 What is the Accessibility For Ontarians with Disabilities Act? |
The Accessibility For Ontarians With Disabilities Act (AODA) is new provincial legislation that received Royal Assent in June 2005. The intent of this legislation is to make Ontario fully accessible for people with disabilities by 2025. The scope of the AODA includes the development of standards in consultation with persons with disabilities for the private sector as well as government and the broader public sector.
A Standards Advisory Council has been established and is involved in the process of establishing Standards Development Committees. Legal obligations under the Ontarians With Disabilities Act will remain in force until such time as the Standards Development Committees have been established and the standards identified.
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| What is the Ontarians with Disabilities Act? |
The Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) is provincial legislation requiring the province and municipalities to address the issues around and barriers to accessibility. A key part of the legislation is for each Ontario municipality with a population of over 10,000 to prepare and publish a Municipal Accessibility Plan (MAP) in consultation with people with disabilities. |
| What is a Municipal Accessibility Plan? |
A Municipal Accessibility Plan is prepared annually and includes:
1- Measures taken to identify, remove and prevent barriers to persons with disabilities;
2- Measures ensuring proposals for bylaws, programs, practices and services are considered for their effect on accessibility;
3- Creating a list of by-laws, policies, programs, practices and services that will be reviewed in the next year to identify, prevent and remove barriers. |
| What is an Accessibility Advisory Committee, who sits on it and what is their role? |
The ODA requires municipalities of over 10,000 to form an Accessibility Advisory Committee (ACC) made up of community members, majority with disabilities, to advise on accessibility issues.
The Committee's responsibilities include providing a forum for persons with disabilities to raise issues and concerns and providing advice and guidance to Brampton City Council on matters related to City programs, policies and practices.
Brampton's ACC members were drawn from across the community with members, appointed by City Council, bringing their unique perspectives on disability issues to the City.
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| What has been done so far? |
Since its inception in the spring of 2003, the AAC has worked with City staff to produce the Municipal Accessibility Plan (MAP) as required by the legislation.
The plan, available at City Hall and on the City's web site, includes a comprehensive review of general municipal accessibility practices including recommended solutions for barriers/issues and a notation of which area of the City takes lead responsibility for addressing specific issues.
The City's MAP is considered a 'living' document and is reviewed, updated and published yearly, becoming a constant reference point for the City's ongoing efforts to address, remove and prevent barriers in municipal facilities.
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| How will this initiative affect Brampton, and its residents? |
Brampton is the second-fastest growing City in Canada, which gives us an advantage when it comes to making facilities accessible. Since much of our infrastructure will be built over the next 20 to 30 years, accessibility can be planned into new buildings and centres for much less cost than it takes to retrofit existing structures.
Brampton already has an enviable record in addressing accessibility in its municipal buildings and services. As a result of the focused efforts reported in the annual MAP, watch for accessible features such as ramps, curb cuts and easily accessible doors to become the norm, not only in municipal buildings but throughout the City as site plans and building permits begin to reflect the impact of the City's AAC.
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| Why are we doing this now? |
Many people might ask why this wasn't done before, and the answer is that while accessibility has been addressed by the City prior to the ODA, there is now a framework for addressing the issue of accessibility consistently, and across most municipalities and the province. Not only will this work address the immediate needs of people with disabilities, it provides a long-term solution to one of the issues of our maturing population. It is possible that fully 40 per cent of North Americans will have a disability of one sort or another by 2024. Addressing accessibility issues now will move a long way towards meeting these future needs. |
| I want more information. How do I get it? |
Information is available on the City's web site or from City Hall. Contact Wendy Goss, Accessibility Coordinator, at 905-874-2184 or e-mail wendy.goss@brampton.ca. |