THE JOINT PEEL- CALEDON

ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

G. Barnes presided.

1. Call to Order - Glenn Barnes

Glenn Barnes called the meeting to order at 1:50 p.m. and welcomed everyone.

2. Approval of February 10, 2004 Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee Minutes

RECOMMENDATION AAC-10 -2004

That the minutes for the February 10, 2004, Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting be approved.

3. Approval of the March 23, 2004 Joint-Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee Agenda

RECOMMENDATION AAC-11-2004

That the agenda for the March 23, 2004, Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting be approved.

Glenn Barnes, Chair of the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), addressed procedural concerns regarding meeting conduct. He indicated that the AAC has conducted business in an informal manner since its inception and asked the members if they had any comments or suggestions for change. No comments were provided.

4. Communication Items

a. News Release: From the Region of Peel, dated February 12, 2004, Advising of Regional Council's Unanimous Approval of the 2004 Current and Capital Budget

Received

Glenn Barnes noted that 13,000 more Transhelp trips were provided for in the Region of Peel's 2004 budget. He stated that more needs to be done to improve the inner workings of Transhelp and he hoped that was included in the 2004 budget allocation.

William Goursky asked how many of the new housing units in the budget will be accessible. Glenn Barnes requested that Regional Housing and Property staff attend a future AAC meeting to discuss accessibility issues related to public housing and the public housing application process for persons with disabilities.

5. Delegation / Presentation

a. Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion
Presentation by Lolly Prinzen, Ontario Regional Coordinator, Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion 2004 (Oral)

Received

Lolly Prinzen, Ontario Regional Coordinator, Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion 2004, informed the AAC that the event will be held on June 13, 2004.

Lolly Prinzen presented an overview of the history, purpose and past successes of the event. She indicated that to date the event has raised approximately $168 million for the Rick Hansen Man in Motion Foundation.

Lolly Prinzen noted that half of the net proceeds of the event held in a community are directed to priority needs of that host community. The remaining funds are directed towards research and the development of a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) registry.

Lolly Prinzen indicated that events are being held in Brampton and Mississauga and details are available from the Foundation's website www.rickhansen.com or by calling 1-866-609-4335.

Lolly Prinzen noted that the Brampton Committee is in need of one or two additional teams for the Brampton event. She stated that there is currently no event scheduled for Caledon. She requested that the Caledon Members network in an attempt to identify persons interested in forming an event committee.

Lolly Prinzen left a press package and contact information with the Clerk's staff of the Region of Peel. The information is available upon request from Meenu Sikand or Jeff Payne.

Group discussion occurred resulting in the following recommendation:

RECOMMENDATION AAC-12 -2004

That the Region of Peel and the Town of Caledon consider the request of the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee to help facilitate the Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion event on June 13, 2004;

And further, that any applicable rental fees and service charges that would be incurred for the use of the Region of Peel or the Town of Caledon services or facilities be waived;

And further, that staff of the Region of Peel and the Town of Caledon be directed to assist with the facilitation of this event upon request from the Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion Foundation or a Community Committee designated by the Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion Foundation.

6. Other Business

a) Long Term Transportation Study for Persons With Disabilities, Recommendation AAC-05-2004, continuation of discussion from February 10, 2004.

Glenn Barnes requested clarification of the 800,000 required trips per annum projected in the Long Term Transportation Study for Persons with Disabilities and if that included a broadening of the Transhelp eligibility requirements.

Bill O'Brien, Vice President, Paradigm Transportation Solutions indicated that the study recommends a change to broaden the eligibility requirements for the Transhelp service. This change will occur in a controlled manner ensuring resources are available to meet the resulting increased service level requirements.

Regional Councillor Pat Saito stated that both the Mississauga and Brampton Transportation Authorities have committed to improving accessible service based on funding availability. She further indicated that the Coordination Office proposed in the Long Term Transportation Study was not necessary because Transhelp could perform this function.

A group discussion followed regarding the significant investment made by area municipal transit authorities in accessible low floor buses. It was stated that other similarly sized conventional transit systems are handling 30,000 to 35,000 accessible trips per year which was the basis of the assumption in the Long Term Transportation Study for Persons with Disabilities.

Maureen Tymkow raised the issue of a private accessible transit provider interested in servicing Caledon. Committee members agreed that they would like to see more information on the proposed service. It was suggested that perhaps a presentation for the next AAC meeting could be arranged.

Recommendation AAC-05-2004 was revised to read as follows:

RECOMMENDATION AAC-05-2004:

That the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee supports the strategic recommendations in the Study of Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Report realizing that a more formal business plan will be required;

And further, that staff of the Region of Peel provide updates to the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee as the strategy is implemented.

b) Community Outreach and Communications Subcommittee Report (Oral)

i.) Brampton's Disabled Parking Permit Signage

Received

William Goursky requested that a letter be sent to the by-law enforcement office at the City of Brampton in recognition of the successful implementation of the maximum fine signage for disabled parking spots. He felt that this change has resulted in a significant reduction in improper use of the disabled parking in Brampton.

ii.) Awareness Exercise (disability recognition and mind mapping)

Deferred to a future meeting of the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee

iii.) Update on the Submission to the Public Consultation Process of the Accessibility Directorate of the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration on the Ontarians with Disabilities Act

Received

Group discussion occurred regarding the key points identified for submission to the consultation process by the Community Outreach and Communications Subcommittee. The following recommendation was drafted by the Joint Peel Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee:

RECOMMENDATION AAC-13-2004

That the Province of Ontario establishes a separate Ministry dedicated only to disability issues;

And further, that all levels of government provide the necessary funding to support the implementation of the requirements under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, including incentives, tax breaks and other forms of funding;

And further, that the Province of Ontario develop technical standards regarding accessibility requirements, to be implemented into the Planning Act and/or the Ontario Building Code, with such standards including timelines, incentives and penalties for both the public and private sectors;

And further, that the Province of Ontario create a public awareness campaign to promote the principles of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act;

And further, that the Province of Ontario change the Annual Accessibility Plan submission date to December 31st of each year to reflect municipal business cycles.

Staff was directed to prepare a letter containing the recommendation and submit it to the Public Consultation Process of the Accessibility Directorate of the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration on the Ontarians with Disabilities Act prior to the March 31, 2004 deadline.

c) Accessibility Planning Coordinator's Report

Received

Meenu Sikand updated the Members of the AAC on the progress of updating the Region of Peel's Strategic Plan. She will be meeting with departmental managers across the organization to ensure accessibility is incorporated into each of the departmental Service Strategy Business Plans.

Meenu Sikand advised that a press release has been drafted and is currently being finalized for publication in local news papers.

Meenu Sikand addressed the request from the Mississauga Accessibility Advisory Committee to use the Regional "Making Way" logo for communication items of the Mississauga AAC. Pat Saito explained that the Mississauga AAC is seeking a formal written authorization to use the logo. Guidelines have been drafted for the use of the "Making Way" logo and they will be communicated to the Mississauga Accessibility Co-ordinator and the Mississauga Accessibility Advisory Committee once finalized.

d) Prioritization Action Items 2004 and Beyond Work Plan

Deferred to a future meeting of the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee

Members of the AAC were requested to review Appendix II of the 2003 Accessibility Plan which lists the Summary of Accessibility Barriers identified for future removal.

Members were requested to e-mail the items they consider priority items to Meenu Sikand prior to April 2, 2004. This information will be used during discussions with each department to highlight areas of concern from the AAC.

7. Next Meeting

April 13, 2004
1:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Region of Peel Headquarters
10 Peel Centre Dr.
Council Chambers, 5th floor
Brampton, Ontario

8. Adjournment:

Meeting adjourned at 4:10 p.m.