HomeMy WebLinkAboutGRAAC - 2017-09-28Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee
Date: Thursday September 28, 2017
Location: Conestoga Room, City of Kitchener
Present:
Sharon Giles (Co -Chair), Carrie Speers (Co -Chair), Rob Bender, Donna Hartzler, Gail
Brunsdon, Dawn Clelland, Brenda Robinson, Andrew Tufty, Mike Shipley, Councillor Sue
Foxton, Gina Hickman (Region of Waterloo), Lolita Paroski (City of Kitchener/City of Waterloo),
Ashley Sage (Township of North Dumfries), Dawn Mittelholtz (Township of Wilmot), Jeff Smith
(Township of Woolwich), Karen Panchaud (ASL Interpreter), Lesley Roach (ASL Interpreter).
Regrets:
Amy Black (Township of Wellesley), Keri Cameron, Jolene MacDonald, Greg Moore, Paula
Saunders, Councillor Bob Mavin, Councillor Kelly Galloway-Sealock, Shannon Sweeney (City of
Kitchener).
Guests: Brendon Simon (Region of Waterloo), Alana MacKinnon (Region of Waterloo),
Michaela Bahm (Aecom Canada Architects)
GRAAC members met at 1 pm at the Kitchener City Hall LRT stop to provide feedback to
Regional staff.
1.0 Welcome and Introductions
• Sharon Giles called the meeting to order at 1:30pm.
• Round table introductions
2.0 Approval of June Minutes and September Agenda
• Donna noted that a correction needed to be made in the June minutes under 2.0 from
Approval of March minutes and April agenda to Approval of April minutes and June
Agenda.
• Mike noted that a correction needed to be made to the regrets list as he was present at
the June meeting.
• Motion to accept the amended June minutes — moved by Donna Hartzler and seconded
by Sue Foxton, carried
• Motion to accept the September Agenda by Mike Shipley and seconded by Donna
Hartzler, carried
3.0 Declarations of Pecuniary Interests
• None
4.0 ION Light Rail Transit Update — Brendon Simon, Region of Waterloo
• Brendon thanked GRAAC members for the feedback they provided during the site visit
at the Kitchener City Hall LRT stop, prior to the GRAAC meeting.
• There are three stop layouts: Centre, side (part of sidewalk) and side of road.
• Each stop has some consistent features: anchor wall, signage, fare area and shelters.
• Eventually the LRT and GRT buses will form a grid network.
• The target date for service is May 2018.
• Brendon clarified that a light will go off on the tap machine when the transaction is
successful.
• CNIB cards will be accepted on the LRT trains and that current policies for payment are
not being changed.
• Brendon presented on upcoming consultation opportunities and opened the floor to
discuss accessibility concerns.
GRAAC feedback:
• Emergency drills should be held in advance of launching service to provide enough time
to fix issues.
• Tap pay systems are not easy to use for people with disabilities.
• Include wayfinding signage to direct people to other modes of transport.
• Members like the wayfinding crosswalks at the Kitchener City Hall stop and would like to
see these at other locations.
• There are a lot of people who cannot read written instructions. Having images and icons
is important and should be a priority before the train is operational.
• May need more staffing at launch to help people till more structural solutions (e.g.
permanent wayfinding) are in place.
• Can operators who provide assistance accept texts from Deaf or hard of hearing
people.
• Are there apps that could give people directions between the LRT stop and connecting
bus stops?
• It is easy to get disoriented if you have a visual disability. Could the operator provide
instructions over the intercom system or is it possible to program some announcements
that would help navigate people with visual disabilities to the train or exit?
• Information available over public address is very helpful.
• Tactile guide strips will help with orientation. There should be a tactile guide strip to the
first entrance of the train and to other key elements at the stop (e.g. fare box, assistance
box, shelter).
• GRAAC would like an opportunity to tour a Centre stop.
Accessibility concerns:
• Drivers and staff need accessible customer service training.
• The assistance button is very sensitive to push and is also flush with the box. The
button should be slightly raised. There is currently nothing tactile to indicate it is a
button.
• The button needs to be identifiable.
• There needs to be more visual announcements for people who are Deaf, especially in
an emergency.
• The Region should involve the CNIB and Canadian Hearing Society in training people
on how to use the stops.
• Include a number to text an operator on the assistance box, for people who are Deaf or
hard of hearing.
• Add a bar or railing to the ramp of the stop (where the tactile domes end). Currently it is
a fall hazard.
• Include a tactile map of the stop for people to know where key elements can be found.
Issues at Blockline and Hillmount:
• The pedestrian signal is too short to cross.
• There is currently no path to the push button for the signal.
• Brendon explained that Grandlinq is waiting for a new development to come up, to
connect the sidewalk. He will look into temporary signage.
• The pedestrian lights on King and Pine Street are not long enough to cross. Brendon
will take that feedback back to the transportation department at the Region.
Break (20 mins)
5.0 Paramedics Services North Reporting Station — Alana MacKinnon, Region of
Waterloo; Michaela Bahm, Aecom Canada Architects
• The Region is constructing a new headquarters and fleet centre for Waterloo Regional
Paramedic Services. Regional Council approved the construction of a 40,000-43,000 s.f.
facility to be located at the current WRESTRC site at 1001 Erb's Road, Wilmot Township
• Areas will be determined by work flow.
• The building will be designed according to the Region's Accessible Design Standards.
GRAAC recommendations:
• The accessible parking spots should be large enough for accessible vans.
• Staff should consult the Ontario Building Code for showers, which may not be in the
Region's Accessible Design Standards.
• The Mezzanine should have an elevator.
• The locker area should be barrier free. It is good to have lockers at different levels.
• The elongated push buttons should be installed in a way that users in wheelchairs or
other assistive devices can push the button with their chair or device.
• If there is a community room, the washroom should contain an adult change table.
6.0 Built Environment Update — Lolita Paroski
• Food Forest at Forest Heights Community Centre
- 2 visits were made by GRAAC members to provide accessibility suggestions
- The volunteer lead is very interested in making the food forest accessible.
- The volunteer lead will contact GRAAC again if needed when they are ready.
• Centre in the Square Universal Washroom Update
- Near completion and Lolita to set up a site visit
- Paula Saunders and Carrie Speers will visit the new universal washroom and provide
GRAAC with an update at the October GRAAC meeting.
• City of Waterloo Eastside Library
- In August 2017 Paula Saunders and Lolita Paroski met with City of Waterloo staff to
learn about a possible Eastside Library.
- If council approves the project staff will come to GRAAC for accessibility feedback.
• Kitchener City Hall family washroom adult change table
- Investigating the possibility of installing an adult change table on the ground floor of
Kitchener City Hall in the family washroom.
- Currently getting an engineer and architectural assessment of the site.
• Follow up from brainstorming session on playgrounds
- Paula Saunders lead a brainstorming session at GRAAC's June 2017 meeting.
- Paula and Lolita met in August 2017 to create 3 draft "GRAAC Accessibility
Comments" sheets on Playgrounds, Trails, Rest Areas using the comments from the
brainstorming session and highlighting sections from the AODA Design of Public
Spaces Standard.
- Lolita distributed hard copies of the 3 drafts to all members and will send the 3 drafts
electronically to all members following this meeting.
- Members to review the 3 drafts and send any comments to Paula or Lolita by Oct 23.
- Paula and Lolita will be meeting at the end of October, prior to the next GRAAC
meeting to compile the comments and create a final draft
- Paula will present the final draft at the October GRAAC meeting.
7.0 Co -Chair Report — Sharon Giles and Carrie Speers
Highlights
Keri Cameron had to resign as the GRAAC representative on the Moving Forward
stakeholder panel. Dawn Clelland was the alternate and will be the new representative
on that panel. Carrie Speers will attend the next meeting in October as Dawn is not
available.
• Carrie Speers and Gina Hickman attended a public consultation held by the Waterloo
Regional Police Services on their new strategic plan.
• Gina will give the organizers feedback that there was not enough time to make
accommodation requests (e.g. ASL interpreter).
8.0 Councillor/Co-Chair/Staff Report(s)
• No Councillor Reports
• GRAAC recruitment is open and will close on October 13, 2017.
• Carrie Speers and Paula Saunders are completing their second terms with GRAAC and
will be leaving the Committee.
• Lolita shared information about Kitchener's Neighbourhood Placemaking Challenge and
informed members that various grants are available for creative ideas that make a
gathering place. Application deadline for the larger grant amounts is October 23
followed by an April deadline date for smaller grants. Visit the City of Kitchener Website
for more information or to access the application.
• Johanna Ellis has retired. Shannon Sweeney will be replacing her as recorder at the
GRAAC meetings for the remainder of this year.
• Dawn noted that there are opportunities to provide public input online on the Regional
library services plan and the Wilmot Arts and Culture master plan survey.
9.0 Adjournment
• Motion by Dawn Clelland and seconded by Carrie Speers.
Next meeting will be on Thursday October 26th, 2017
City of Kitchener, 200 King St W — Conestoga Room
Please send regrets to:
Shannon Sweeney at Shannon.Shener.ca or call 519-741-2200 Ext. 7080