HomeMy WebLinkAboutGRAAC-2010-12-16
Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC)
Thursday, December 16, 2010 Kitchener City Hall, Conestoga Room
PRESENT:
Taposhi Batabyal (Co-Chair), Sharon Ward-Zeller (Co-Chair), Anthony Cashin, Sharon
Giles, Gordon Cummer, Kurt Schneider, Gail Brunsdon, Mike Begin, Ken Parker, Interpreters; Karen
Panchaud & Leslie Roach, Councillor Kelly Galloway, Vanessa Lopak, Pam Albrecht, Johanna Ellis
(Recorder)
GUESTS:
Julie Marshall (City of Kitchener, Special Events), Tracy Suerich (City of Waterloo, Arts,
Culture, Festivals and Events), Cynthia Fletcher (City of Kitchener, Facilities Management), Lorie
Fioze (Region of Waterloo, Office of the CAO)
REGRETS (MEMBERS):
Saul Herzog, Amy Ross, Paula Saunders
1.0 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Sharon Ward-Zeller welcomed everyone to the December meeting and invited everyone to
introduce themselves.
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2.0 APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 4 & 25 MINUTES & DECEMBER AGENDA
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November 4 minutes, moved by Anthony Cashin, seconded by Sharon Giles, CARRIED
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November 25 minutes, moved by Ken Parker, seconded by Taposhi Batabyal, CARRIED
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Change to December agenda as follows: 6.1, GRAAC Election Update; 6.2, Volunteer
Recognition; 6.3, City Hall Accessibility Upgrades Input; 6.4 Taxi Services Update; 6.5
Region of Waterloo Strategic Plan update. Moved by Sharon Giles, as amended, seconded
by Ken Parker, CARRIED
3.0 DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST
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No conflicts of interest were declared.
4.0 NEW BUSINESS
4.1 Kitchener and Waterloo Special Events Checklist
Pamela Albrecht, Julie Marshall, Tracy Suerich,
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One of the commitments of the Kitchener-Waterloo 2010 Joint Accessibility Plan was to bring
a Special Events checklist forward to GRAAC for their feedback and input.
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Checklists from both Kitchener and Waterloo were provided electronically in advance and in
hard copy at the meeting
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City of Waterloo checklist includes items staff plan to implement at each event. Staff
recognize that this may not provide complete accessibility, however this list represents what
is currently possible given staff and budget resources. This document will be reviewed and
revised on an annual basis and items will be added as budget and staff time allow.
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City of Kitchener checklist is more comprehensive, however not all items will be possible or
appropriate for every event. Including all of these items in the document will serve as a
reminder to staff that this is what is needed for a truly accessible event.
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Special Events and Festivals staff have worked closely with Inclusion Services staff to
develop these checklists.
Discussion
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The Committee worked in small groups to discuss specific topic areas from the checklists
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Members were asked to consider the following questions
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Has anything significant been overlooked?
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What should be considered in order to implement these items, e.g. current best practices,
community resources, etc.?
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December 2010 - GRAAC Minutes
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General Comments:
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Ensure these documents get used
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Consider the presence of visual alerting systems at the venue
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Accessible Viewing Areas:
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Raised platforms for Accessible Viewing areas not necessary – in fact, can be difficult to
navigate with a mobility device
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Gates are more effective than ropes when delineating an accessible viewing area
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Information Booth:
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Wheelchair symbol denotes physical accessibility only – helpful to use and include
symbols denoting other types of accessibility (e.g. hearing assistance, alternate formats)
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Multiple symbols could and should be used
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Venue and Set-up
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Events seem to be quite accessible overall
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Accessible washrooms are extremely helpful and appreciated
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Training:
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Ensure it is ongoing given the high turnover of volunteers
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ASL Interpreting:
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Ensure there is a contingency plan if ASL interpreting is not available – connect with the
Canadian Hearing Society about what they would suggest as a back-up plan
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Can be helpful to have a warm-up or run-through with interpreter – where to stand, etc.
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Ensure there is signage or some information regarding when and where ASL is available
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FM Systems:
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Remember that advance booking is necessary
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Publicity:
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Alternate formats should, at minimum, include scheduling information and the accessible
features of the event (e.g. accessible parking, location of Mobility Plus drop off point, etc.)
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Advertising:
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Send information to agencies that serve people with disabilities
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Make better use of City websites to advertise
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Ensure electronic formats are accessible and compatible with adaptive technology
4.2 Municipal Audit Update
Pamela Albrecht, Cynthia Fletcher
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The 2010 Joint Accessibility Plan committed to providing GRAAC with a status update on the
Herrington Audit at the end of the year.
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Cynthia Fletcher provided an update on accessibility improvements that have been made to
City of Kitchener facilities.
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The work done had been identified as a priority by The Herrington Audit and in accordance
with priorities identified by GRAAC.
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Shortly after 2007, the City successfully applied for Federal Government funding in order to
update and improve facilities.
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By March 2011, City of Kitchener will have made $1 million worth of upgrades to facilities.
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Accessibility upgrades have been completed at the By-Law office, 33 Ontario Street
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The smaller items identified by the audit, such as adjusting mirror and hand dryer heights,
are being completed as part of regular facility maintenance.
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Finalized version of the Accessible Built Environment Standard will provide further direction.
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To ensure that funding is available for future accessibility upgrades, staff are proposing that
$100,000 be designated for these projects for the next 10 years. This funding is subject to
Council approval.
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Pam Albrecht shared an update on accessibility upgrades completed by the City of Waterloo.
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The projects have been funded using budget dollars approved by Council.
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Since August 2007 the following have been completed:
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Installation of sliding glass doors at Albert McCormick Community Centre (AMCC) library.
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Installation of sliding glass doors at Erbsville Centre
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Painting of Uptown Parkade
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Installation of accessible drinking fountain at AMCC and City Hall
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Installation of 1 metre door and automatic door operator at Waterloo Memorial Recreation
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Complex (WMRC), providing access to the walking track at the top of arena.
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Renovations to public washrooms in Waterloo Park East to increase accessibility, including
concrete ramps, power door operators, lowered counters and fixtures, accessible stalls.
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More projects have been approved and construction will begin in Spring 2011:
Installation of new counter at Service Centre, including accessible height of one wicket
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Installation of new revenue counter at City Hall including one accessible height wicket.
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*BREAK*
5.0 BUSINESS ARISING
5.1 Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS), AODA Customer Service Policy Feedback
Vanessa Lopak
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Hard copies of this confidential policy document were provided at the October GRAAC
meeting. Electronic copies were provided following the meeting.
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The WRPS has invited further feedback from GRAAC.
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Now that the group has had more time to review and digest the document, discussion and
feedback from today’s session will be compiled and shared with the WRPS.
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WRPS representatives will be invited to return to GRAAC in early 2011 for further discussion.
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Handout, (green) “Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Summary of Requirements
(Government of Ontario) was distributed.
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A reminder that the Customer Service Standard requires that documents must be available
to the public and that provision be made in regard to assistive devices, service animals,
support persons, communication, service disruptions and feedback.
Discussion
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The group used the following question to guide their discussion:
What is missing/needs to be expanded upon in the current draft policy/procedures?
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Define what is meant by “reasonable efforts.” Without this definition, the WRPS could be
opening itself up to a challenge through the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
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Use person-first language throughout the document (e.g. Section G (1))
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Specify exactly who is intended to coordinate feedback process described in Section D (10).
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Define “safety concerns” (Section E (b)). Be explicit about what is considered a safety
concern, and the actions members may take in dealing with safety concerns. Remember to
take into consideration invisible disabilities.
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Training:
Clearly articulate the training schedule for new and existing members, including how
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often refresher training will be undertaken.
Document who provides training, they type of training that will be provided, and
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when/how often training will be provided.
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Describe how the public will be notified of a disruption in service.
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Members were invited to submit further feedback via email.
6.0 OTHER BUSINESS
6.1 GRAAC Election Update
Vanessa Lopak
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Elections will be held at the January 27 meeting.
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Quorum is required to hold elections. Minimum of eight (8) GRAAC members must be at the
table. If you do not plan to be at the meeting, please let the co-chairs know.
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Elections will be held for 2 GRAAC Co-Chairs, Transportation Sub-Committee Chair and
Built Environment Sub-Committee Chair.
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Co-Chair Elections - each member can vote for up to two (2) candidates, however you may
vote for only one (1) if that is your choice.
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Voting by proxy is available for members who cannot attend the meeting. Candidate choices
can be provided to another member who will vote on your behalf. Members may also contact
staff, if they cannot make the meeting.
6.2 Volunteer Recognition
Vanessa Lopak
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Vanessa thanked the committee for all of their hard work and dedication to GRAAC.
6.3 City Hall Accessibility Upgrades Input
Pamela Albrecht
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New automatic sliding glass doors have been installed at council chambers (City of
Kitchener) that are easy to open.
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Members are invited to view these doors after the meeting and provide feedback on
providing visual contrast.
6.4 Taxi Services Update
Sharon Giles
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GRAAC members had requested more information on options for booking.
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Sharon Giles reported that Waterloo Taxi, United Taxi and City Cab currently use the Bell
Relay service.
*BREAK*
6.3 Region of Waterloo Strategic Plan Discussion
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The region is conducting a telephone survey, an online survey and focus groups.
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Responses will inform the Strategic Plan.
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Also, meeting with Advisory groups to provide an introduction to the process, may meet for
more in-depth discussion.
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The Strategic Plan is the guiding document for the newly elected Council and guides
planning for the next four years.
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GRAAC members were provided with packages including more information on the Strategic
Plan process.
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Information on what the Region is responsible for;
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Progress report on achievements of the last four years – alternate formats are available;
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Postcards with instructions on how to access the online survey. The survey will be live
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until February 17. GRAAC members were encouraged to complete the survey and
encourage others to do so as well.
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Regional Council will use the feedback from the survey to develop a draft Strategic Plan.
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The draft will be made available for public review and comment in March 2011.
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ACTION:
GRAAC members are encouraged to provide individual feedback via the online
survey. Lorie Fioze will be invited to return in March to present and seek GRAAC feedback
on the draft Strategic Plan.
7.0 ADJOURNMENT
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Motion to adjourn by Ken Parker. All in favour and the meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m.
NEXT MEETING: Thursday January 27th, 2011, 1:30 – 4:00 p.m., **Conestoga Room**
200 King St W, Kitchener
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December 2010 - GRAAC Minutes