1. Helping People Live Independently

Accessibility Achievements

Housing

The Regional Municipality of York is responsible for providing supportive and affordable housing for people in York Region, including people with disabilities. In 2006, York Region's Housing Services made a number of changes that have helped more people live independently in the community.

For example:

• of the 50 new affordable accessible rental units being developed at Tom Taylor Place, a Housing York Inc. property, in Newmarket, three will be fully accessible for people with physical disabilities, and five to seven will be accessible for people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing;
• the new Sutton Youth Multi-Service Centre, which provides emergency shelter and transitional housing services for youth (ages 16 to 26), is a barrier-free building that has an accessible washroom, door closers, ramp systems and mobility access to all units and common areas;
• 15 new emergency shelter units for families now being developed will be accessible to people with disabilities; and
• public washrooms and elevators in social housing units have been modified to make them more accessible.

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Health

York Region's Health Services Department is responsible for the Active Community Living program, which provides homemaking and personal care for seniors and adults with physical disabilities so they can live independently in the community. In 2006, baths and showers in the Active Community Living programs at Keswick Gardens, Genesis Place and Heritage East were renovated to make them safer. Renovations are now underway in seven units at Hadley Grange, a Housing York Inc. building for seniors, to make them more accessible.

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Continuing to Identify Barriers

In 2007, Housing Services, through Housing York Inc., will continue to enhance accessibility by building seven dedicated units at Tom Taylor Place for households with members who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. Housing Services is also implementing accessibility features in some of its building elevators to assist people with low vision, improving lighting levels in some buildings to support seniors with reduced vision, and installing railings in some senior communities to assist tenants with ambulatory and balance constraints.

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Removing Barriers

Housing

York Region knows that one of the biggest barriers for people who are older and people with disabilities living independently is the lack of special needs and supportive housing units. In 2007, to close the gap between the number of people who need accessible, affordable housing and the supply of units, Community Services and Housing will:

• prepare a detailed inventory of support service providers with housing provider referral agreements;
• add Braille floor buttons, large digital display and other accessibility features to elevators in two Housing York Inc. communities (Maplewood Place and Pineview Terrace) - which will make it easier for residents to come and go independently;
• develop a lighting standard and survey 10 older buildings to see whether they meet this standard and improve lighting where required, making it easier for seniors with reduced vision to use common areas;
• review the feasibility based on the Ontario Building Code of installing railings in the halls of seniors' buildings, and install railings in two Housing York Inc. buildings in 2007 to assist seniors with mobility or balance disabilities; and
• continue the development of five to seven dedicated units at Tom Taylor Place in Newmarket for people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, and to create a referral system to identify potential tenants for the units.

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Health

During 2007, Health Services will continue to renovate supportive housing units in Hadley Grange, adding better lighting, replacing flooring, and making kitchens and bathrooms accessible. This will make it possible for more people with disabilities to live safely on site, and receive the homemaking and personal support care services they need to remain independent.