2010_York_Regional

Table of Contents

Regional Overview

York Region's 2010 Accessibility Plan

1.	Helping People Live Independently
2.	Making it Easier to Move Around the Region
3.	Making Regional Services More Accessible
4.	Making it Easier to Participate in Regional Government
5.	Changing Attitudes and Raising Awareness
Conclusion

Departmental Accessibility Plans

Community and Health Services

Corporate Services

Environmental Services

Finance

Office of the Chief Administrative Officer

Planning and Development Services

Transportation Services

York Regional Police

Environmental Scan

York Regional Police proudly serves its communities through the efforts of its 1,402 officers and 509 civilian members. The department maintains headquarters in Newmarket and support facilities in Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Newmarket, Georgina and Aurora, delivering community-based policing, investigative and specialized services to both urban and rural communities. The organizational structure includes District Patrol Operations, Investigative and Support Services, Information Services, Financial and Staff Services, Community Services and Court Services.

People with disabilities are an increasing proportion of the population we serve. According to the 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey from Statistics Canada, approximately 4.4 million Canadians reported having a disability. In 2006, there was an estimated 1.9 million Ontario residents with a disability. Using the Ontario figure, we can estimate that 140,000 York Region residents have a disability.

As York Region's population continues to grow, there will be pressure on infrastructure and service providers resulting from the expectations of all citizens. Police officers will interact with people with disabilities and as such, require increased awareness of the diverse needs within the communities served.

York Regional Police considers accessibility planning a significant component of all programs and services. In 2010, individual bureaus and units will work together to identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessibility. We will continue to address key areas including training and awareness, policy review, facilities design and modification, and technology enhancements to increase access to our services by people with disabilities.

Our Customers

The customers of York Regional Police include all citizens, businesses and visitors to York Region, victims, suspects, witnesses and perpetrators of crime. Our partnerships include regional and municipal Councils, other Regional departments, the judiciary and corrections, policing partners (such as other police services, by-law enforcement, CISO, Interpol, etc.), public agencies and human service providers (such as school boards, fire services, emergency medical services, etc.), and a multitude of community agencies and groups, amongst others. Providing quality policing services requires a concerted effort to ensure the protection of all citizens, including children, youth and seniors with diverse cultural and religious backgrounds and diverse service needs.

Accessibility Statement

York Regional Police will evaluate accessibility as it relates to people with disabilities requiring policing services, regardless of the events giving rise to the need for interaction. Education, outreach programs, communication strategies, human resource practices and criminal investigations will all be reviewed as a precursor to implementing necessary changes that reflect our desire to better serve the public. In previous years we have worked in partnership with various groups to raise awareness amongst our officers and members. We will continue to move toward enhancing the accessibility of our programs and services through building strategic community and regional partnerships and by increasing our awareness of the needs of people with disabilities, so that we can better respond to those needs and promote safe, secure and healthy communities.

The following is a list of the table header meanings:

Progress Report on Accessibility Achievements - 2009
Barrier Identified	Gives a description of the barrier and indicates where the barrier was found. For example, was the barrier in a program, service, by-law, policy, practice or facility?
Barrier Type	Indicates the type(s) of barrier (physical, architectural, informational, communicational, attitudinal, technological, policy/practice).
Disability Type	Indicates the type(s) of disability affected by the barrier (physical, sensory, cognitive, mental illness or other).
How the barrier was addressed	Describes the action taken to identify, remove or prevent the barrier.

Barrier Identification for 2010
By-laws, policies and practices to be reviewed	Indicate what will be reviewed to identify barriers.
Methods to be used to identify the barrier	Describe the method used to identify barriers.
Timing	When will this be completed? The timing for addressing a barrier does not necessarily have to be set within 2010. The nature of the action may be phased in over a number of months or years depending on the resources and priorities of the Department.

Barriers That Will Be Addressed for 2010
Barrier Identified	Indicate where the barrier was found.
Barrier Type	Indicate the type(s) of barrier � physical, architectural, informational, communicational, attitudinal, technological, policy/practice.
Disability Type	Indicate the type(s) of disability affected by the barrier � physical, sensory, cognitive, mental illness or other.
What will be gained by removing or preventing the barrier	Indicate how accessibility will be enhanced by removing or preventing this barrier.
Means to prevent/remove the barrier	Describe what action will be taken to remove and/or prevent the barrier.
Indicators of success	Indicate how customer service will be improved by removing or preventing this barrier. Also indicate any other measure(s) that will be used to determine whether or not the Department was successful in removing and/or preventing this barrier.
Timing	The timing for addressing a barrier does not necessarily have to be set in 2010; the nature of the action may be phased in over a number of months or years depending on the resources and priorities of the Department.

York Regional Police
Progress Report on Accessibility Achievements - 2009

Barrier Identified	Barrier Type	Disability Type	How the barrier was addressed
Making Regional Services More Accessible
Role of the Mental Health Support Team in response to the needs of children.	Practice/Policy	Mental Illness	YRP is in discussion with York Support Services Network regarding the feasibility of expanding services. YRP hosted a workshop with mental health professionals in September 2009 to discuss response strategies.
AODA Staff Resource.	Policy/Practice	All	Created AODA Coordinator position within Health and Safety Bureau to oversee implementation of AODA Standards. Position filled as of August 2009.
Method of reporting minor incidents.	Policy/Practice	All	CopLogic is now available in five languages on the YRP website. Reporting of minor incidents online removes the need for individuals to leave their own home to report certain crimes. Accessibility to police services is enhanced for people with disabilities.
Customer Service Centre.	Physical	Physical	Entrance to the Customer Service Centre has been redesigned using barrier free features, including the addition of an accessible parking space.
Access to facilities and services at Community Safety Village for children with disabilities.	Physical	Physical	An interlocking stone walkway has been installed to provide access for people with disabilities. Play equipment has been installed that was designed specifically for people with disabilities. Two-person disability bicycles have been purchased. One of the Gaucho battery operated Jeeps has been retrofitted to accommodate a person with a disability.
Wayfinding at YRP Headquarters.	Informational	Sensory	YRP Facilities is working with York Region to change the signage at Headquarters to accommodate people with disabilities in areas where the public have access. The signage will feature large white font on a blue background as well as Braille where applicable.
911 reporting for individuals who have hearing disabilities.	Technological	Sensory	NexTalk was implemented in March 2009. York Regional Police is the first and only Police Agency in North America to implement NexTalk in a 911 call centre environment.
Accessibility of facilities being modified and constructed.	Architectural	Physical	An accessibility consultant will be contracted to conduct a review of accessibility designs and best practices to ensure accessibility measures are included in YRP facilities being modified or constructed.
Review existing communication channels and technology to identify accessibility barriers.	Technological	Physical, Sensory	Managers of Corporate Communications and Information Technology are conducting a review of existing communication channels and technology to identify barriers.
Review of YRP emergency planning procedures.	All	All	Members of the Emergency Support Bureau have consulted with groups and agencies which serve individuals with disabilities for advice on YRP emergency planning procedures.
Changing Attitudes and Raising Awareness
Training requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Regulation (AODA).	All	All	All employees received AODA training by January 1, 2010. The training enables employees to better provide goods and services and enhance policing services to people with disabilities.
Diverse community agencies that serve people with disabilities participating in the Recruit Community Insight Program.	Attitudinal	All	In 2009, 70 recruits and five agencies that serve people with disabilities participated in the Recruit Community Insight Program.
Employment and volunteer opportunities for individuals with disabilities.	Policy/Practice	All	Employment opportunities were filled at the Community Safety Village and at Headquarters.
Knowledge of autism among front-line emergency responders.	Attitudinal	Cognitive	150 front-line emergency responders attended the autism workshop held October 2009 at the Community Safety Village.
Hiring and volunteer selection practices.	Policy/Practice	All	Barriers were identified during the review and the following hiring and selection practices were implemented: when scheduling testing/interviews, it is confirmed in advance if any accommodation is required. This year, YRP used a Sign Language Interpreter for an interview with a person with a hearing disability. YRP works closely with job coaches from the Canadian Association for Community Living who assist in the training and development of employees who have an intellectual disability.
Composition of Equity Advisory Committee for adequate representation of people with disabilities.	Attitudinal	Sensory	A sworn member who is a person with a disability has joined the Equity Advisory Committee.
Review department's internal policies, practices and procedures to ensure incorporation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) Accessibility Standards for Customer Service core principles of independence, integration and equal opportunity.	Policy/Practice	All	A review of all internal departmental policies, practices and procedures to identify gaps in the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service core principles of independence, integration and equal opportunity is complete.

York Regional Police
Barrier Identification for 2010

By-laws, policies and practices to be reviewed	Methods to be used to identify the barrier	Timing
Making it Easier to Move Around the Region
Accessibility of York Regional Police (YRP) facilities being modified and constructed.	Contract accessibility consultant to conduct review of accessibility designs and best practices to ensure accessibility measures are included in facilities being modified and constructed.	2010
Changing Attitudes and Raising Awareness
Incorporate the organization's Accessible Customer Service Policy into specific policies and practices.	Internal policies and practices will be reviewed against the organization's Accessible Customer Service Policy.	2010

York Regional Police
Barriers That Will Be Addressed for 2010

Barrier Identified	Barrier Type	Disability Type	What will be gained by removing or preventing the barrier	Means to prevent/remove the barrier	Indicators of success	Timing
Making Regional Services More Accessible
Personal safety and home security for people with disabilities.	Policy/Practice	All	Crime prevention for people with disabilities living in York Region ranging from personal safety to home security.	Creation of a Persons with Disabilities Safety Unit to educate members of the community about police resources and safety planning.	People with disabilities will have increased access to police resources to increase their personal safety and home security.	2010
Ability to contact police regarding non-emergency matters for individuals who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing.	Technological	Sensory	Increased access to police services for people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing.	Expand NexTalk, a call centre system that enables communication through a TTY/TTD communication device, at front desks of all five Districts.	Increase access for people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing to access information and police services.	2010
Changing Attitudes and Raising Awareness
YRP employees' knowledge of the ODA and AODA legislations.	Attitudinal, Informational	All	Employees will have a better understanding of the legislation and how it applies to their jobs.	Create an electronic resource library for employees on our intranet which will include information about the AODA and the ODA, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario's supports, and other relevant information.	Increased knowledge of accessibility legislation. With this understanding, employees will be able to incorporate these legislative requirements into their way of doing business.	2010
Hiring and volunteer selection processes.	All	All	Removing barriers to hiring and selection processes for people with disabilities would result in a more diverse workplace which represents the community YRP serves.	Continue to support hiring and selection practices that are inclusive.	YRP workforce is inclusive of people with disabilities.	2010
To meet the requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Regulation under the AODA, all YRP employees and volunteers will receive additional accessible customer service training.	All	All	Will provide staff with additional information on how to effectively and respectfully serve people with disabilities while incorporating the core principles of independence, integration and equal opportunity.	All employees will be required to view York Region's Accessible Customer Service training DVD.	All YRP employees will be trained about the provision of goods and services to people with disabilities, enhancing their ability to provide customer service in an effective and respectful way.	2010