Regional Government

Region of Peel Official Plan Strategic Update (ROPSU)
–Amendment #11

Accessibility is one of the major human services considerations that Regional staff addressed through the Regional Official Plan review process. The human services amendment added or amended 13 policies to improve accessibility in Peel. The new and revised policies provide an appropriate framework for responding to the provincial legislation, including the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA). It also focuses on the mandate of the Region, such as Regional services delivery in TransHelp, social and special needs housing, and long-term care facilities. Accessibility is an integral component of Regional efforts to respond to rapid growth and shifting demographic patterns in Peel.

The human services amendment provides the policy framework for meeting the diverse needs of the entire population and contributing to safe, accessible, and healthy communities. Specific policies pertaining to accessibility ensure that Regional human services facilities are located and designed to be accessible to all people in Peel, including persons with disabilities. In addition, the Region encourages the area municipalities to develop Official Plans, Zoning By-laws, Urban Design Guidelines, and Site Plan Manuals to create opportunities for social and special needs housing and be aligned with the ODA. The Region also requests that affordable housing developers, including social and special needs housing, ensure an appropriate and equitable distribution of affordable housing throughout Peel. Furthermore, the Region is in the process of developing a Peel Housing Strategy, which will ensure an adequate supply of social housing and special needs housing in partnership with the area municipalities, non-profit and private providers, all available and appropriate affordable housing programs, and housing rehabilitating funding sources.

To meet the needs of persons with disabilities through transportation, the human services amendment provides the policy framework for a Regional Accessibility Plan, in accordance with the ODA. The Region encourages area municipalities and GO Transit to introduce a greater number of accessible low floor bus routes and other transit accessibility improvements to accommodate the travel needs of persons with disabilities in Peel.

In addition, the Region supports increased co-ordination of transportation services among TransHelp, area municipalities, community-based agencies and taxi companies, in order to provide a collaborative transportation service for persons with disabilities. The Region is currently working to ensure that TransHelp eligibility criteria accommodate the mobility needs of all persons with disabilities who are unable to use conventional transit. Many of these transportation improvements included in the human services amendment are recommendations based on the Region’s 2004 Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Study¹ and will become part of a Long Range Transportation Plan.

¹ Available at: /planning/transportation/transportation-disabilities/index.htm

Appendix VI (PDF 21, 2 pages)