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| Introduction |
The purpose of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) is to improve opportunities for people with disabilities in Ontario through the identification, prevention and removal of physical and other barriers that may limit opportunities for people with disabilities to fully participate in society.
Since 2004, all municipalities in the province have a legal obligation under the ODA to prepare an annual accessibility plan. Each municipality's plan must include a complete overview of all operations including bylaws, programs and procedures, practices, policies, facilities, and services.
This year The Regional Municipality of York would like to present its sixth annual accessibility plan titled Access-ability: York Region's 2009 Accessibility Plan. This Plan continues to break down barriers for people with a broad range of disabilities by identifying, removing, and preventing barriers to accessibility.
"Access-ability" highlights barriers that were identified and/or eliminated in 2008 and outlines the actions that the Region will take in 2009 to identify, prevent and remove remaining barriers across York Region's departments, including the York Regional Police. |
York Region Facts
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The Regional Municipality of York is made up of the following nine local municipalities: Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Whitchurch-Stouffville. Our diverse region is a unique combination of urban centres and rural areas that sits on the northern border of the Greater Toronto Area. York Region is one of six regional governments in Ontario and was created on January 1, 1971 by the provincial government.
In general, York Region provides services and programs that are best delivered across wide areas, or those requiring large-scale coordination. The nine local municipalities provide programs and services that are more local in nature. The Municipal Act, 2001 is the provincial legislation that outlines the areas of regional and local municipal responsibility. The following list shows the range of services provided at the regional and local municipal levels. |
Regional and Local Municipal Responsibilities
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| The Regional Municipality of York |
Local Municipaities |
| Court Services |
Building Permits |
| Emergency Medical Services (EMS) |
Local Emergency Preparedness |
| Family and Children's Services |
Fire Services |
| Housing and Residential Services |
Curbside Garbage, Green Bin, Blue Bin Recycling Pick Up, Yard Waste Pick Up |
| Long Term Care Services |
Local Roads |
| Police Services |
Libraries |
| Public Health Services |
Marriage Licences |
| Regional Roads |
Parking Permits/Restrictions |
| Social Assistance |
Parks and Recreation |
| Solid Waste Management |
Pet Licences |
| Transit and Rapid Transit (YRT/VIVA) |
Sidewalk Repair |
| Regional Emergency Planning |
Streetlights |
| Planning and Economic Development Services |
Local Water and Sewage | |
Population Trends
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York Region's population has more than quintupled since its creation in 1971 and has grown 22.4% between the years 2001 and 20061. With a population of about 1,011,360 as of December 31, 20082, York Region is the third fastest growing Census Division in Canada.
Most of our population growth (2001-2006) has been concentrated in the three southern local municipalities of Vaughan (31.2%), Markham (25.4%), and Richmond Hill (23.2%)1.
Across Ontario, York Region had the highest growth rate for all age groups. Between 2001 and 2006, the growth rate among the different age groups was: 14.3% for residents between 0 and 14 years, 22.8% for residents between 15 and 64 years, and 38.6% for residents 65 years and older1.
According to the Statistics Canada 2006 Census, there are 91,920 seniors (those aged 65 and older) living in York Region. Seniors represent approximately 10% of the region's population. Among urban municipalities, we have one of the fastest growing senior populations. By 2031 we expect the number of seniors living in York Region to increase to 311,745, or 21% of the population3. The expected increase is mostly due to the high proportion of baby-boomers in York Region.
This rapidly growing population, including an aging population who may also have disabilities, has wide-range implications for our region. This will pose challenges for all levels of government to find better ways to predict the needs of residents and to ensure that our programs and services are accessible to everyone. |
Persons with Disabilities in York Region
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According to the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) - Statistics Canada 2006, approximately 4.4 million (14.3%) Canadians reported having a disability. This number has increased by 21.2% from 3.6 million in 2001. Of these, 5% are under 15 years, 55% are between 15 and 64 years and 40% are 65 years or older.
Almost three million Canadians (11% of the population 15 years and older) indicated that they have a disability related to pain, mobility or agility. There was also a large increase in the number of adults and children who reported having learning disabilities between 2001 and 2006.
In 2006, there was an estimated 1.9 million Ontario residents with a disability representing 15.5% of the population. This represents an increase of 2% from 2001.
Using the Ontario figure, it can be estimated that in York Region the number of people with disabilities increased by approximately 55% or close to 50,000 between 2001 and 2006. In 2006, it was estimated that there were 140,000 York Region residents with a disability. |
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Key Observations
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Accessibility to York Region's programs, services and facilities is important to residents. Consistent responses in the past four York Region Environics Surveys (2004 – 2007) show that full accessibility to the Region's programs, services and facilities matters to our residents. In 2008, the York Region Environics Survey results once again confirm that accessibility for persons with disabilities continues to be a spending priority for York Region residents.
When asked about municipal spending priorities, 52% of the survey respondents said they would like to see more spending directed towards services for people with disabilities. This was rated only slightly below hospitals and health care facilities (59%) and public health (54%), and rated equal with services for seniors (52%) and public transit (52%).
Survey respondents also indicated that the most important issue facing people with disabilities in York Region is general attitudes (67%) slightly above public transit (64%) and accessible affordable housing (63%). |
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The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA)
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) came into effect in 2005 and will establish regulations in the following five areas:
Customer Service
Transportation
Information and Communications
Employment
Built Environment |
The Customer Service Regulation (Ontario Regulation 429/07)
The first regulation to be passed under the AODA was the Customer Service Regulation (Ontario Regulation 429/07) on January 1, 2008, with a compliance date of January 1, 2010. The regulation states what businesses and other organizations in Ontario must do to make the provision of their goods and services more accessible to people with disabilities. | |
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