Accessibility Planning Program 2009

Appendices

Appendix II

3.0 Environment, Transportation and Planning Services

3.01

Activity: Region is implementing various mechanisms such as Stop control devices and continuous sidewalks with curb depressions, across restricted access point(s) to promote pedestrian activity and enhance accessibility of the pedestrian routes for pedestrians with disabilities.
Barrier Addressed*: Physical
Result Achieved: These mechanisms are applied to all new development projects.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Built Environment, Transportation

3.02

Activity: Implementing Directional Lines to make intersection crossings safe for visually impaired pedestrians.
Barrier Addressed*: Physical
Result Achieved: This applies to all new development projects. The directional lines indicate to visually impaired pedestrian(s) of an approaching intersection and the direction of travel.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Built Environment, Transportation

3.03

Activity: Installed Audible Pedestrian Signals at the Regional intersections.
Barrier Addressed*: Physical
Result Achieved: Continue to implement mechanisms that would assist visually impaired persons in crossing signalized intersections safely and independently.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Built Environment, Transportation

3.04

Activity: Installed “Countdown Pedestrian Heads” to improve safe pedestrian crossing.
Barrier Addressed*: Physical
Result Achieved: Numerical information provided to pedestrians that identify how much crossing time is remaining before the lights will change at the intersection.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Built Environment, Transportation

3.05

Activity: Ladder type crosswalk pavement markings are being used to indicate to drivers that they are approaching a pedestrian crosswalk.
Barrier Addressed*: Physical
Result Achieved: Enhances crosswalk visibility for drivers and pedestrians.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Built Environment, Transportation

3.06

Activity: Ontario Public Transit Association and TransHelp developed a training program ‘Training for Drivers of Sedan Taxis who Serve People with Disabilities’.
Barrier Addressed*: Informational, Attitudinal
Result Achieved: Taxi drivers received Accessible Customer Service training.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Customer Service, Transportation

3.07

Activity: TransHelp’s ‘Transporting of Infants’ policy was updated.
Barrier Addressed*: Policy/Practice
Result Achieved: Better and additional accessibility options are now available to clients who have young children and infants. The policy has been standardized across all vehicle types (buses and taxis).
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Customer Service, Transportation

3.08

Activity: TransHelp registration process has been streamlined for easier access.
Barrier Addressed*: Technological, Policy/Practice
Result Achieved: Application and registration for TransHelp services available through easy to complete application available by mail, in-person or online. Eligibility now determined through health-care professional, mandatory assessments no longer required. Turn around times for activation has been streamlined so clients who need the service can start using it as soon as possible.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Customer Service, Transportation

3.09

Activity: Transhelp now has implemented ‘Same Day’ Service policy on permanent basis for its customers.
Barrier Addressed*: Policy/Practice
Result Achieved: Same Day trip bookings now a regular part of doing business. Clients have the ability to call in and request a trip the same day for last minute, unplanned outings. Accommodation rate is high and expected to be 100% in future.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Transportation, Customer Service

3.10

Activity: Late Ride and After Hours Dispatch Telephone Extension for clients
Barrier Addressed*: Communicational, Policy/Practice.
Result Achieved: Increased options for clients to connect with TransHelp dispatch operations to get timely and accurate details on the status of their trips during the day and after regular business hours.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Transportation, Customer Service

3.11

Activity: Credit Card form available on TransHelp Website for clients to authorize debits to their credit cards for payment of fares to their account.
Barrier Addressed*: Technological, Customer Service
Result Achieved: Clients have several options available when making payments to their accounts. Previously to debit their credit card they would need to complete a hard-copy form and have it mailed, faxed, or dropped off in person. This can now be done online.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Customer Service, Information and Communication, Transportation

3.12

Activity: Cross boundary trips policy has been reviewed to improve accessibility of our service.
Barrier Addressed*: Policy/Practice
Result Achieved: TransHelp continues to make available options for client to easily cross municipal borders. Process of connecting to neighbouring Para-transit services has been streamlined. TransHelp regularly serves clients traveling into Toronto and Oakville with direct trips where feasible.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Transportation, Customer Service

3.13

Activity: Waste Management has improved accessibility of its publications such as the “Waste Guide” by including photographs of recyclable and non-recyclable material along with the text.
Barrier Addressed*: Visual and language barriers
Result Achieved: Improved accessibility of our publications.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Information and Communication Standard

3.14

Activity: Waste Management has been creating and updating new brochures/flyers for various programs and has made an effort to switch from using illustrations to using photographs that are much more easily interpreted by residents.
Barrier Addressed*: Visual and language barriers
Result Achieved: Improved accessibility of information distributed to customers.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Information and Communication

3.15

Activity: Waste Management always tries to utilize plain language, use as many visuals as possible and use a font size that is legible.
Barrier Addressed*: Informational
Result Achieved: Improved and accessible information.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Information and Communication

3.16

Activity: Waste collection routinely provide enhanced front-door, side-door and/or garage service to resident’s who have disabilities or where accessibility may be an issue. This enhanced service level is typically provided by our on-road Waste Collection staff on an “as requested” basis and addresses physical barriers.
Barrier Addressed
*: Physical
Result Achieved: The result is usually increased customer satisfaction and increased trust and confidence in the services we provide.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Customer Service

3.17

Activity: Repaving project for the entire Peel Integrated Waste Management Facility site to address health and safety issues and to increase accessibility for our customers and anyone visiting the site (tours).
Barrier Addressed*: Health & Safety, Physical
Result Achieved: This has enhanced our customer service through addressing real and potential physical barriers.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Built Environment, Customer Service

3.18

Activity: Introduction of front-end recycling in multi-residential locations is also intended to improve customer service through increased accessibility of our services by removal of physical barriers caused by insufficient capacity.
Barrier Addressed*: Physical
Result Achieved: The result has been greater participation in our programs.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Customer Service

3.19

Activity: In-house mobile sign service program has improved accessibility through increased messaging of programs and services, and greater responsiveness and flexibility in messaging and sign usage.
Barrier Addressed*: Visual
Result Achieved: This has allowed us to increase our internal client base resulting in enhanced communication for a broader array of Regional services.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Information and Communication

3.20

Activity: The designs for Heartlake and Clarkson Community Recycling Centers are constructed to meet or exceed the regional accessibility guidelines and designes and site-plans have been approved by the AAC.
Barrier Addressed*: Health & Safety, Physical
Result Achieved: Identified and removed existing as well as potential physical barriers.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Built Environment

3.21

Activity: Peel Data Centre is entertaining service requests for information about data related to persons with disabilities.
Barrier Addressed*: Informational, Educational, Awareness
Result Achieved: Developed a profile of population in Peel using the 2006 Census of Canada Participation and Activity Limitations (PALS) survey to understand how many people in Peel Region have some form of functional limitations due to a disability.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Customer Service

3.22

Activity: Peel Region Housing Strategy
Barrier Addressed*: One of the goals of the strategy was to understand the housing needs of special groups in Peel Region to ensure that the needs of all residents were taken into consideration.
Result Achieved: A complete analysis of the needs of all residents including those with special needs was completed. This study was then used to develop policies in our official plan aimed at meeting the needs of all Peel residents.
Department: Environment, Transportation and Planning Services
Standards: Information and Communication, Built Environment

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