the Access 2 website and keep the page with the venue's name on it in your bag. When staff can see their own name in print on an official list, the conversation is usually over in ten seconds.
How to get the card, step by step
- Download the application form from access2card.ca, or phone 1-877-376-6362 and ask them to post you one.
- Fill in your own part, or have a legal guardian do it. If you cannot sign, a legal guardian can sign for you.
- Get Section C signed. This is the part people get wrong. It must be signed by a registered health care professional or a recognised service provider, you must be their client, and they must not be related to you. The form lists which professions count.
- Do not send a doctor's letter instead. The terms say it in capitals: they do not accept medical or diagnosis letters. Only Section C, signed on the form.
- If you have a CNIB card, send a photocopy of it instead of Section C. Do not send the original.
- Pay and send it in. $25 for 3 years, or $35 for 5 years.
- Wait 4 to 6 weeks for the card to arrive. Do not book a trip around a card that has not turned up yet.
Who can sign Section C
It does not have to be a family doctor, and that matters if you do not have one. A recognised service provider can sign too — the director of a disability organisation you are a client of, for example. If you are stuck, phone Access 2 and ask whether the person you have in mind is on their list before you make an appointment.
The LIFE pass: free rec for low incomes
LIFE stands for Leisure Involvement For Everyone. It is a different thing from Access 2. It is about income, not disability, and it is free.
Each municipality runs its own. You apply to the one you live in. The income limits are the same across the region — Statistics Canada's low income thresholds. The City of Victoria and Saanich both list these:
| People in the household | Income must be at or below |
|---|---|
| 1 | $29,640 |
| 2 | $38,493 |
| 3 | $47,145 |
| 4 | $55,076 |
| 5 | $62,464 |
| 6 | $70,451 |
| 7 or more | $78,436 |
What a City of Victoria LIFE card gets you
- Unlimited free drop-in sessions at Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre.
- Unlimited drop-in public skating at Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena.
- 52 free visits a year to regional recreation partners — this is the part that crosses municipal lines.
- Credit toward registered programs: $80 for preschoolers, $120 for youth aged 6 to 18, $80 for adults 19 and over.
- Or, instead, 50% off the annual Regional Recreation Pass.
- The card lasts two years.
To apply in Victoria you need the LIFE application form, proof you live in Victoria (a utility bill, phone bill or rental agreement from the last three months), and your most recent Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency. Take it to Crystal Pool, or email crystalpool@victoria.ca.
If you live outside the City of Victoria
- Saanich — same income limits, card good for two years from activation. Apply online at digital.saanich.ca/life or in person at a rec centre. Saanich asks for proof of residency and a 2025 CRA Proof of Income Statement for everyone in the house aged 19 and over. Option 1 gives unlimited free drop-ins at Saanich facilities plus 52 regional visits; Option 2 gives 50% off the annual regional pass.
- Colwood, Langford, Highlands, Metchosin and View Royal — apply through West Shore Parks & Recreation. Full-time post-secondary students at Royal Roads, UVic or Camosun are not eligible.
- Esquimalt, Sooke (SEAPARC), Oak Bay and the Peninsula (Panorama) each run their own version. Phone your local rec centre and ask for "the LIFE program".
The card is tied to where you live
The City of Victoria is clear that the card works in your home municipality, and that you must apply through your own. The 52 regional visits are the exception, not the rule. If you move across a municipal boundary, tell them.
The Leisure Assistant Pass
This is the one most people have never heard of, and for pools and rec centres it is often better than Access 2.
The City of Victoria lists a Leisure Assistant Pass that gives "one support person free or reduced admission". West Shore Parks & Recreation runs a Leisure Assistant Pass too, for people who need assistance during leisure activities.
We could not confirm from the City of Victoria's website how you apply for it, or what proof is needed. Email the Inclusion Coordinator at accessibility@victoria.ca and ask, or phone 250-385-5711.
Other City of Victoria supports we confirmed
- Summer Camp Inclusion Program — up to two weeks of one-to-one support at no extra cost. Ask at camps@victoria.ca.
- Inclusive swimming — group lessons, private lessons, and drop-in quiet swims for people sensitive to noise. Aquatic Coordinator: 250-361-0712.
- Crystal Pool equipment — lifts, accessible change rooms, aquatic lifts, wheelchairs and aqua walkers.
- Campership Program — free weeks of summer camp for eligible young people.
Which pass does what
| Pass | What it does | Who can get it | Cost | How long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access 2 Card | Support person free or discounted at participating venues. You pay full price. | Permanent disability that means you need a support person with you. | $25 (3 years) or $35 (5 years) | 3 or 5 years |
| LIFE pass | Free drop-in at your own municipality's rec centres and pools, plus 52 regional visits a year. | Low household income. Disability not required. | Free | 2 years |
| Leisure Assistant Pass | One support person free or reduced at City of Victoria recreation. West Shore has its own version. | People who need assistance during leisure activities. We could not confirm the exact test. | We could not confirm | We could not confirm |
| BC Parks camping fee exemption | One regular campsite free, or a double site at half price, plus free parking for two cars. | BC residents on PWD benefits, and two other groups. See below. | Free, but fees remain on reservations | Up to 14 nights a year |
| Parks Canada support person | Free admission and program access for a support person travelling with you. | Visitors with a disability who depend on the support person to be there. | Free, no card to buy | Ongoing |
You can hold more than one. An Access 2 Card and a LIFE pass do different jobs and do not cancel each other out.
Recreation Integration Victoria
Recreation Integration Victoria, usually called RIV, spent more than 30 years helping people with disabilities in Greater Victoria get active. It trained volunteers, issued leisure access passes and advised rec centres on inclusion. It was funded by several municipalities together.
We could not confirm RIV is still running
On 3 September 2026 we checked the web address RIV used to use, rivonline.org. It is no longer theirs. It now hosts an unrelated betting website. Do not go there and do not enter anything on it.
Several municipalities pulled their funding from RIV in 2019, and we could not verify from any current official page whether the organisation still operates. If someone tells you to contact RIV, check first.
For the same kind of help right now, contact the City of Victoria Inclusion Coordinator at accessibility@victoria.ca, ask your own municipality's rec centre for their inclusion or accessibility staff, or dial 211.
The library, including if you cannot get there
The Greater Victoria Public Library is the cheapest day out there is. It is warm, it has a washroom, nobody asks why you are there, and it costs nothing.
What we confirmed on their accessibility page:
- Large print books, ebooks and audiobooks.
- Height-adjustable desks and large print keyboards on adaptive computers.
- Victor Readers for DAISY audiobooks.
- Access to the CELA and NNELS collections, which are books in accessible formats for people who cannot read standard print. Ask staff to register you. Much of it you can use from home.
If you cannot get to a branch
We looked for a home delivery or "books on wheels" service and could not find one at GVPL in September 2026. What they do have instead:
- A Library Card Designate Authorization Form. It lets you name a trusted person who can pick up your holds and manage your account for you.
- Holds gathered for you. In their words, patrons "with mobility or health barriers may arrange for staff to gather requested items, which can then be picked up by a designate." Staff can help choose the books too.
Phone 250-940-4875 and say you cannot get to a branch and want to set up a designate. If you have no one to be your designate, say that as well — ask them what they can do.
Parks, beaches and camping
Parks Canada: your support person gets in free
Parks Canada has a national policy, and it is clear: "Parks Canada offers free admission and access to programs for support persons travelling with a visitor who has a disability and depends on the support person to travel and experience a Parks Canada destination."
There is no card to buy. The nearest Parks Canada places to Victoria are Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse in Colwood, and the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.
Timing note
Parks Canada's fee page says regular fees apply as of 8 September 2026, following a free admission period that ended 7 September 2026. If you are reading this in the first week of September, entry may still be free for everyone.
BC Parks: free camping if you are on PWD
BC Parks runs a Social Services Camping Fee Exemption. You do not register in advance. You claim it.
You may qualify if you are a BC resident and any of these apply:
- You are an adult getting PWD benefits from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
- You are an Indigenous person on-reserve getting PWD Disability Income Assistance from Indigenous Services Canada.
- You are immediate family of a child in the At Home Program run by the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
What you get: one regular campsite free, or one double campsite at half price, plus free parking for two cars. It covers frontcountry campsites only, meaning sites within 1 km of a highway or park road. You can use it for up to 14 nights a year.
What you still pay: if you reserve, there is a $6 per night transaction fee. Reservation, change and cancellation fees are $6 plus tax, and booking by phone adds $5 plus tax. Firewood and electrical hookups are extra.
What to bring: if you are on PWD, either a "confirmation of assistance" form from the My Self Serve website, or a completed "release of personal information" form from an income assistance office, plus photo ID.
Claim it at the checkout, not afterwards
BC Parks says it plainly: if you are reserving, you must claim the exemption when you book. "You cannot claim it later." If you are camping first-come first-served, show your documents when you arrive, before you pay.
Accessible outdoor places near Victoria
From Tourism Victoria's accessible outdoors page:
- Ross Bay — a seasonal beach mat, available through September, giving a firm surface over the rocky shore.
- Beaver Beach at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park — accessible amenities.
- Durrance Lake — an accessible fishing dock and an accessible trail.
- Elk Lake Float — an accessible ramp for fishing.
- Accessible trails — the 10 Kilometre Trail at Elk/Beaver Lake, the Galloping Goose, the E&N Regional Trail, the Lochside Regional Trail, and the loop trail at the Munn Road entrance to Mount Work.
- Picnic spots — Aylard Farm in East Sooke, the Hamsterly Beach playground with ramp access, and the ocean view group picnic shelter at Island View Beach.
Beach wheelchairs: we could not confirm one
We looked for a free beach wheelchair loan in Greater Victoria in September 2026 and could not confirm that any municipality runs one. Other BC communities do. If you need a beach wheelchair, phone your municipality's parks department and ask directly, and phone 211 to see whether a local group lends one.
Why people miss this
- "I didn't know there was a card." Nobody hands it out. There is no letter, no phone call. You have to go looking, which is exactly what makes it easy to miss.
- They tried to book online. Access 2 does not work for advance tickets. People try once, it fails, and they decide the card is useless.
- They were turned away and never went back. One bad conversation at a till is enough to stop most people trying again. That is why the script above matters more than anything else on this page.
- They sent a doctor's letter. The application is refused, and it feels personal. It is not. Only Section C on the form counts.
- They think LIFE and Access 2 are the same thing. They are not, and you can hold both.
- They asked at the wrong municipality. LIFE cards come from where you live, not where the pool is.
- The support person felt awkward asking. If you are the one doing the support, you are allowed to ask on their behalf. It is not a favour. It is what the program is for.
Where to get help in Victoria
Access 2 Card (Easter Seals Canada) — applications, replacements, and venues that will not honour the card
Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Eastern — that is 5:30 am to 1:00 pm here. Email access2card@easterseals.ca.
- City of Victoria Inclusion Coordinator — the Leisure Assistant Pass, inclusion support, adapted swimming. accessibility@victoria.ca or 250-385-5711.
- Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre — LIFE applications for City of Victoria residents. crystalpool@victoria.ca.
- Greater Victoria Public Library — accessible formats, and setting up a designate if you cannot get to a branch. 250-940-4875, 735 Broughton Street.
- Victoria Disability Resource Centre, 817A Fort Street — they keep a list of local discounts and have helped people through Access 2 applications. 250-595-0044.
- 211 — dial 211 any time to find adapted recreation and programs near you.
Or call the Reachable Line. We will phone the venue with you, or read the form out loud while you fill it in.
Related guides
Where this comes from
Every price, rule and venue on this page comes from a page we read on the date shown. Venue lists change and prices go up. If you are reading this long after 3 September 2026, phone ahead.
- Easter Seals Canada, Access 2 Card home page and price notice: access2card.ca (read 3 September 2026)
- Access 2, Eligibility: access2card.ca — eligibility (read 3 September 2026)
- Access 2, Future Card Holders — the "regular admission price" and "1 FREE or discounted admission" wording: access2card.ca — future card holders (read 3 September 2026)
- Access 2, Terms & Conditions — Section C, no diagnosis letters, no advance tickets, 4 to 6 weeks: access2card.ca — terms (read 3 September 2026)
- Access 2, Frequently Asked Questions: access2card.ca — FAQ (read 3 September 2026)
- Access 2, British Columbia Venues, list dated 10 February 2026: access2card.ca — BC venues (PDF) (read 3 September 2026)
- Access 2, Contact Us — phone, email and hours: access2card.ca — contact (read 3 September 2026)
- City of Victoria, L.I.F.E. Program — income limits, benefits, how to apply: victoria.ca — LIFE (read 3 September 2026)
- City of Victoria, Accessibility & Inclusion — the Leisure Assistant Pass and inclusion supports: victoria.ca — accessibility and inclusion (read 3 September 2026)
- District of Saanich, Financial Assistance: saanich.ca — financial assistance (read 3 September 2026)
- West Shore Parks & Recreation, Financial Support: wspr.ca — financial support (read 3 September 2026)
- Greater Victoria Public Library, Accessibility services: gvpl.ca — accessibility (read 3 September 2026)
- Greater Victoria Public Library, Find a service for disabilities — designate authorization and holds: gvpl.ca — services for disabilities (read 3 September 2026)
- Parks Canada, Fees — support person admission: parks.canada.ca — fees (read 3 September 2026)
- BC Parks, Social Services Camping Fee Exemption: bcparks.ca — social services exemption (read 3 September 2026)
- Tourism Victoria, Accessible Outdoors: tourismvictoria.com — accessible outdoors (read 3 September 2026)
- rivonline.org checked directly on 3 September 2026 and found to be an unrelated commercial site, not Recreation Integration Victoria.
- Victoria Disability Resource Centre: drcvictoria.com (read 3 September 2026)
Reachable is not a government office, a venue or Easter Seals Canada. This guide explains public programs in plain language so you can go and use them. Venue policies are set by each venue and can change without notice, so phone ahead before a trip you cannot easily repeat.