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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGRAAC-2010-04-22 Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC) nd Thursday April 22, 2010 Kitchener City Hall, Conestoga Room PRESENT: Sharon Ward-Zeller (Co-Chair), Taposhi Batabyal (Co-Chair), Ken Parker, Sharon Giles, Gail Brunsdon, Anthony Cashin, Amy Ross, Kurt Schneider, Karen Panchaud & Lisa Harper (ASL Interpreters, Councillor Kelly Galloway, Councillor Jane Mitchell, Vanessa Lopak, Brent Wilcox, Darryl Denny, Pam Albrecht, Johanna Ellis (Recorder), REGRETS (MEMBERS): Myron Steinman, Gord Cummer REGRETS (OTHERS): Val Hummel, Rick Louwagie ABSENT: Councillor Karen Scian GUESTS: Kristen Ross (WRPH), Carol Popovic, Sanja Mrsa, Roberto Martinez, Mario Petricevic 1.0 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS: Sharon Ward-Zeller welcomed everyone to the March meeting 2.0 APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY/MARCH MINUTES AND APRIL AGENDA: ? A motion was made by Ken Parker, seconded by Kurt Schneider that the minutes for the February meeting be approved. All were in favour; the motion was carried. ? A motion was made by Sharon Giles, seconded by Anthony Cashin that the minutes of the March meeting be approved. All were in favour; the motion was carried. ? A motion was made “as amended to read at the bottom of the next agenda “Please forward any items of information, if any, regarding th May 12, events of interest to persons with disabilities to co-chairs by 2010 by Ken Parker, seconded by Gail Brunsdon to accept the April agenda, as amended. All were in favour, the motion was carried. 3.0 NEW BUSINESS: Accessibility Community Gardens (Waterloo Region Public Health): Kristen Ross (WRPH), Carol Popovic ? A power point presentation was distributed along with a blank sheet for Ideas & Suggestions for barrier free gardens. ? Kristen Ross and Carol Popovic presented some background information and an overview of existing community gardens in the Region, including some ideas and plans for accessibility, but with a view to receiving GRAAC’s input on how to make these gardens universally accessible to all persons with disabilities. nd GRAAC – April 22, 2010 1 ? After the presentation, the floor was open for questions. Q: Is this for individuals or for the public? A: Could be for both. Everybody can enjoy gardening or viewing depending on what is available and where in the community, is it available. Comments: ? Asphalt would be better as opposed to cement for visually impaired people. Different coloured stones would assist. ? Taposhi commented on the design of the path to her own garden. They used salt-pitted texture in the concrete and edges are painted brown. It looks great and is accessibility friendly. ? Committee was quite receptive to the ideas of the different types of garden that were presented (refer to your PowerPoint presentation and attachments to the minutes). Q: Is there anything else the committee can do to facilitate this initiative? A: Since the program is always seeking donations, GRAAC might be able to assist with researching sources for funding, and to advise on assistive devices such as long-handled ergonomic tools and equipment. Comments: ? At this time, only gardens in Kitchener have funding source. ? Have someone or the entire committee take a look at the designs for accessibility. See if there is a group to connect with. ? Any feedback and information should be emailed to Carol Popovic at Popovic@regionofwaterloo.ca ? Sharon Ward-Zeller thanked Kristen Ross and Carol Popovic for their presentation. 4.0CO-CHAIR REPORT: ? Taposhi thanked all volunteers on the committee, given that it is Volunteer Week. ? There were a series of open houses for the Regional Transportation th master plan on April 13 – 15. ? There is an EnAbling Change program with provincial funding that gives money for non-profit accessibility programs. ? Please support someone involved in the Rick Hanson “Wheels in th Motion” fundraiser on June 13. Much of the proceeds stay within the local community to help fund quality of life programs for people with spinal cord injuries and related disabilities. nd GRAAC – April 22, 2010 2 5.0 COUNCILLOR’S REPORT(S): 5.1 Councillor Galloway ? Detour due to downtown construction in Kitchener. ? The merger question will be on the ballot in this fall’s municipal elections, to see whether or not the public would like the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of amalgamation. ? Kelly thanked the committee for their time as committed volunteers. 5.2 Pam Albrecht: City of Kitchener ? Pam shared with the committee a corporate project being rolled out by the City of Kitchener called “Who are you Kitchener?” City staff is asking for public input. Pam has workbooks and cards with information. th The cut-off date to give your input is May 5. 6.0 TRANSPORTATION: Grand River Transit update on Audible/Visual bus announcements - Peter Zinck - Grand River Transit ? Regional Council has approved funding for vehicles 12 years or newer to be equipped with audible/visual technology. This will affect approximately 114 buses by October 2010. ? Approximately 75% of fleet will be equipped with audible/visual technology. ? Going from 18 year replacement plan to a 12 year replacement plan. ? By 2014 all of the feet will have technology on board. Q: Who is maintaining technology on the buses currently and how is this controlled? A: There was a discussion at the Region regarding this. It is done by default settings. This is not left up to drivers to set. The new buses are fine and GRT staff is working with a firm to address the issues. If there are problems, contact GRT at www.grt.ca and give the bus number and problem, and will be investigated. The program will address issues over time, that is, once they get to 100% of the fleet, any problems will be solved. Comments: ? Anthony commented that the Toronto TTC buses have blue lights to indicate the presence of audio and visual announcements. Perhaps the Region can look into this type of technology. nd GRAAC – April 22, 2010 3 Q: Where and how do we effectively give feedback? A: You can tell the bus driver; email grt.ca or call 519-585-7555. You can ask the bus driver for the bus #. Q: Have the bus drivers had sensitivity training, updating regularly? A: Yes, all new drivers are required to have this training and there have been community members, some of whom are members of GRAAC. Comments: ? Christine Kleaver, from Mobility Plus, organizes sensitivity training. Sharon Ward-Zeller usually attends. Amy Ross has also attended and given input. Q: Can trainingand/or resources be available to bus drivers for Audible/Visual technology? A: This is a very timely question and the Region will work on updating and making resources available. Q: Can a “face-to-face” meeting be heldto voice concerns rather than calling it in? A: GRT staff are always available if required and Peter Zinck left his business card for contact information. 7.0 BUILT ENVIRONMENT: Bridgeport Community Centre – Roberto Martinez ? Roberto presented the city’s “draft” plan on renovating the existing community centre in Bridgeport. ? Renovations to the interior and an addition to existing building are proposed in the plan. ? Parking seemed to be a concern especially around the location of barrier free parking spaces and access to walkways. This was especially of concern since the location was to close to traffic coming in off of Tyson Drive, where motorists are unaware of these spots, and because persons with disabilities accessing the community centre of leaving it will be in the path of traffic movement, to and from the parking lot. At certain times, such as after hockey games, the congestion of traffic picking up and dropping off children will create a possible safety concern for many persons with disabilities. Q: (from staff) can relocation be looked at for barrier free parking spots? A: Barrier free parking could be moved, possibly several spots below the current ones to provide space that is not directly in the path of traffic turning in from Tyson Drive or to the other side of the building and away from the path of traffic. There will also be a pathway for wheelchairs with barrier free access from parking and to the entrance. nd GRAAC – April 22, 2010 4 Q: There is still a potential problem for people with a disability, for example: someone using a walker or with another mobility problem. Can parking be put closer to the entrance and have traffic movement behind the parking spots instead of in front of them? A: This could present a problem having cars too close to the front door. A buffer is required for light glare in the windows. This can be discussed this with the consultants. Q: Is there not a special type of glass available for the building that would reduce headlight glare? A: There is a special type of glass, but it does not eliminate the glare Q: What about the curbs from the parking lot area to the walkway that may pose a barrier problem? A: It is our understanding that they will be flush with the walkway. Q: Can my guide dog and I find the entrance easily and is there a bus stop nearby? A: Mario explained where the bus stop is, near the Bridge-Lancaster roundabout, and also indicated that the streets in the subdivision around the community centre happen to have no sidewalks. There will be sidewalks all around the community centre but the lack of sidewalks in the surrounding subdivision is not the responsibility of facilities management. If it is a regional road then it is the responsibility of the region and if a city road then it is the responsibility of operations. The entrance, however, is clearly demarcated. Q: Is the bus going to be a low floor bus and is the road and sidewalk flush at the bus stop? A: This is a question for the Region and Engineering (if a city road). This presentation is for the purpose of discussing the Community Centre Renovations and ways to make it accessible. Q: Will there be yellow crosswalk type parking pedestrian markings (from accessible parking) and possibly also traffic calming strips? Speed bumps can be a problem for lowered-floor vehicles. A: We will take that question back to the engineers. Q: Are the doors staggered? Where are the automatic push buttons? It is awkward when the entrance is not “straight in accessible”. A: We will take a look at the entrance and talk to the engineering team to make it straight as possible. Perhaps have the door swing in. Q: Are the emergency exits at grade level? A: Exits for the public will be at grade level. nd GRAAC – April 22, 2010 5 ? Roberto was thanked for his presentation and it was understood that there would be further discussion around the renovations and addition at the Bridgeport Community Centre in the future. 8.0 OTHER BUSINESS 8.1 City of Kitchener Online Communications Strategy – Colleen Collins ? Colleen’s presentation is as follows (taken from handout): The City of Kitchener has undertaken an online communications strategy to come up with some recommendations on using online tools to better reach citizens. A report will be going to council in May of 2010. This strategy will compliment the launch of our updated and redesigned website that will be easier to navigate and have more comprehensive information for residents. As part of the new website, we are planning to purchase “Browse Aloud”, a software program that converts text to speech and assists with reading and comprehension through additional features like highlighting words as they are spoken. The following are the primary online tools the city is recommending we use: FACEBOOK – promote our fan page and use ads to target specific audiences for events TWITTER – provide regular, timely updates about things taking place at and around the city YOU TUBE – create a City of Kitchener channel on You Tube for posting video about the city FLICKR – create a group account where residents can submit photos of the city for use by others KIJIJI - for posting specific types of jobs (youth, trades) E-NEWSLETTER – create one e-newsletter for all city news to build relationships with residents and engage them through articles In addition to the tools listed above, staff researched a number of other tools that are not being recommended in this strategy. We are not recommending the following tools be used at this time; however, we will re-evaluate their appropriateness in the future: Corporate Blogs Podcasts Wikis The following tools are not being recommended for use: Craigslist Myspace Digg nd GRAAC – April 22, 2010 6 Yahoo ads Google ads YouTube ads Follow up questions for discussion: What are your thoughts generally about the city using online tools to reach its citizens? Do you use any of the above tools and how often? Would you “follow” the city using any of these tools (why or why not?)? Are there any barriers to accessing the above tools? Are there any conflicts between assistive devices and these tools that you know of? ? Comments that many people may not use these tools especially older adults. ? Colleen commented that these tools will not replace the existing City website or existing newsletters, posters etc. The website re-design discussion includes addressing navigation to make it easier. (Example: an A-Z listing of services; quick link where common questions can be asked and users be guided directly to the link. ? Road closure information etc. is already available in the public notices section of the city internet site. Things like road closures, weather and public notices are being addressed to make them easier to locate on website. ? This will also be an RSS feed that you can register for where notices go directly to your electronic device(s) such as Blackberries etc. ? The committee commended Communications for utilizing tools to make things accessible for everyone. ? There was a questionnaire on the back of the handout from Colleen. The committee was asked to fill it out and either hand it in or send it electronically or by mail to: Colleen Collins Communications 200 King St W nd 2 Floor, Eby Tower Kitchener ON N2G 4G7 Or email it to Colleen at: colleen.collins@kitchener.ca nd GRAAC – April 22, 2010 7 9.0 ADJOURNMENT Ken moved to adjourn the meeting at 3:48 p.m. The next GRAAC meeting th will be held on Thursday May 27 at Kitchener City Hall in the Conestoga Room on the main floor from 1:30 – 4:00 p.m. nd GRAAC – April 22, 2010 8