THE JOINT PEEL- CALEDON

ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

G. Barnes presided.

1. Call to Order - Glenn Barnes

Glenn Barnes called the meeting to order at 1:55 p.m. and welcomed everyone.

2. Approval of March 23, 2004 Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee Minutes

RECOMMENDATION AAC-14 -2004

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

3. Approval of the April 13, 2004 Joint-Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee Agenda

RECOMMENDATION AAC-15-2004

That the agenda for the April 13, 2004, Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting be approved.

Glenn Barnes, Chair of the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), addressed the concern raised by AAC Member Terri Hamilton that she was not made aware of the action items until the minutes from the March 23, 2004 meeting were distributed. Glenn Barnes requested that staff provide action items, when applicable, to the Members of the AAC as soon as possible, following each AAC meeting.

Glenn Barnes added an update from AAC Member William Goursky on the review of sensitivity training material. The item was added under 6a, the Community Outreach and Communications Subcommittee Report.

4. Communication Items

a. Dr. Kuldip Kular, MPP, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship & Immigration Letter dated April 1, 2004, Thanking the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee for the Correspondence Regarding Recommendations to Make the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 More Effective

Received

Glenn Barnes noted that he made a brief verbal submission on the five recommendations identified by the AAC at the Accessibility Directorate's public consultation meeting March 23, 2004. The Provincial consultations are gathering input to improve the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA), 2001.

5. Meadowvale Public Health Clinic (Oral)
Presentation by Cathy McCall, Health Support Analyst, Region of Peel

Received

Cathy McCall presented a departmental overview of Peel Health. She explained that Peel Health is organized into two distinct sections; Public Health and Long Term Care.

Cathy McCall focused upon Public Health and identified the five main divisions within this section; Finance, Administration and Planning, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Environmental Health, Family Health and Communicable Diseases. She detailed the roles and responsibilities of each of the divisions within Public Health and the services they provide to the citizens of the Region of Peel.

Cathy McCall provided an overview of the new Peel Public Health Clinic located at 6975 Meadowvale Town Centre Circle, Mississauga. It is anticipated that the facility will open in the summer of 2004.

Cathy McCall explained that the clinic is a new approach to providing Public Health services to the community. This clinic will deliver a full range of services including: prenatal classes, flu clinics, breastfeeding support group, breastfeeding counselling and education, dental screening, healthy sexuality, needle exchange, vaccine distribution and smoking cessation clinics.

Cathy McCall noted that the clinic has been designed using barrier-free guidelines. It was further explained that the clinic's build team included a designer with experience in the construction of the Region's new Long Term Care facilities.

Group discussion followed.

William Goursky inquired if the clinic would be offering any mental health services. Cathy McCall responded that there would be some services provided through case management but that she would need to confirm the type of services and provide that information subsequent to the meeting. She was able to confirm for William Goursky that the clinic would be providing HIV counselling to those who have contracted HIV and their families.

Naz Husain asked if the clinic would be providing counseling to young children with disabilities and their families. Cathy McCall explained that children with disabilities are identified through the Healthy Babies program and limited assistance is available through the program. Cathy McCall needed to confirm if the services would be provided through the clinic and undertook to follow up with Naz Husain as soon as she has that information.

Naz Husain suggested that the Members of the AAC be invited for a tour of the new facility and that they be given an opportunity to provide feedback on the clinic's accessibility. Cathy McCall confirmed that they will be invited to a preview of the clinic and that feedback from the AAC would be very much appreciated.

Maureen Tymkow asked if Regional Council had approved the clinic and if construction was underway? Cathy McCall confirmed that Council had approved the clinic and that the storefront is already constructed, however, the Region is waiting on approval of building permits so that the interior of the clinic can be completed.

Councillor Pat Saito addressed some of her concerns about the number of available disabled parking spots, the location of those disabled parking spots in proximity to the clinic, the location of the nearest curb cut and the lack of parking spaces reserved for parents with young children. Councillor Saito suggested that these are issues that the Region should bring to the attention of the mall management. Councillor Saito also asked if interior design had included an accessible coat rack and efforts to eliminate objects protruding from the walls of the clinic had been considered. Cathy McCall noted these concerns and confirmed she would address them with the clinic build team.

Glenn Barnes requested that the architects for the project make a detailed presentation to the AAC on the plans for the new clinic. Glenn Barnes also noted that Members of the AAC will circulate the word to the wider community on both the accessibility of the clinic and the services Public Health intends to provide.

6. Other Business

a) Community Outreach and Communications Subcommittee Report (Oral)

i.) Review of Sensitivity Training Materials

Received

William Goursky provided a review of the video titled "Working Out - People with Disabilities in the Workplace". He indicated that this production focused on the person and not the disability and that it provided a good cross section of disabilities. William Goursky noted that the overall message was positive and the presentation was good.

William Goursky also reviewed a video titled "Ten Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities". He noted that this production would be useful for an audience with mixed levels of disability awareness. William Goursky felt the video would be good for sensitizing and that it used humour effectively to send messages.

In addition, William Goursky reviewed a guidebook titled "Building Community Solutions Guide Book". He explained that the article could be used in whole or in part, depending on the intended audience. William Goursky suggested that the language was easy to understand and that it would be a good teaching and training tool, whereas, the two videos previously mentioned were good for starting discussions rather than teaching.

Additional Items

ii.) Awareness Exercises (Disability Recognition and Mind Mapping) (Oral)

Received

Glenn Barnes explained and conducted a number of mind mapping exercises, designed to increase disability awareness, with those in attendance at the meeting.

Group discussion followed the exercises where it was agreed that these were very valuable and enlightening exercises that both Council and staff would benefit from participating in.

b) AAC List - Prioritization of Work Plan Action Items (Meenu Sikand to compile comments received and circulate documents to AAC via e-mail) (Oral)

RECOMMENDATION AAC-16 -2004

That Regional Council and the Executive Management Team endorse participation of Regional staff in disability education and sensitivity training as recommended by the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee on April 13, 2004;

And further, that a pilot program be scheduled as expeditiously as possible, to be provided by the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities Peel/Halton/Dufferin, at no cost to the Region of Peel;

And further, that participants in the pilot include representatives from Regional Council, the Executive Management Team, People, Information & Technology department training staff, Regional staff accessibility working group, and the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Meenu Sikand has compiled the feedback from the AAC and sensitivity training was identified as the number one priority of the Work Plan Action Items.

Councillor Saito advised that the Coalition of People with Disabilities held a workshop for the Mississauga Accessibility Advisory Committee and staff working group. She found it to be a very good workshop and encouraged the Members of the Joint Peel-Caledon AAC to organize a similar workshop at the Regional level.

There was discussion amongst the AAC Members regarding the workshop by the Coalition of People with Disabilities and other workshops. A pilot workshop to include Regional Councillors, the Regional Executive Management Team (EMT), Caledon and Peel staff working groups and the AAC Members was suggested. Councillor Saito recommended that Regional Council be requested to endorse this pilot workshop.

Meenu Sikand suggested that a pilot training session be organized to gain feedback on various sensitivity training media and programs.

Glenn Barnes agreed with the pilot project approach and suggested that Caledon and Peel Human Resources Departments could use this feedback to develop sensitivity training for Town and Regional staff.

William Goursky raised a concern regarding the different needs of various departments. He gave the example of the Planning Department that would need specific training on Accessibility Design and he suggested that it would be valuable to survey departments to determine specific training requirements.

Eriks Eglite informed the AAC that staff at the Town of Caledon had already taken action in this regard and that a report to Caledon Council was not required at this time.

Councillor Pat Saito indicated that a strongly worded resolution from Regional Council endorsing sensitivity training would ensure Regional staff participation at the level recommended by the AAC.

Kent Gillespie responded that the AAC could provide an update report on prioritization of the Work Plan Action Items. The report would identify sensitivity training as the top priority of the AAC and recommend that Council support training for staff. Kent Gillespie explained that the sensitivity training report could be before Regional Council on April 22, 2004.

c) Accessibility Planning Coordinator's Report (Oral)

Received

Glenn Barnes addressed the terms of reference of the AAC and the need to ensure the longevity of the Committee through staggered terms of membership. By staggering the terms of the AAC Members not all of the Members will leave at the same time thus allowing for continuity in the work of the Committee. Glenn Barnes indicated that further information would be communicated to the members prior to the next meeting of the AAC and if the members have any suggestions they can forward them to Meenu Sikand.

Meenu Sikand reported on meetings she has been having with all of the Regional Departmental Management Teams (DMT's). During these meetings she is communicating the Strategic Action Item developed by the AAC to ensure Accessibility Planning is incorporated into Departmental Service Strategy Business Plans (SSBPs). Meenu Sikand indicated that the response at DMT meetings has been very positive and has resulted in many questions as managers seek clarification in an effort to ensure they understand the required commitment.

Meenu Sikand also reported that she has been working with Property Services to add additional reserved parking spaces at the Regional Headquarters Building, 10 Peel Centre Dr., for persons with disabilities.

Meenu Sikand noted that the authorization letter for the City of Mississauga to utilize the Region of Peel's Making Way logo will be sent to the Mississauga AAC prior April 30, 2004.

7. Next Meeting

May 18, 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 4:20 p.m.