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Home My WebLink AboutGRAAC 2015-11-26Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee Date: Thursday November 26th, 2015 Location: Conestoga Room, Kitchener City Hall Present: Greg Moore (Co- Chair), David Kuhn (Co- Chair), Donna Hartzler, Amanda Moorhead, Rob Bender, Paula Saunders, Andrew Tutty, Sharon Giles, Carrie Speers, Mike Shipley, Brenda Robinson, Kathie Must, Lolita Paroski (City of Kitchener /City of Waterloo), Vanessa Lopak (Region of Waterloo), Kaitlyn Werth (Township of Wellesley),Wendy Smith (Township of Wellesley), Johanna Ellis (City of Kitchener, Recorder), Julie Forth (Township of Woolwich), Councillor Bob Mavin (City of Waterloo), Councillor Sue Foxton (Region of Waterloo). Regrets: Laura Master, Councillor Kelly Galloway - Sealock (City of Kitchener), Dawn Mittelholtz (Township of Wilmot), Keri Cameron, Julia Sippel (Township of North Dumfries). Absent: Dawn Clelland Guest(s): Marina Dotzert (City of Kitchener), Dave Smith (GRT), Deb Bergey 1.0 Welcome and Introductions • Greg welcomed everyone • Round table introductions 2.0 Approval of October Minutes and November Agenda • M /S /C — David Kuhn, Rob Bender to accept the October minutes. (Change the date at the bottom of the October minutes to read November 26th, 2015). • M /S /C — Carrie Speers, Sharon Giles to accept the November agenda. 3.0 Declarations of Pecuniary Interests • None 4.0 Region of Waterloo Status Update (Vanessa Lopak) • Vanessa handed out hard copies of the Accessibility Update. • The Region of Waterloo Accessibility Plan Status Update was produced to meet the legislative requirement to seek advice from GRAAC on the annual update to the Multi Year Accessibility Plan. • The present plan includes an update from the Region of Waterloo, Waterloo Regional Police Services, and Grand River Transit. • Update also includes a draft of the maintenance and service disruption procedures on the elements in the Design of Public Spaces Standard, and the bi- annual provincial compliance report. • Vanessa summarized items in the Accessibility Plan Status Update, and took questions /comments. Dave Smith, Grand River Transit, also provided a summary of the Grand River Transit Accessibility Plan and took questions /comments. GRAAC feedback is summarized below. Comments regarding the Waterloo Regional Police Service plan: • Will you also be ensuring you meet all of the employment requirements of the AODA? • Why is the compliance date for the website so far away (2021)? • Any updates resulting from our visit to the North Division (WRPS) in regards to the placement of the automatic door openers at the main entrance? Comments regarding the GRT plan: • Is the reduction in MobilityPlus because of accessible conventional transit? - Likely a result of changed eligibility criteria for MobilityPlus, as required by the AODA. • Does GRT foresee problems with ION at the points where there is a disparity between northbound and southbound trains? - Won't know the full impact until ION is completed. • The group cautions again saying conventional transit is "fully accessible" because there will always be someone for whom it is not accessible enough. Strongly recommend just describing it as "accessible ". • Who determines eligibility for MobilityPlus? What types of identification will be sufficient for eligibility? - The AODA set the eligibility criteria for specialized transit. When it is not obvious that someone is eligible, GRT has an independent physical therapist that assesses applications. There is an appeals process in place if someone does not agree with the decision. • What changes does GRT foresee when ION is in place? - MobilityPlus will most likely be taking more customers to and from the ION stations. • If I am on the #8, 1 can currently get to where I need without transferring. If the routes change, and the #8 takes me to an ION station where I will need to transfer several times, I'll be calling MobilityPlus to avoid all of the transfers. • Will people be "grandfathered" into the MobilityPlus with the changing eligibility criteria? - Currently, MobilityPlus applicants have to re- register every 3 years. Once you are ready to re- register, you will be under the new eligibility criteria. No one will be "grandfathered ". - The MobilityPlus office will notify customers when their 3 year registration comes due. BREAK 5.0 Region of Waterloo Draft Accessible Design Guidelines (Vanessa Lopak) • Vanessa provide electronic copies of the draft Accessible Design Guidelines that were sent with the agenda package • Vanessa summarized the background information to the guidelines, including why guidelines are important, the goals for creating the guidelines, what they contain and how they will be used. GRAAC — November 2015 Minutes Page 2 • Vanessa asked the group to decide how they would like to provide advice /feedback on the guidelines, and answered questions. Summary of Discussion on the Accessible Design Guidelines: • The term "disability is used a lot in this document. Suggest focusing on accessibility, not disability. • Process — coordinate with cities and townships to ensure consistency across the region. • Training — include background on where the standards come from, why they are important, who they benefit. • Domes — need to find a way to assist people with aligning at crosswalks. Domes do not do this. • Accessibility is not just physical. What about standards for accessibility beyond the physical space? • Approach for GRAAC feedback - Section off the document, request for volunteers to review a section. ACTION: Vanessa to email Table of Contents to GRAAC members, for sign -up. BREAK 6.0 Built Environment Committee Update (Lolita Paroski) Sidewalk Prioritization Program • Chris Hodgson, City of Waterloo came to GRAAC on March 26, 2015 to provide a presentation on "Sidewalk Prioritization Program ". After the presentation GRAAC supported and endorsed his recommendations. Chris Hodgson has asked that an update be provided to GRAAC. a) It was anticipated the report would go to Council late spring /early summer 2015. A number of factors delayed this report progressing. b) Chris has worked further on the program and has enhanced things a little while maintaining the same principles on criteria referenced in earlier work. One of the key enhancements as part of this sidewalk program is targeting high priority areas to comply with forthcoming AODA requirements at City intersections — i.e. tactile hazard walking indicators (truncated domes). c) The report is scheduled for Dec 7`" Committee of the Whole meeting. The committee endorsements (provided in March) are incorporated into the report. If approved by City of Waterloo Council, a list of priority locations will be developed and planning and designing of these sidewalks would commence in 2016 for construction starting 2017. Construction of some sidewalks will continue in 2016 with locations having been selected from previously approved studies. GRAAC — November 2015 Minutes Page 3 1.) Accessibility of Intersections The brainstorm list that came out of the sub group meeting (held August 2015 at ILC) was presented to City of Kitchener and City of Waterloo staff this month. Paula and Lolita were scheduled to meet with staff on Tuesday Nov 17, 2015. Lolita met with staff and shared the list. Next steps: Lolita to pull together a draft (1 to 2 pages) on things to consider for accessibility of intersections using GRAAC's brainstorm list and adding photos that were submitted. Once this is ready it will be shared with GRAAC at a GRAAC meeting for comments. This would be a resource shared with contractors awarded the project at the pre- construction meeting. 7.0 Transportation Committee Update (Sharon Giles) • November meeting was cancelled. • Trying to coordinate a meeting to where the Transportation and Built Environment Committee(s) overlap. • The Next GTSC meeting is scheduled for December 10th. Possible agenda items are: GRT Update; Snow Removal; Smart Cards. 8.0 Councillor(s) Report(s) • Councillor Sue Foxton let the group know that she shares GRAAC information with North Dumfries Council. • Coucillor Bob Mavin reported that the City of Waterloo will be discussing leaf pick up in late January, early February. • Budget discussion begins December 14th, 2015. There will be public input (social media). • King and Caroline intersection is hard for pedestrians to navigate. Councillor Mavin will be asking staff if there is a quick solution to make it more accessible for everyone. 9.0 Co- Chair /Staff Reports • Township of Woolwich has approved the multi -year accessibility plan. • Greg and David would like time to adjust and make position papers more effective. • Will discuss templates and how to make them more effective beginning in January. • Andrew indicated that he will send out information regarding the Kitchener Neighbourhood Strategy to group members. • David is stepping down and announced that his last meeting will be in December. 10.0 Adjournment • Motion by Paula Saunders and seconded to Carrie Speers to adjourn the meeting, CARRIED. Next meeting is Thursday December 17th, 2015 from 1:30 — 5:00 pm at Kitchener City Hall in the Conestoga Room. GRAAC — November 2015 Minutes Page 4