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| Accessibility Planning in York Region |
Responding to the Needs of Our Residents
myRide
YRT's Travel Training Program
Transportation Services myRide, is a support program that prepares people to travel safely on their own using public transit. It responds to individual needs and abilities with services ranging from group training sessions to intensive one-on-one sessions on how to use transit. By empowering and encouraging transit use for people of all ages and disabilities to use transit, myRide travel training enables people to participate more fully in their community.
The program is delivered through partnership with various service providers in the region including CNIB, Ontario March of Dimes, Community Living York South, Epilepsy York Region and both the public and catholic school boards.
Since the launch of the pilot in May 2008, YRT has trained over 80 trainers and currently over 200 participants are enrolled in the myRide program. |
Under the ODA, the annual accessibility plan must include:
- Steps the Region has taken to identify, remove, and prevent barriers.
- How the Region will assess its bylaws, policies, programs, practices, and services to determine their impact on persons with disabilities.
- What bylaws, policies, services, programs, and practices the Region will review in the coming year to identify barriers.
- Measures the Region will take in the coming year to identify, remove and prevent barriers in all of its services, and programs, including transit.
 York Region's long-term strategic plan, Vision 2026, provides the foundation for accessibility planning in York Region and many other important corporate initiatives. Meeting the specific requirements of the ODA through the development and implementation of annual accessibility plans further supports the goals set out in Vision 2026. | | |
The Process for Developing York Region's Plans
The Region's accessibility planning process was set out in the Accessibility Plan Policy Framework that was approved by Regional Council in February, 2003. The direction established in the Policy Framework has resulted in six Regional accessibility plans that cover every aspect of the Region's businesses and services.
Each department, including York Regional Police, develops its own departmental accessibility plan to identify, remove and prevent barriers in Regional programs and services on an annual basis. The initiatives included in these departmental plans are combined to form one document - York Region's Annual Accessibility Plan.
Understanding what the Region has done to improve and enhance accessibility is also a key part of our Policy Framework. To help us understand our progress, we evaluate, monitor and track the accessibility planning progress. We continue to successfully meet the obligations outlined in the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001.
Participation of the York Region Accessibility Advisory Committee (YRAAC)
York Regional Council highly encourages the involvement of many different people and groups in the Region's accessibility planning process. Since the beginning of the ODA implementation, the support of Regional Council members has been consistent. We have formed networks to encourage ongoing communication with area municipalities, stakeholder organizations, and the general public. Many Regional departments work with their customers and clients to identify, prevent, and remove different types of barriers that prevent people with disabilities from receiving or accessing services, programs and facilities.
The York Region Accessibility Advisory Committee (YRAAC) is a legislatively mandated committee that was first appointed by York Regional Council in 2003. In March 2007, Regional Council appointed a new committee to serve for the 2007 - 2010 term. It includes members of Regional Council and citizen volunteers, and has been an integral part of the accessibility planning process. The members of the YRAAC include people from across York Region with different types of disabilities and backgrounds offering a variety of perspectives and representing the region as a whole. The YRAAC plays a critical role in advising Council on the preparation, implementation, and effectiveness of its annual accessibility plans.
In keeping with its legislated mandate, in 2008 the YRAAC continued to provide direct input into the implementation activities of Opening Doors: York Region's 2008 Accessibility Plan. For example, members of the YRAAC:
Proposed Information and Communications Standard (AODA)
The scope of the proposed Information and Communications Standard outlines how businesses and organizations will be required to provide public information (online, print and verbal and digital) in various accessible formats like Braille, large print, audio-format and CD. |
- Provided advice on the 2008 Plan and the development of the 2009 accessibility plan.
- Recommended that Regional Council once again recognize National Access Awareness Week, which was subsequently endorsed by Council in May 2008.
- Participated in the Province's Accessible Customer Service Regulation Training workshops and focus group held in February and March, 2008.
- Participated in "Exercise Maple Migration" a joint emergency exercise with York Region and the City of Vaughan in September, 2008.
- Participated on the Metrolinx Accessibility Advisory Working Group to provide advice on issues related to regional accessibility as part of their preparation for the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).
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Proposed Transportation Accessibility Standard (AODA)
The scope for the proposed Transportation Accessibility Standard outlines long-term objectives and technical requirements to prevent and remove barriers to persons with disabilities in the use of passenger transportation services in the Province of Ontario by January 1, 2025.
This proposed transportation accessibility standard applies to all persons or organizations providing or responsible for the following types of passenger transportation services in the Province of Ontario:
- Accessible public transit services
- On-demand taxi services
- Booked vehicle services
- School transportation services
- Other transportation services
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The Accessibility Advisory Committee's role will expand under the AODA
Under the AODA, the role of each municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee will change from advising municipal councils on their annual accessibility plans as required under the ODA, to reviewing and advising council on their municipalities' compliance with the new accessibility standards.
Until the ODA is repealed, Accessibility Advisory Committees will have responsibilities under both the ODA and AODA. | | |
Are We Making Progress? A Brief Overview of 2008 Achievements
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Opening Doors: York Region's 2008 Accessibility Plan, committed to act on 95 initiatives to enhance accessibility across our programs, services, and facilities. As a first step, we identified 34 new barriers and then addressed 61 barriers that were already identified. Of these initiatives, we are pleased to report that 53% (50 initiatives) are now complete and 47% (45 initiatives) are planned or underway with completion expected early in 2009.
The initiatives included in Opening Doors: York Region's 2008 Accessibility Plan support the Region's dedication to enhancing accessibility for people with a broad range of disabilities while supporting the key areas that impact the lives of people with disabilities in York Region. Our experience in accessibility planning has increased our awareness and understanding of all types of barriers both visible and invisible. In 2008, 212 different types of barriers to accessibility were identified and of these, 162 were invisible barriers.
A few examples of how departments are addressing different types of barriers in 2008 include:
- Corporate Communications addressed technological barriers by implementing the Google search function on the Region's website to enable all persons with disabilities to retrieve information quickly without having to navigate the entire website.
- As a department, Community and Health Services addressed physical barriers by installing a new elevator for persons with visual and hearing disabilities that includes improved lighting, back lit/large buttons and a large digital floor display at Elmwood Gardens. Branches in the Community and Health Services Department have addressed informational and technological barriers by increasing access to Community Services web information, making it more accessible and including technology to help people with disabilities navigate the website. Branches have also addressed all barrier types by conducting an accessibility audit of meeting locations using the Region's Accessible Meeting Guidelines.
- Corporate Services addressed informational barriers by developing a question for inclusion on the Employee Satisfaction Survey to measure employee's satisfaction with workplace modification or accommodation supports.
- Environmental Services addressed informational and technological barriers by reviewing and editing the Waste Management web pages to identify any barriers to accessibility.
- To address technological barriers, the Finance Department is studying and documenting how municipalities across Ontario are using technology solutions to overcome various accessibility barriers.
- Planning and Development Services addressed physical, architectural and informational barriers by conducting an accessibility audit of all Public Consultation Centres to identify any barriers to access.
- Transportation Services, YRT Mobility Plus addressed attitudinal barriers by improving the information and communication between social/health agencies and stakeholders about transit needs by conducting bi-annual meetings. The Roads Branch is addressing physical barriers by increasing accessibility to some Regional Forest Trails by identifying the need for step grades at Hollidge Tract for persons with disabilities.
- To address communicational barriers York Regional Police (YRP) acquired communication tip cards from the Canadian Hearing Society for officers to use when communicating with persons who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. YRP also addressed policy/practice barriers by establishing a sign language service protocol allowing for appropriate and timely access to sign language interpreter services.
Proposed Employment Accessibility Standard (AODA)
The scope of the Employment Accessibility Standard outlines how organizations should set out policies, procedures and requirements to prevent, identify and remove barriers across all steps of the employment life cycle for people with disabilities. | |
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Developing Access-ability: York Region's 2009 Accessibility Plan
The Region's sixth accessibility plan continues to follow the direction set out in our Accessibility Plan Policy Framework and is integrated with our annual business planning and budget process.
Again this year, each regional department, including the York Regional Police participated by developing a departmental accessibility plan. Each department's plan is included in this document.
The 2009 Accessibility Plan includes 77 accessibility planning initiatives put forward by departments to identify, remove and prevent barriers in 2009. As in our previous accessibility plans, we have organized each initiative around five themes.
The themes are:
Helping People Live Independently
Making it Easier to Move Around the Region
Making Regional Services More Accessible
Making it Easier to Participate in Regional Government
Changing Attitudes and Raising Awareness
The themes bring together the different parts of our programs and services into broader areas of action. These themes reflect input from the YRAAC and from previous public consultations on the key areas that impact the lives of people with disabilities. |
Proposed Accessible Built Environment Standard (AODA)
The scope for the proposed Accessible Built Environment Standard refers to access to, from and within:
- buildings and outdoor spaces
- life safety and emergency evacuation facilities
- public parks, trails and streetscaping
- bus stops, boarding platforms
- multi residential occupancies
The scope could include standards for:
- heights
- aisle/door widths
- lighting
- public address systems
- parking
- signs
- pedestrian routes and signal systems
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Parallel Implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001
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AODA includes enforcement, compliance and penalties
Unlike the ODA, the AODA includes enforcement provisions. Enforcement will be through a process of reporting, inspection, investigation, compliance orders, and administrative penalties
The Province has not released details on compliance reporting requirements. It is expected that these details will be provided closer to the compliance dates. | The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) came into effect in June 2005. It applies to both the public and private sectors covering every aspect of life available to the public, except private homes. The goal of the AODA is to ensure that all Ontarians with disabilities have full access to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, building structures, and premises by January 1, 2025. This goal will be achieved through the development, implementation, and enforcement of provincially-set accessibility standards in the areas of customer service, the built environment, information and communications, employment, and transportation. Both public and private sector organizations will be required to implement these standards in increments.
Enforcement of the AODA will be through a process of reporting, inspection, investigation, compliance orders, and administrative penalties.
Under the AODA, the role of municipal accessibility advisory committees will change from advising municipal councils on their annual accessibility plans to advising councils on their municipalities' compliance with the new accessibility standards.
The AODA will eventually replace the ODA. However, the Province has indicated that the ODA will remain in effect for the foreseeable future while the AODA is phased in. The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service (Ontario Regulation 429/07) is the first of five standards to be released under the AODA with a compliance date of January 1, 2010. It is expected that the other standards – Transportation, Information and Communications, Employment and Built Environment will be released in 2009/2010. Until then, the Region, like other municipalities, must meet the challenge of implementing both the ODA and the AODA simultaneously. |
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