HomeMy WebLinkAboutGRAAC-2010-10-28
Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC)
Thursday October 28, 2010 Kitchener City Hall, Conestoga Room
PRESENT:
Taposhi Batabyal (Co-Chair),Anthony Cashin, Sharon Giles, Gordon Cummer,
Kurt Schneider, Gail Brunsdon, Mike Begin, Ken Parker, Paula Saunders, Interpreters
Karen Panchaud and Peggy Zehr, Councillor Jane Mitchell, Vanessa Lopak, Deb Bergey,
Pam Albrecht, Linda Pretty (Recorder)
REGRETS (MEMBERS):
Sharon Ward-Zeller, Saul Herzog, Myron Steinman, Amy Ross
REGRETS (OTHERS):
Councillor Kelly Galloway, Val Hummel, Rik Louwagie, Darryl
Denny, Johanna Ellis
ABSENT WITHOUT REGRETS:
N/A
1.0 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Taposhi Batabyal welcomed everyone to the October meeting and invited everyone
to introduce themselves.
2.0 APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER MINUTES AND REVIEW OF OCTOBER AGENDA
The committee was in agreement and both the minutes and agenda were approved.
3.0 RULES OF ORDER – Declarations of Pecuniary Interest
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This item will be a standing item on each GRAAC agenda.
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GRAAC has a Conflict of Interest Policy that all members of GRAAC are required to
sign. If members are unsure about whether or not they have a conflict interest, it is
advisable to err on the side of caution and declare it at the outset of the meeting. In
cases of a conflict, a member will need to excuse himself or herself from the
discussion.
4.0 BUSINESS ARISING
4.1 Waterloo Regional Police Service AODA Customer Service Implementation
Update – Joseph Steiner, Director of Administration and Finance, and Kevin
Thaler, Quality Assurance, Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS)
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Staff Sergeant Thaler circulated a draft “Procedure of the Waterloo Regional Police
Service: Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities” for review and asked for feedback
on the document regarding WRPS accessibility compliance.
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Staff Sergeant Thaler can be reached at 519-650-8500 ext 8535;
kevin.thaler@wrps.on.ca.
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This is one of many policies that govern the conduct and behaviour of police staff.
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The final version of this document will be presented to the Police Chief in the New
Year.
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Staff Sergeant Thaler would like to return to GRAAC for a final review of the
document prior to the January 2012 compliance deadline.
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While the WRPS does not normally circulate procedures outside the Police Service, it
is recognized that outside expertise and input is required in regard to accessibility.
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Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC)
Thursday October 28, 2010
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In regards to providing feedback, the WRPS has a government-run division that
addresses complaints from any citizen. The complaint would be investigated either
internally or externally and the Police Chief has 30 days to reply to that complaint.
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Staff Sergent Thaler highlighted key points from the Accessible Customer Service
Policy:
Transportation of citizens is being considered; however, it was noted that
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Police vehicles are regulated by legislation and therefore cannot be modified
at this time.
All WRPS staff will be trained in the use of relevant assistive devices.
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Interpreter services, including ASL interpreting services, are being reviewed.
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It is important to note that everyone present during an interview is considered
a witness, including an interpreter or a support person.
Service animals are allowed during interviews. Alternate options would be
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sought out if someone in the interview room had an allergy.
Renovations to prisoner cellblocks to allow for wheelchair access are being
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considered. It was noted that there are many requirements to consider in the
construction of cellblocks, for example the segregation of men, women and
youth.
Accessible customer service training is held every Wednesday. Sessions
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began in August and are planned until December in order to train all existing
staff.
Discussions have begun with regard to revamping the website to include
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features that make it more accessible.
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Ultimately, it is important that the document presented be useful for WRPS staff.
Questions and Answers, Discussion
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It was suggested that further definition of “support person” would be useful. An ASL
interpreter would not normally be considered a support person.
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It was further noted that when assisting with communication, an interpreter would be
included on a witness list. The interpreter is there only for communication, police
cannot question the interpreter about the person being interviewed.
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Further attention will need to be given to evaluating the proficiency of ASL
interpreters, both those contracted from outside the police service, and those who
volunteer from within. It can be a challenge to provide ASL on routine calls, but this
issue will need to be addressed. It was noted that it can be a challenge to measure
the proficiency of any interpreter.
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TTY access to Police Services is extremely important. Further training to ensure staff
proficiency with the technology will be investigated. Consideration will also be given
to communication technologies being investigated by the Region of Waterloo.
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Currently, Blackberry access to 911 is only auditory, there is no texting capability.
This is an access issue for people who are Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. While
the WRPS does not control the 911 infrastructure, it is an issue that can be
investigated.
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It was noted that the term “reasonable” may need to be defined further, as varying
interpretations may lead to actions and decisions that are not in keeping with the
Ontario Human Rights Code.
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At the conclusion of the discussion, members were encouraged to review the
document further and bring their input to a future GRAAC discussion on the topic.
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Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC)
Thursday October 28, 2010
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Representatives from the WRPS will be invited back to discuss GRAAC feedback
further.
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Electronic copies of the policy document will be distributed. It was noted that Police
documents are considered confidential, and neither electronic nor hard copies should
be shared outside of GRAAC.
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Joseph Steiner and Kevin Thaler were thanked for bringing these issues to GRAAC.
* Break *
5. NEW BUSINESS
5.1 Region of Waterloo Annual Accessibility Plan Draft
Vanessa Lopak, Region of Waterloo
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The draft ROW plan, which was sent out to members electronically, followed by hard
copy, was presented at the meeting for review and feedback.
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In previous years, the Region asked staff across the Corporation to identify activities
in their own work areas that will improve accessibility
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In 2005, an accessibility survey tool was developed which helped staff in identifying
where improvement was needed.
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Items that were more easily implemented have been completed and now larger
items, which require more time and funding, must be tackled.
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The Accessibility Steering Team looked at items that need to be addressed by all
departments across the Corporation.
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It was noted that the Waterloo Region Police Service is included in the Region’s plan.
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Members were divided into pairs to discuss the four of the six Focus Topics in the
Accessibility Plan. The group came together to share the main points of each
discussion.
1. Telephone Accessibility
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It was noted that TTY access is an issue, as TTY phones are not always
answered. There are other technology options that could be considered, for
example, Textnet or AIM computers.
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Text messaging as a communication format could also be considered.
2. Accessible Website Technology
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Items of importance include use of plain language, use of colour contrast and
considering the number of clicks needed to get to a piece of information. It is
also important to ensure contact information is available.
3. Accessible Feedback Process
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When considering an accessible feedback process, it is important to ensure
that all disabilities are taken into account.
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It is also important to ensure that there are multiple ways of providing
feedback.
4. Processes for Support Persons and Service Animals
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Concern with putting support persons and service animals in the same
category.
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Very important to include people who use the services in any discussions.
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Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC)
Thursday October 28, 2010
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A consistent communication policy is important, for example communicating
how a fee (if any) for a support person is determined.
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Noted that further education may be needed in regard to certain communities
and service animals.
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The fifth topic, Review of Interpreter Needs and Practices, was discussed as a whole
group.
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In light of the fact that ASL interpreters are limited, there was some discussion about
possible alternatives or options. Providing ASL interpreting by Skype was suggested.
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The sixth topic, Service Disruption Notification was touched on briefly. It was noted
that while processes are in place, they need to be improved.
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ACTION: Vanessa will collate responses and will send them to the group.
6. CO-CHAIRS REPORT
Taposhi Batabyal
6.1 Extra Meeting Update
An extra GRAAC meeting will be held on November 4 from 1:30 to 4:00 in the
Conestoga Room. The agenda will be sent to members in advance of the meeting.
6.2 Member Recruitment Update
GRAAC has space for two new members in order to reach full complement. The
application form is available on the GRAAC website or directly from staff.
6.3 Volunteer Appreciation
The City of Kitchener presented Certificates of Appreciation to GRAAC members who
have reached milestones of service. A note of appreciation was sent to the entire
committee by Volunteer Resources and was read to the group.
6.4 Self-Evaluation Update
Ten self-evaluations have been completed. Co-Chairs are currently reviewing the
findings and will bring a summary to GRAAC at a future meeting.
7.0 ADJOURNMENT
Ken moved to adjourn the meeting at 4:00 p.m. All were in favour
Next GRAAC Meetings
1. Thursday, November 4, 2010, 1:30-4:00pm, Conestoga Room, 200 King Street West,
Kitchener
2. Thursday, November 25, 2010, 1:30-4:00pm, Conestoga Room, 200 King Street
West, Kitchener
3. Thursday, December 16, 2010, 1:30 -4:00pm, Conestoga Room, 200 King Street
Please note, this meeting is on the third Thursday of the
West, Kitchener.
month.
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