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Home My WebLink AboutGRAAC - 2017-02-23Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee Date: Thursday February 23d, 2017 Location: Conestoga Room, City of Kitchener Present: Sharon Giles (Co -Chair), Carrie Speers (Co -Chair), Mike Shipley, Andrew Tutty, Rob Bender, Donna Hartzler, Dawn Clelland, Gail Brunsdon, Michele Cadotte, Peggy Zehr (ASL Interpreter), (ASL Interpreter), Julie Forth (Township of Woolwich), Gina Hickman (Region of Waterloo), Lolita Paroski (City of Kitchener/City of Waterloo), Johanna Ellis (Recorder) Regrets: Paula Saunders, Greg Moore, Keri Cameron, Jolene MacDonald, Councillor Bob Mavin, Councillor Sarah Marsh, Councillor Sue Foxton, Dawn Mittelholtz (Township of Wilmot) Absent: Amy Black (Township of Wellesley), Lori Heinbuch (Township of North Dumfries), Brenda Robinson Guests: Melissa Edwards (Student, Region of Waterloo), Michelle Trinh (Student, City of Kitchener), Jennifer Walker (Region of Waterloo) 1.0 Welcome and Introductions • Called the meeting to order at 1:30pm • Round table introductions 2.0 Approval of January Minutes and February Agenda • Motion to accept the February agenda by Carrie and seconded by Mike, carried • Motion to accept the January minutes by Donna and seconded by Gail, carried 3.0 Declarations of Pecuniary Interests • None 4.0 Township of Woolwich — Breslau Fire Hall/EMS Station — Julie Forth • Township in partnership with the Region is building a fire/EMS station in Breslau. • Julie handed out copies of the site plan drawings to GRAAC members. • Julie went over the site plan drawing and showed 2 accessible parking spots close to the entrance. The surface around the station will be concrete and asphalt. • This building will not have staff present. The building will be locked unless there is an event. Woolwich has a volunteer fire department. • This building can be used for educational events Comment • If schools will be attending for educational events, can you suggest putting in an adult change table? • Suggestion to have a family/gender neutral washroom for the adult change table and transgendered people. GRAAC — February 2017 Minutes Page 1 • Visual alerts for deaf people so they can hear if fire alarms go off. Perhaps through TV screens. • Julie will pass on the suggestions/comments from the GRAAC committee. 5.0 Complaints Management at the Region — Jennifer Walker • Region of Waterloo complaints management process. • The Region is standardizing how they document and process complaints about their services. • They are looking for feedback to ensure the complaints process is accessible. What is considered a complaint? • Regional programs or services • Failure to meet standards of service • Staff behavior Not considered complaints • Service requests • Formal appeals against legislated decisions • Means to change legislation or policy • General feedback or comments to improve service • Requests for information How complaints are accepted • Call centre • Online complaints form • Direct telephone to staff • In person Question Some people who are deaf or English is not their first language. How will that work for complaints? • You can call in for an ASL interpreter • The Region also has Language Line, which is an interpretation service provided over the phone. How a complaint is processed • Call the Region, customer service rep has a script of questions and will forward the complaint to the appropriate person. • Online form; will be available on the Region website with a link. Categories have been pre -populated with popular complaints along with another spot to add what it is if there is nothing in the drop down box. There isn't a separate category for accessibility to avoid delays in processing complaints. GRAAC — February 2017 Minutes Page 2 Future Website • Launching January 2018 • New version of the complaints form will be available Feedback • Suggestion to return February 2018 for updates on how the new web site is working. • The preferable method of communication is email, texting. • Not everyone uses social media • Contact lewalkerregionofwaterloo.ca if you have any further feedback. 6.0 Representative to the Taxi Accessibility Fees Committee — Gina Hickman • This committee will decide what to do with the extra fees collected from Uber or Taxi's who pay fees for non -accessible vehicles. Motion Motion by Dawn Clelland that GRAAC will appoint Andrew Tutty to serve on the Taxi Accessibility Fees Committee, seconded by Carrie Speers, carried 7.0 Councillor Report(s) • None Break 8.0 GRAAC Logo — Carrie Speers • Sharon, Carrie and Jolene will be meeting March 16th to pull ideas together for a GRAAC logo. Jolene will bring a couple of samples to the next meeting. If the committee has any ideas and would like to give input, please email Sharon Giles at shargiles1 agmail.com or Carrie Speers at g.c.speersgmail.com 9.0 Built Environment Update — Lolita Paroski Update to GRAAC re: Customer inquiry regarding installation of lift in universal washroom. • Paula reported to GRAAC during the October 2016 GRAAC meeting of this inquiry. • Lolita updated GRAAC that staff have contacted other municipalities and also staff visited the Sunbeam centre to learn about the hoyer lift and services available to the community. • The Sunbeam Centre provides pool time to many group homes within and outside of the Region, the process to use the pool is a quick and easy one, the fees are very minimal, spaces are available. The customer who inquired is currently using the pool at Sunbeam Centre. 10.0 GRAAC Priorities Brainstorm — Staff Reps • Staff provided an overview of 2016 piorities. • GRAAC agreed that any unfinished 2016 priorities will be carry forward to 2017. • Staff reps lead a brainstorming session with GRAAC members. • GRAAC identified 4 priorities for 2017. GRAAC — February 2017 Minutes Page 3 Priority #1 — Transportation • Transit and Active transportation (independently getting from A to B) Priority #2 — Playgrounds • Education and GRAAC to create a one pager on accessibility considerations when creating new or redeveloping playgrounds Priority #3 — (carry forward from 2016) • Completion of Urban Design manual updates to capture AODA/DOPS/OBS accessibility requirements. Priority #4 — Construction Sites • Investigate what other municipalities are doing and best practices. 11.0 Co-Chair(s)/Staff Report(s) • Stage 2 will see the bus rapid transit replaced by the LRT • Consultation from 4 — 8 pm, February 23d, 2017 at Lion's Arena; then another on February 28th from 4 — 8 pm at the Kinsman/Kiwanis Club; and then on March 1 st, 2017 from 4 — 8 pm at the Newfie Club in Cambridge. 13.0 Adjournment • Motion by Donna and seconded by Andrew Next meeting will be on Thursday March 23d, 2017 City of Kitchener, 200 King St W — Conestoga Room Please send regrets to: Johanna Ellis at lohanna.elliskitchener.ca or call 519-741-2200 Ext. 7225 GRAAC — February 2017 Minutes Page 4