The Corporation Of The City Of London 2007 Accessibility Plan
The ODA Staff Resource Group
in partnership with
the City of London Accessibility Advisory Committee
Below is the table of contents for the City's 2007 Accessibility Plan.
Note: TheCity of London 2007 Accessibility Plan- and previous year's plans are available as pdf documents.
On behalf of the Ontarians with Disabilities Staff Resource Group of the City of London and the City of London Accessibility Advisory Committee, we are pleased to present the City of London Accessibility Plan for the year 2007. The plan consists of Appendix "A" - Chart of New Actions to be approved by Council as well as Appendix "B" - Chart of Continued to Actions based on the London 2006 Accessibility Plan.
We recognize that persons with disabilities represent a significant and growing part of our Province's and City's population. According to Statistics Canada, about 1.9 million Ontarians have disabilities - about 16% of the population. Disability tends to increase with age. In two decades it is estimated that 20% of the population will have disabilities. Enhancing the ability of people with disabilities to live independently and contribute to the community will have positive effects on future prosperity in Ontario. The City of London would like to acknowledge that our municipality, though we've made great strides, has much that it can and should do to eliminate barriers to persons with disabilities.
The Ontarians with Disabilities Act, (ODA 2001) mandates that each municipality prepare an annual accessibility plan for the purpose of improving opportunities for persons with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the Province of Ontario.
Please take time to review this Plan. We appreciate your involvement in the development of this City of London Accessibility Plan to date and look forward to your continued involvement in this journey, as London becomes a fully accessible municipality.
The Accessibility Plan Coordinators for this Plan are:
Mrs. Robin Armistead
Municipal Policy Specialist
300 Dufferin Avenue
P.O. Box 5035
London, ON
N6A 4L9
Ph: (519) 661-2500 ext. 5475
Fax: (519) 661-5813
rarmiste@london.ca
accessibility@london.ca
| Mrs. Kimberly Wood
Architectural Technologist
A.J. Tyler Operations Centre
663 Bathurst Street
London, ON
N5Z 1P8
Ph: (519) 661-2500 ext. 5624
Fax: (519) 661-5845
kwood@london.ca |
The Ontarians with Disabilities Act received Royal Assent on December 13, 2001. The purpose of this Act is to improve opportunities for people with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the Province of Ontario. Municipalities of 10,000 or more residents are required to establish or continue an accessibility committee. The majority of its members must be people with disabilities. The committee shall advise Council about the preparation, implementation and effectiveness of an accessibility plan. Municipal governments play a crucial role in the planning and development of our communities. Accessibility plans are intended to address existing barriers to people with disabilities and to prevent new barriers from being established.
This report describes:
- monitoring of the actions that the City of London has taken to remove barriers to persons with disabilities since September 2003 when London's first Accessibility Plan was approved;
- the process by which the City of London is identifying, removing and preventing barriers to persons with disabilities;
- the "continued to" and "new actions" that the City of London will undertake to remove barriers to persons with disabilities for the year 2007;
- the ongoing review and monitoring process for the Accessibility Plan; and,
- the communication of London's Accessibility Plan to the staff of the City of London, members of the disabled community and the public.
Municipal Departments and Divisions included under the scope of this plan are:
Finance and Corporate Services Department
City Clerk's Office
Technology Services Division
Financial Services (Assessment, Payroll, Purchasing, Revenue, Planning and Policy)
Realty Services
Courts Administration
Planning and Development Department
Planning Division
Building Division
Housing Division
Community Services Department
Social & Community Support Services
Dearness Long Term Care Division
Parks and Recreation Division
Neighbourhood and Children's Services Division
Environmental and Engineering Services Department
Roads and Transportation Division
Fleet, Facilities and Departmental Resources Division
Administration and Departmental Services Division
Waste Water and Treatment Division
Water, Environment and Customer Relations Division
Chief Administrator's Office Corporate Management
Corporate Communications
Human Resources Division
Fire Services
Management Support, Audit and Risk
City Solicitor's Office
The City of London Accessibility Plan also includes actions from three of the City's Boards and Commissions who expressed an interest in participating with the City of London's Plan. The London Transit Commission is required by the ODA (2001) to prepare its' own Plan.
Accessibility Planning Has Begun
Over the past twenty (20) years, the City of London, with over 348,000 residents located in the heart of south western Ontario, has witnessed an expansion in the number of citizens with disabilities. Today, it's estimated that there are 43,000 people with some form of disability, with this figure expected to increase due to an aging population.
The City of London began accessibility planning back in 1997, when it worked with the Access to Leisure Services in London (ALL Committee) to develop a policy designed to include people with disabilities in recreation facilities, parks and services. Reaching the goal of full inclusion of persons with disabilities is a major challenge for all municipalities including the City of London. Local governments play a vital role in the lives of persons with disabilities because of their broad mandate. It is clear that strong partnerships between persons with disabilities, the City of London Accessibility Advisory Committee and organizations that represent the interests of persons with disabilities in our community are extremely important to developing solutions that will lead to full inclusion.
Mayor's Statement
The following quote was provided to the Ministry of Citizenship's Accessibility Directorate for a success story written about London - "Establishing and approving the Accessibility Advisory Committee's terms of reference was a major initiative," said Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best. "The enthusiasm shown in appointing a diverse Committee committed to the removal and prevention of barriers for persons with disabilities will make London more accessible for everyone. We're aiming to become Canada's most accessible City!"
The City of London recognizes that accessibility planning is a long-term process, and knows that community consultation is integral to moving towards full accessibility for persons with a disability. The policies described below have involved extensive community consultation and have been approved by City Council.
Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Recreation Facilities, Parks and Services Policy
Accessibility planning began with the City of London in 1997 when the "Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Recreation Facilities, Parks and Services Policy" was created as a community driven initiative. The City and the Access to Leisure Services Committee (ALL Committee) partnered to develop this policy and its implementation plan.
Policy Statement
"That recreation facilities, parks and services in our community be accessible and available to meet the diverse needs of all our citizens. Recognizing the many personal, social, economic, and environmental benefits to health and quality of life that are derived by participating in recreation and leisure, the City of London in partnership with the community is therefore committed to:
i) Equitable Opportunities
working to ensure that all citizens have opportunities to experience the benefits of recreation and active living through equitable access to a full range of recreation facilities, parks and services regardless of their ability, age, sex, sexual orientation, race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, family or marital status;
ii) Elimination of Barriers
working with the community toward the elimination of barriers to participation, including but not limited to, physical, economic, cultural, transportation, language and attitudinal barriers;
iii) Allocation of Resources
working to ensure the allocation of appropriate resources to accomplish the above noted commitment; and,
iv) Continued Monitoring and Evaluation
working to ensure the continued monitoring and evaluation of our efforts to work toward the achievement of this Policy through ongoing measurement of progress toward inclusion."
Financial Assistance for Program Activity Fees Recreation Policy
The Community Services Department Policy provides financial assistance with the cost of registration fees, identified program materials, supplies and equipment costs, assistive devices and related supports.
The intent of the policy is to:
1. ensure that a system of financial assistance, that is easy to access by low-income Londoners, exists for directly related participation costs for recreation and leisure activities and programs offered by the Department of Community Services;
2. provide a system of financial assistance that, within budget availability, helps as many low-income Londoners as possible to participate in recreation and leisure opportunities offered by the City of London;
3. provide a system of financial assistance that is easy to understand for all customers and is easy for staff to administer; and
These goals are consistent with existing corporate strategies, including the 2003 Parks and Recreation Strategic Master Plan.
The Diversity Policy for the City of London
"The Diversity Policy for the City of London" was created with the City's Race Relations Advisory Committee (LRRAC) and adopted by Council in November 1999.
Policy Statement"The City of London and its citizens value diversity and the personal, cultural, social, and economic benefits it brings to the community. As such, the London community enables all people to have equal rights, opportunities, and access for their benefit and well-being, including, but not limited to, the domains of employment, education, health, accommodation and leisure.
The City of London and its citizens also recognize the human and economic costs associated with discrimination on the basis of individual or cultural differences. As such, the London community does not condone any form of discrimination or harassment. We endorse and embrace both the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Ontario's Human Rights Code, which Code prohibits discriminatory practices because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, gender ("sex"), sexual orientation, age, record of offences, marital status, family status, receipt of public assistance, or disability."
The City of London Accessibility Policy and Facility Accessibility Design Standards (FADS)
In the year 2000 the "The City of London Accessibility Policy" was developed and approved by Council to apply to all departments of the Corporation.
"The Corporation of the City of London will continue to work with the community toward the elimination of barriers to the participation of people with disabilities, including but not limited to:
(i) continuing to make reasonable efforts to have all existing City of London owned, leased or operated facilities, lands and services be accessible to people with disabilities;
(ii) ensuring where feasible, that all newly constructed City of London owned, leased or operated facilities, lands and services be made accessible to people with disabilities;
(iii) continuing to work toward providing amenities to people with disabilities such as curb cuts to sidewalks, Braille in elevators, interpretive services for the deaf, a golf course for people with disabilities; and
(iv) working toward the allocation of appropriate resources to accomplish this commitment."
This policy provided the avenue necessary to be able to hire Designable Environments Inc. to assist the City in creating its "Facility Accessibility Design Standards" (FADS) adopted by Council in October, 2001. Input from more than twelve (12) local disability organizations was sought to develop the FADS. Implementation of these standards is intended to make newly constructed and/or renovated City of London facilities accessible to persons with physical and sensory disabilities. These standards will be continually tested, reviewed and improved upon on an annual basis. The updated version of the FADS was approved by Council in April, 2006.
The Ontarians with Disabilities Act, (ODA 2001) was passed by the Province of Ontario in December 2001. The ODA requires that municipalities create an Accessibility Advisory Committee to Council (a majority of members must be persons with disabilities).
Accessibility Advisory Committee
The City of London working in partnership with the local ODA Regional Committee established the Terms of Reference for the Accessibility Advisory Committee for approval by Council in June 2002. The scope of the Terms of Reference goes beyond what is outlined in the ODA 2001 as it is intended to suit the needs of the London community.
The Accessibility Advisory Committee has been in place for more than four (4) years and is empowered to look at issues for persons with disabilities in London comprehensively, which may mean that some of the issues or organizations that this Committee may wish to address may go beyond the scope of the City of London Accessibility Plan for the services that are the responsibility of the Corporation of the City of London and its Council.
Voting Members of the Accessibility Advisory Committee
The Accessibility Advisory Committee was established with thirteen (13) voting positions filled by members of the community who often had experience with more than one particular type of disability. This Advisory Committee meets on a monthly basis. The members of all City of London Advisory Committees will be appointed to coincide with the four (4) year term of the new Council being elected on November 13, 2006.
Voting Members
Ashfaq Husain (Chair)
Bonnie Quesnel (Vice-Chair)
Sandra Adams
Steve Balcom
Kathleen Higgins
Roger Khouri
Bonnie Maas
John Paul J. Regan
Anne Robertson
Shirley Van Hoof
Resource Members of the Accessibility Advisory Committee
The Committee also includes nine non-voting members that represent sectors such as school boards, seniors, housing and development, architecture and health care/wellness.
Non Voting Resource Members
Lisa Klinger, ODA Committee
Naeem Qureshi, Architectural Sector
Stephanie Sams, Ability Awareness Training
Peggy Stewart, Council for London Seniors
Jill Tozzo, Partners In Employment,
Meredith Fraser, Association for the Elimination of Hate and Bias
Vacant, Housing and Development Sector
Vacant, Catholic School Board
Vacant, Health and Wellness Sector
Accessibility Advisory Sub-Committee Structure
Four (4) Accessibility Advisory Sub-Committees have been created from the Accessibility Advisory Committee and each Sub-Committee is composed of at least two (2) voting members:
- Facilities
- Transportation
- Policy Development
- Education and Awareness
These Sub-Committees meet on a monthly basis in between the regular meeting of the Advisory Committee and they will be responsible as one (1) monitoring mechanism of the City of London Accessibility Plan.
Involvement of the Accessibility Advisory Committee Members
Each of the Sub-Committees is actively involved with the City in developing strategies to assist the City in becoming more accessible.
Specifically (but not limited to), the members of the Accessibility Advisory Committee will be assisting City Divisions:
with the testing of new products;
providing listings of problem areas;
educating about different types of disabilities and providing this information on the Committee's web page;
assisting with the annual review of the Facility Accessibility Design Standards (FADS);
in reviewing particular site plans;
liaising with other Advisory Committees; and,
working in collaboration with community groups to address service needs and gaps for persons with disabilities.
The Staff Resource Group
The Staff Resource Group, comprised of a cross-section of senior staff from City Departments, has been formed to co-ordinate the development of the City of London Accessibility Plan in conjunction with the City's Accessibility Advisory Committee - Policy and Development Sub-Committee.
The Accessibility Plan Coordinator is responsible for the co-ordination of the Staff Resource Group.
Members of the Resource Group| Group Member | Department |
Linda Adamson
Manager of Community and Support Services |
Community Services - Dearness Home |
Robin Armistead
Municipal Policy Specialist | CAO's Office
City Hall, Room 1105 |
Louise Stevens
Director Municipal Housing | Planning & Development/ Housing Division
267 Dundas Street, 2nd Floor |
Bill Campbell
Division Manager
Kim Wood
Architectural Technologist | EESD - Facilities Design & Construction Division
AJ Tyler Operations Centre
633 Bathurst Street |
Shannon Byron
Communications Specialist | Corporate Communications Room 305 |
Peter Kokkoros
Manager, Plans Examination | Building Division Room 706 |
| Transportation | Environmental Services / Transportation, Room 803 |
Tony Kyle
Manager, West Area Recreation Services
| Community Services
Parks & Recreation and Neighborhood and Children's Services Divisions |
Brenda Holden
Manager, Ontario Works | Social & Community Support Services |
Karen English
Procurement Officer | Purchasing
267 Dundas Street, 4th Floor |
Lorelei Fisher
Committee Secretary | City Clerk's Office Room 308 |
Andrew Macpherson
Parks Planning & Design | Planning Division |
Stephen Bahm
Training and
Health and Safety | Human Resources Division |
Shane Maguire
Division Manager | Parking and Traffic Signals |
| Sign Language Interpreters | |
Angie Case-McIntosh
Community Living London | 190 Adelaide Street South
London, Ontario N5Z 3L1 |
The Accessibility Advisory Committee (ACC) has been in place for four years and has participated in the development of this Plan. The Plan has been made public on the City's web site and was distributed in hard copy format to the London Public Library branches. The majority of action strategies contained in the 2006 Plan are underway.
Barrier Removal Successes
Education and Awareness
City of London Accessibility Advisory Committee
FADS & AODA Accessibility Education & Awareness Sessions
Facility Design & Construction (FD&C) staff completed the following Accessibility and FADS related information sessions
- Internal Sessions
- FD&C Division management and staff - February 23, 2006
- Environmental & Engineering Services Department Directors - March 3, 2006
Community and Protective Services Committee - April 3, 2006 - Corporate Management Team - March 28, 2006
- Fleet & Facilities Operations Staff and London Public Library Operations staff - June 28, 2006
- Roads and Transportation Operations, Parks & Recreation Operations and Parks Planning & Design staff - Sept. 19, 2006
- External Sessions
- Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting - February 23, 2006
- London hosted its first Accessibility Information Forum in partnership with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and London's Accessibility Advisory Committee - April 26, 2006
- Oxford County Accessibility Forum - April 27, 2006
- Conferences
- Facilities Design & Construction Division staff in partnership with Designable Environments Inc. provided a joint presentation entitled "FADS - The little standard that grew" at the International Accessibility & Visitability Conference, Ohio State University - July 13 & 14, 2006
- Simcoe County Association for the Physically Disabled - Barrie, ON - September 21, 2006
Facilities
Facilities Accessibility Design Standards
- Release of the 2006 FADS as adopted by Council April 10, 2006
- FADS was utilized as 1 of 16 comparative standards in the March 2006 Canadian Human Rights Commission publication - International Best Practices in Universal Design: A Global Review.
Support to Other Municipalities and Organizations
- Members of the AAC assisted staff of the Independent Living Centre London & Area with audit of local facilities for the publication of "Access Guide London".
- FD&C staff assisted private sector organizations incorporate FADS features within their planned renovation projects;
- Delta Sheraton Armouries Hotel
- State Farm Insurance
- Helix Courier Services
- Hardcopies of London's 2006 FADS were requested by and sent to:
- the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
- the Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission
- FADS authorization granted to seventeen (17) cities, towns, townships, private sector organizations in 2006
Policy Development and TrainingDevelopment Policies
- July 24, 2006 London City Council resolved that:
On the recommendation of the General Manager of Environmental & Engineering Services & City Engineer and the General Manager of Planning and Development, the following actions be taken to incorporate the principles of the City's 2006 Facility Accessibility Design Standards in municipal regulations:
| a. | staff undertaking the current five year Official Plan Review BE DIRECTED to identify opportunities and initiatives within the Official Plan; |
| b. | staff BE DIRECTED to review and identify opportunities and initiatives in the City's Z.-1 Zoning By-law, the Sign and Canopy By-law and the Site Plan Control Guidelines; |
| c. | staff BE DIRECTED to review and identify opportunities and initiatives in the Municipal Design Specifications and Requirements Manual and the Standard Contract Documents for Municipal Construction Projects; |
| d. | staff BE DIRECTED to review and identify accessibility opportunities in the suite of existing financial incentives for the Downtown and the Old East Village Community Improvement Areas including the City's Upgrade to Building Code Loan Program and Façade Improvement Loan Program; and, |
| e. | staff BE REQUESTED to include any recommendations resulting from (a) - (d) above in the 2007 Accessibility Plan. |
Ivey Business School Diversity Training of City Managers
The Accessibility Advisory Committee worked with the London Diversity and Race Relations Advisory Committee and the Human Resources Division to develop and provide a diversity component in the training provided to city of London managers at the Ivey School of Business in November 2006.
Emergency Plan
The Corporate Security & Emergency Management Division made a presentation to the Accessibility Advisory Committee with regard to the City's evacuation procedures to assist persons with disabilities. The Emergency Communications Plan was provided to the committee for review.
Transportation
Segway Transportation
Honourable Chris Bentley, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities hosted an October 10, 2006 event in partnership with the City's Director of Roads & Transportation, David Leckie, and local Segwey advocate Megan Stuckey whereby the Minister of Transportation (Ontario), Honourable Donna Cansfield, announced a pilot project permitting use of the Segway by persons with disabilities under the Highway Traffic Act. When combined with a by-law passed by London City Council in 2005, Megan Stuckey, and others with disabilities, will be able to take advantage of this new mobility device to enhance their lives. London's leadership, being the only City in Ontario pro-actively pursuing this initiative, was acknowledged in the announcement.
Subsidized Bus Passes for People with Disabilities A working group of representatives of the Accessibility Advisory Committee met with City and London Transit Commission staff. They are organizing and studying the information gathered and are developing a proposal to review with the Accessibility Advisory Committee.
Temporary Sidewalks Installed During Construction
The Accessibility Advisory Committee met with the City's Transportation Division and forwarded suggestions on the type of temporary sidewalk required during construction for inclusion on construction drawings. A pedestrian concern form is available on the Accessibility Advisory Committee's website.
Recreation
Inclusion Coordinator
Community Services, Parks & Recreation Area Services hired a summer Inclusion Coordinator to:
a. assess children interested in Day Camps, including the creation of an assessment form
b. assess all facilities in which Summer Day Camps operate
c. provide support to participants and staff at Day Camps and Playgrounds
The Inclusion Coordinator position was extended into the Fall, Winter and Spring program season.
Community Services accessed the Board of Education listing of physically accessible locations and provided this to Program Supervisors.
School Facilities Used for Recreation Programs Assessment
The Community Services Department conducted an independent assessment of school locations and private business locations used for recreation programs. Inaccessible locations will be noted in the Spectrum recreational program catalogue for 2007. The ultimate goal is to discontinue using inaccessible locations for recreation programs.
Proposed Priorities for 2007
The action items of each yearly Accessibility Plan will continue to be reviewed on an annual basis through the City's annual budget process and will be adjusted according to the budget realities of the year to which the plan applies. Actions not accomplished in the previous year's plan will be brought forward to the Plan of the following year.
The top nine (9) priority areas that the Accessibility Advisory Committee would like focused upon for 2007 include:
Education and Awareness
1. Develop and implement program(s) to educate Agencies, Businesses and the broader private sector about the AODA, the City of London's Facility Accessibility Design Standards and the importance of identifying, preventing and removing barriers/challenges faced by people with disabilities. Develop tools (brochures/posters/power point presentations, enhanced website etc.) for use by committee members.
2. National Access Awareness Week (NAAW): Be a leader in bringing together the community to organize a NAAW event in June 2007.
3. Continue to develop and build partnerships with the private and public sectors (businesses/agencies/university/college/school boards) etc.
Transportation
4. Review with Transportation Division, the design, installation and timing of crossing signals, snow removal practices, and other pedestrian concerns.
5. Working in partnership with the Parking & Traffic Signal Division and the CNIB, develop a priority system for the implementation of audible pedestrian signals at existing signal locations.
Facilities
6. Develop a process for the review of selected Site Plan Drawings and working with Site Plan Approval Officers.
7. Develop a checklist for the use by Site Plan Approval Officers. The checklist will include items and illustrations that the Accessibility Advisory Committee considers additional accessibility features, which will enhance the accessibility of the site.
Policy and Development
8. Participate in the review of the City of London's Official Plan, and other municipal regulations, guidelines and incentive programs to identify opportunities to incorporate the principles of Universal Design and the City's 2006 Facility Accessibility Design Standards.
9. Develop and implement a work plan to address the issues identified by Londoner's with hearing loss and the deaf blind.
In preparation of a municipal accessibility plan, each municipality is required to consult with persons with disabilities or use their Accessibility Advisory Committee for advice and recommendations. Municipalities are not restricted to this minimum requirement and may want to consult more broadly with all sectors of their community.
The work plan for the development of the 2007 City of London Accessibility Plan is outlined below:
- Staff Resource Members participate at Accessibility Advisory Committee Working Group meetings. (as requested)
- Accessibility Information Sessions provided internally throughout the year to educate management and staff and ensure compliance with the requirements of the City of London 2006 Facility Accessibility Design Standards, ODA 2001, and AODA 2005 legislation.
- Accessibility Presentations provided externally to other municipalities and private sector organizations, upon request, to share information and experience relative to the City of London Facility Accessibility Design Standards provincial legislation.
- Council resolution dated April 10, 2006 regarding the 2006 Facility Accessibility Design Standards (FADS) document.
- Ontario Network of Accessibility Professionals (May 11, 2006). Plan Coordinators participated in the sharing of concerns about the implementation of the AODA.
- London Transit Commission presentation to the joint meeting of the Community and Protective Services Committee and the Environment and Transportation Committee (July 17, 2006)
- Council resolution dated July 24, 2006 regarding the Planning and Development Accessibility Plan Initiatives, Planning Committee (July 17, 2006)
- Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario (MARCO) meeting (July 31, 2006). The City of London provided a briefing on the implications followed with discussion of mutual concerns among the MARCO members
- Staff review London's 2006 Accessibility Plan priorities with London's Accessibility Advisory Committee (August 2006)
Staff review AODA draft standards (August / September 2006) - Accessibility Advisory Committee asked for input concerning the priorities for the 2007 Accessibility Plan and the perceived successes of the 2006 Accessibility Plan (September 28, 2006)
- Staff participated in the Barrier-Free Consultation Group of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). (September 30, 2006)
- Plan Coordinators attend meetings with Staff Resource members to monitor the completion of strategies in the 2006 Accessibility Plan, to review the Ministry of Citizenship Quotient Questionnaire Needs Analysis survey of the City's Departments and Divisions and collect new data for inclusion in the 2007 Accessibility Plan. (September / October 2006)
- Ontario Network of Accessibility Professionals (October 5, 2006). Plan Coordinators attended a meeting with guest speaker Tracy MacCharles, Vice Chair, Ontario Accessibility Standards Advisory Council.
- Further input into the 2007 Accessibility Plan from community agencies working with the disabled (November 14, 2006)
- The Accessibility Advisory Committee review the draft 2007 Accessibility Plan at their meeting on November 23, 2006
- The City of London 2007 Accessibility Plan will be reviewed at the Community and Protective Services Committee meeting on December 11, 2006 and Council for approval of new actions on December 18, 2006.
The City of London has used the following consultation methodologies to develop the plan:
| Methodology | Description | Status |
Consultation session with members of the London Deaf Community
|
Agenda included:
Introduction to the advisory committee;
How the city has addressed the needs of the Deaf community
Request for input
|
The meeting took place on September 26, 2006
|
| Contact with Local Agencies | Agencies requested to review the draft 2007 Accessibility Plan
| Meeting held November 14, 2006 |
Request for new initiatives and Successes from Accessibility Advisory Committee
| The Accessibility Advisory Committee members provided their top priorities for 2007 and these priorities were referred back to the departments for review and consideration. | The whole committee was given the opportunity to participate in this exercise and each of the sub-committees was requested to give input.
|
| Networking With Other Municipalities and local Accessibility Advisory Committees | The purpose of this exercise is share best practices | The Accessibility Coordinators participate on the Ontario Network of Accessibility Professionals and a Accessibility Plan Coordinator belongs to the Accessibility Advisory Committee Consultation Group of Ontario.
|
| (iv) Review of Draft Accessibility Plan with Staff Resource Group of City Divisions | The 2006 Accessibility Plan was monitored for completion of actions and notation of actions that would continue into 2007. A new actions template was developed. | The Accessibility Plan Coordinators contacted Division representatives to discuss the contents of the City's Accessibility Plan and obtain new actions for inclusion in the 2007 Plan. |
The accompanying Appendix "A" - Chart of New Actions to be Approved by Council and Appendix "B" - Chart of Continued to Actions based on the London 2006 Accessibility Plan identifies how the City of London intends to identify, remove and prevent barriers for the year 2007. Capital projects noted in this action plan will be subject to 2007 Budget approval by City Council. If these capital projects are not funded in the 2007 budget year, they will be re-submitted the following year for budget approval by the City. (Note: Appendices are pdf documents)
The Plan has used the following Strategic Directions of the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Recreation Policy of 1997 which were approved by City Council, with a few additions based upon the Terms of Reference for the Accessibility Advisory Committee:
EDUCATION
Promote an accepting and welcoming environment for persons with disabilities through public education designed to raise awareness and eliminate attitudinal barriers.
COMMUNICATION
Promote the continuous improvement of information sharing which will include a variety of methods to inform persons with disabilities, the City and the general public about issues related to persons with disabilities.
FACILITIES AND PARKS
Ensure physical accessibility through barrier free design for new and modified City facilities, including structures not covered under the Building Code (e.g. playground equipment), and parks for all residents. Access to City of London facilities being purchased, constructed, renovated, leased or funded will be in compliance with FADS.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Work toward ensuring that the hiring, training and education of staff and volunteers meets the needs and protects the safety of persons with disabilities. The City of London is an equal opportunity employer who provides accommodation of staff with a disability.
SERVICES
Work toward ensuring choice by providing a full range of accessible and affordable City of London services and supports.
The City of London's Accessibility Plan includes the updated for 2007 Ministry of Citizenship's Accessibility Quotient Questionnaire (See Appendix "C"), which has been modified to permit the addition of a sliding scale of accomplishment instead of the original "yes" - "no" - "don't know" scale. The purpose of the sliding scale is to provide a feel for how far the City needs to go in an area to be considered fully accessible to persons with disabilities (e.g., 5 is fully accessible, 0 is not accessible, 1, 2, are beginnings of being accessible). This questionnaire will be used as an ongoing assessment tool of the City's by-laws, policies, programs, practices and services.
The Accessibility Plan Coordinators are responsible for monitoring the progress of the City of London's Accessibility Plan to determine if established targets are being met. Members of the Resource Group will be responsible for encouraging the implementation of the actions of the Plan within their area of responsibility.
The City of London Accessibility Plan will be updated and approved on an annual basis.
The Sub-Committees of the Accessibility Advisory Committee will continually monitor the success of the implementation of London's Accessibility Plan.
Barrier Prevention
The prevention of barriers to persons with a disability will be accomplished through:
- ongoing education initiatives;
- ongoing monitoring of the implementation of the Plan; and,
- standards development such as was done with the FADS.
Stakeholder agencies were invited to participate in a review session of the draft 2007 Accessibility Plan to enable them an opportunity to provide input into the Plan.
Copies of the approved Plan will be made available on the City's web site and will be available in hardcopy format at library branches. On request, this Accessibility Plan will be made available in alternative formats e.g., on computer disk, tape, in large print or in Braille.
