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Home My WebLink AboutGRAAC - 2012-08-23Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC) Thursday August 23rd, 2012 Kitchener City Hall, Conestoga Room PRESENT: Gordon Cummer (Co- Chair), Anthony Cashin (Co- Chair), Mike Shipley, Ken Parker, Carrie Speers, David Kuhn, Dorothy Staal, Amanda Moorhead, Kaitlyn Draker (Township of Wellesley), Julia Sippel (Township of North Dumfries), Stephannie Leach, Val Hummel (Township of Woolwich), Vanessa Lopak (Region of Waterloo), Lolita Paroski (City of Kitchener /City of Waterloo), Lisa Harper (ASL Interpreter), Lesley Roach (ASL Interpreter), Johanna Ellis (City of Kitchener, Recorder) REGRETS: Andrew Tutty, Paula Saunders, Dawn Griffen, Councillor Jean Haalboom, Councillor Kelly Galloway, Councillor Jeff Henry. 1.0 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS: • Anthony Cashin called the meeting to order. • Anthony welcomed all members; round table introductions. 2.0 APPROVAL OF JUNE MINUTES & AUGUST AGENDA: • Moved by Gordon Cummer, seconded by Ken Parker to accept the June minutes; carried. • Motion by Gord Cummer, seconded by Ken Parker to accept the August agenda; carried. 3.0 DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTERESTS: • There were no pecuniary interests to declare. 4.0 AODA DRAFT DESIGN OF PUBLIC SPACES STANDARD (Accessibility Standards for the BUILT Envirnment): www.mcss.gov.on.ca /en /mcss /programs /accessibility /built environment • Deadline date of October 1St, 2012 to submit any comments or suggestions to the Ministry. • Committee was sent the link above before the August meeting to read. Gordon gave an overview to the new committee members. Comments: 1. Recreational /Beach Access: • Where would we find trails? (eg Walter Bean). • What is meant by ramps having side walls? • Clarification by what is meant by a "Guard ". • Exceptions with designated heritage can be found on Page 11 of the draft document. • No marking for Boardwalks. Where do they begin and end? There should be tactile markings to let people know when they are coming to a boardwalk. 2. Outdoor Use Eating Areas: • Picnic tables in our outdoor areas do not have clearance for knees and feet. • It is recommended to ask that standards are met as picnic tables are replaced. 3. Outdoor Play Spaces: • Kitchener has accessible playgrounds (eg McLennan Park). • Staff consult with GRAAC regarding playground renovations, new development or redevelopment. 4. Exterior Paths of Travel: • If the road is steep, sidewalks can be a little hard to maneuver especially when the sidewalk matches the slope. August 2012 - GRAAC Minutes 5. Curb Cuts: • Tactile warnings are in the wrong place. • Would like to see a clearer definition of tactile in the plan. • There is no warning for a depressed curb. *Break* 5.0 OVERVIEW OF AODA TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBILITY REGULATION STANDARD - TRANSPORTATION (Carrie Speers): • Deploying a lifting device on request. • Need to ensure adequate time for patrons to be seated before the driver continues. • Storing accessibility aids on the bus and bus drivers assist people. • Making sure enough time is granted for safe boarding and exiting the bus. Ask for assistance when required. • Verbal announcements on the bus. • Standards that were to be in place by July 2011 & January 2012 are complete. Comments: • Buses that have advertising covering the entire bus makes it very difficult to see the bus number through the window. • External call out at bus stops would be helpful. (Region is going forward with outside announcements. Should be completed within 6 months to 1 year. Going through a software change). 6.0 FEATURES OF ACCESSIBLE BUS STOPS AND SHELTERS: Vanessa Lopak What are the features of a really great accessible bus shelter? Bus stop? Bus stop signage? ACCESSIBLE BUS SHELTERS: • Bigger shelters. Enough room for everyone, including wheelchairs, scooters and baby strollers. • Relocate digital sign in shelters to the side wall, making them visible from inside and outside the shelter. • Make digital sign audible. • Seating options outside the shelter, with an overhang for protection from weather /sun. • Lighting in or around the shelter? BUS STOPS: • Enough room to maneuver around the bus stop. Enough room when ramp is deployed to embark /disembark the bus. • Contrast around posts and other obstacles so they can be more easily distinguished. • Connect bus stop landing pad to sidewalk whenever possible. May mean creating an accessible path from a sidewalk to the bus stop, if the sidewalk is a distance away. • If a sidewalk is not possible, ensure there are curb cuts on the bus stop landing pad to enable people to get off the landing pad. SIGNAGE: • High contrast signage is needed to identify the bus stop (yellow on blue is not contrast enough), and on the schedules. Black on white is ideal. Includes iXpress schedule. • Lower the bus number sign and make the sign tactile so it can easily be read by a person with low vision or a person who is blind. • Ensure bus stop sign is close to the actual bus stop. • Keep newspaper boxes /garbage cans clear of the bus schedule posts. August 2012 - GRAAC Minutes 2 • Standardize the height of bus schedule signage so schedules are not too high or too low to read. • Remove unimportant signs. *Break* 7.0 CO -CHAIR REPORT: • Transportation workshop is on Wedesday September 26th, 2012 starting at 1 pm with Transportation staff, GRAAC and CNIB at Cambridge City Hall, 50 Dickson St. Cambridge. 1St Floor, Bowman Room. ASL Interpreters confirmed. • GRAAC would like this workshop to be a 2 -way diologue. • Gord presented Vanessa with a card for baby. Vanessa will be here for the September meeting and possibly the October meeting. 8.0 CONTINUATION OF #4: (Draft Standard) • How do we proceed with this? • Gord suggested he would gather information /feedback via email, discuss with Paula and Lolita around mid - September. Put the information into a document and forward to GRAAC members for review prior to submitting to the ministry. • Gord will present final proposed letter to ministry at the September GRAAC meeting. 9.0 STAFF REPORT (ACCESS 2012): Lolita Paroski • 2 (two) day tradeshow (Best in products and services for people with disabilities). Friday September 21St, 10am — 9pm. & Saturday September 22nd, 10am — 5pm. • GRAAC members were invited to volunteer a couple of hours or an hour to be at the booth. • Lolita handed out 2 schedules for GRAAC members to sign up if interested. • Lolita will also send out an email to all members to capture those who were not at today's meeting. • Mike Shipley and David Kuhn presented about the upcoming event. 10. DIALOGUE ON DIVERSITY UPDATE: DIALOGUE ON DIVERSITY - PEOPLE LIVING WITH A DISABILITY: The fourth in a series of dialogues in the Region taking place over the next several years 1. Committee Member Organization • GRAAC, CNIB, Waterloo Region Family Network, Independent Living Centre, Canadian Hearing Society, MS Society, City of Kitchener, Region of Waterloo and community members. 2. Purpose of the Dialogues • Part of the Region of Waterloo's Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. • Informal sessions to create opportunities for Regional staff to: • Discuss, understand, and probe issues of diversity and inclusion with community members and relevant partner organizations. 3. Goals • Foster an inclusive environment so individuals can achieve their full potential in the community and in the workplace. • Identify barriers in providing inclusive services. • Identify improvement opportunities for inclusion in Region's processes, policies, programs, and services. August 2012 - GRAAC Minutes 3 4. Dialogue Time and Place • October 18th, from 1 — 4pm • Kitchener City Hall Rotunda • 2012 Paralympian Rower — Victoria Nolan is Key Note Speaker 5. Support available for dialogue • ASL Sign language interpretation. • Personal attendants. • Captioning — live or remote. • Support people for breaks. • Rich text format documents sent in advance. • CNIB interveners. • Participant information packages available in accessible formats. 11. ADJOURNMENT /NEXT MEETING: A motion was made by David Kuhn to adjourn, seconded by Carrie Speers. The next meeting will be on Thursday September 27th, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. Conestoga Room at Kitchener City Hall. August 2012 - GRAAC Minutes 4