Minutes/Meeting Summary
Accessibility Advisory Committee Meeting
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
7:00 pm
Civic Complex – Main Committee Room
Attendees: Councillor O’Connell
Keith Falconer, Chair
Maurice Brenner
Stephen Little
Donna Manning
Doodnauth Sharma
Sue Wilkinson
Prem Noronha-Waldriff, Recording Secretary
Absent:Terence Arvisais, Vice Chair
Ida Fogo
Tanya Logan
Aisha Nathifa Heywood-Delpeache
Don Tierney
Jacob Yacoumidis
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Welcome
/ Keith FalconerK. Falconer thanked Committee Members for coming to this special meeting to discuss the Committee’s 2011 Accomplishments and 2012 Work Plan.
2012 Work Plan
/ AllCommittee discussion ensued on items that are to be included in the 2012 Accessibility Advisory Committee Work Plan:
S. Little:
- Continue to build on Access Awareness Day held on Nov 5, 2012.
- Could include a combination of entertainment and activities that are access related (obstacle course / vision impairments etc)
- The Pickering Town Centre is a good venue for the event
- Better to do event in June (Access Awareness Week), than Nov. (very busy /Santa at Mall)
- Build on the Accessibility Survey that the committee has started – must try and reach out to the Citizens of Pickering to find out what the accessibility issues they face are.
- Questioned whether Councillors hear about accessibility issues?
- Continue efforts to enlighten city staff about accessibility/issues relative to site plans.
-Suggested ½ day meeting with City Managers
- Need to investigate who uses disabled parking spaces in Pickering and why?
- Seaton will have lots of issues for seniors and people with disabilities
M.Brenner:
- Same mind set as Stephen with regards to Access Event
- Could look at Dec 3rd (International Day of Disabled Persons) or last week in May/June (Access Awareness Day)
- Doesn’t have to be the same type of event as last year – can have a more interactive agenda – what it is like to be disabled
-1/2 day dialogue with City Staff – would give the AAC the opportunity to speak directly to staff
Site Plans – need to have a better connection with the Planning Dept.
-Look into the AAC attending Site Plan meetings – would give us the opportunity to comment directly to City staff – would be easier and more efficient for staff.Noted that the AAC and Site Plan committee’s are advisory committees only, and that AAC has the same legislative component as Site Plan committee. Also noted that Site Plan meetings are staff driven – issues can be brought directly to the applicant. May have the opportunity to influence things that we may not have thought of.
- Usually meets every 2 weeks, depending on how many applications are brought forward
- Agrees with the AAC doing a ½ day awareness day with city staff. Real life case study scenarios / next generation of training by the AAC / team building with management staff.
- Continuing education to build on accessibility training – agenda to improve and enhance service.
- Meetings not to be issue based / done by AAC
- Review of Parking By-laws – number of designated parking spaces, committee can do the research.
- Pedestrian crossing times – need to research the timing
- Committee to come up with specific locations for the Region to review
Discussion:
- There is a need for resources – funding as well as staffing.
- Can looking for funding through Service Canada
- Would like to see the addition of a full time Accessibility Coordinator (other municipalities have, ie: Whitby, Oshawa)
- Staff can be designated through re-assignments to maximize the position – similar to the Sustainability Coordinator position.
S. Wilkinson:
- Policy Review: Standards and Implementation:
1. Curb cuts / sidewalks (*investigate tool that is used in Clarington – has been done in Pickering?)
2. Accessible parking
3. Pedestrian Crossings
4. Policy on full service gas stations – legally what can we require?
5. Parking By-laws
D. Sharma:
- Questioned how the 5 yr Accessibility Plan fits in with the Committee’s Work Plan.
- AAC to monitor both plans
- Needs more money and opportunity to be involved
- City has a 2005 Facility Audit – can we request that it be updated to see where we are in 2012?
- Requested 2011 review to see what was completed last year
- Schools – would like to see the Committee go into the schools to meet with students about accessibility (suggested an essay writing contest – which the winner could come and read at an accessibility event)
- City Award – tied to a city initiative – to be awarded each year at Graduation to recognize a student who has made a difference.
- Design a student engagement program for 2013.
D. Manning:
- Would like to see a review of accessible parking spaces – how is using and why? Pet Peeve.
– Discussion: there seems to be no enforcement – need to get on board with by-law – maybe one month a year can be set aside to do an enforcement blitz.
D. Tierney (not in attendance: comments by e-mail)
- Some items in the 2011 Work Plan need to be "nailed down".
- Therefore my main suggestion is to work on some of the more key ones rather than entertaining new proposals unless really merited. - - - We need to get a better understanding of the number of disabled in our community, the nature of their disabilities, the nature of the difficulties they face getting around and where they are located. Accessibility survey will assist with this - have to come up with a way of getting it to the residents. I don't believe there will be a good responseto having it on-line. I would like to see it go out with some general mailing like the tax bill. I believe we need this information to better direct our efforts.
- Physical inventory of Pickering. I can name several restaurants and other establishments from optical businesses to drug stores, which are extremely difficult if not impossible to access in a wheelchair and difficult even if the person in the wheelchair has assistance.
- These are places that the disabled would frequent.
- Review of strip malls would be well worthwhile.
- We have some good ideas which are pointing us in the right direction, now we just need to nail these down with some concrete ways of improving some poor situations.
Aisha Nathifa Heywood (not in attendance: comments by e-mail:
-Network more with Community Agencies:
-Develop list of organizations
-Make introduction to organization (e-mail phone call or in person)
-Send meeting minutes to organization if interested (minutes are currently on City Website)
-Invite to do presentation to AAC
-AAC members can attend their meetings/AGM’s
-Appear in Pickering News Advertiser:
-Write letters to the editor
-Quarterly article about accessibility (can submit to the Region for the Regional Newsletter)
- Develop a PAC working Group/Ad Hoc:
-review AODA updates and bring to the committee
--Complete survey started last fall
-Additional topics as they come up
2. /
Upcoming Council Meeting
/ Keith Falconer-Committee would like to send a delegation to the next Council Meeting, Tues. Feb. 21st to speak to the motion regarding dedicated accessibility funding. The motion was brought up at the Jan 25th meeting, and is now moved by M. Brenner and 2nd by Sue Wilkinson. / Prem to advise Clerks Dept.
Keith to advise if Terry (Vice Chair) will be speaking, or if a committee delegation (Maurice / Doodnauth / Sue) will speak.
Committee members to attend in support of the motion.
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Item /Ref # / Details & Discussion & Conclusion
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Meeting Adjourned:8:45 pm
Copy:City Clerk
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