Accessibility Advisory Committee
MINUTES 3
Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Champlain Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West
Notes: 1. Underlining
indicates a new or amended recommendation approved by Committee.
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Present:
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Chair: Phillip B. Turcotte
Vice-Chair: Melanie Benard
Members: Ana Maria Cruz-Valderrama, Murray Gallant, Roy Hanes, Vania
Karam, Don Patterson and Jennie St-Martin
Councillor Matthew Luloff (non-voting member)
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Absent:
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Members:
Jo-Anne Bryan, Kathleen Forestell and Brian Wade
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No declarations of interest were declared.
CONFIRMED
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1.
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AVAILABILITY AND PROTECTION OF ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPACES
IN OTTAWA
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CITY WIDE
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COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
That the
Accessibility Advisory Committee review the following motion approved by the
previous Accessibility Advisory Committee:
WHEREAS the Accessibility Advisory
Committee (AAC) notes that for many Ottawans with disabilities, travelling by
personal vehicle is the most accessible mode of transportation for them; and
WHEREAS the AAC believes that the
availability and protection of accessible on-street parking spaces is crucial
to building an accessible Ottawa by 2025 and beyond; and
WHEREAS the AAC is particularly
concerned about the availability and protection of those on-street parking
spaces available to Accessible Parking Permit (APP) holders, and especially
on-street parking spaces designated “No Parking” and “No Stopping”; and
WHEREAS over the course of its
current term, the AAC has raised concerns about the loss of APP on-street
parking spaces in Ottawa, especially in favour of cycling infrastructure; and
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WHEREAS the AAC believes that APP
on-street parking spaces in our City are not adequately protected; and
WHEREAS when constructing or
redeveloping existing on-street parking spaces, the City has a statutory duty
under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) to
consult with the Accessibility Advisory Committee on the need, location and
design of accessible on-street parking spaces;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the
AAC requests that the City of Ottawa adopt formal policies and practices that
will promote and protect the availability of APP on-street spaces in Ottawa,
by, amongst other things,
A) Requiring that usage studies be completed prior to the removal of
APP on-street spaces to properly evaluate the impacts of the loss of those
spaces on the disability community;
B) Requiring that lost APP on-street parking spaces be relocated to
nearby streets; and
C) Requiring that APP on-street parking spaces can be removed only as
a last resort.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
THAT the AAC should be consulted prior to the removal of any APP on-street
parking spaces, and that such consultation should include usage study
information for the targeted APP on-street parking spaces; and
BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED that this motion be referred to the newly appointed
Accessibility Advisory Committee in 2019.
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Chair Turcotte provided background
information with respect to the motion and that it was approved at the last
meeting of the last term of Council. He also noted that similar issues
pertaining to removing accessible parking permits on-street parking spaces have
come forward again and again to this Committee. It was recommended (as noted
in the motion) to refer the motion to the newly appointed AAC members.
David Pritchard, resident expressed
concern in removing parking and cited other cities such as Yellowknife are more
advanced in terms of accessible parking.
After discussion, the Committee approved
the following motion:
MOTION AAC 1/3
Moved by Member Hanes,
That the Accessibility Advisory
Committee refer the Accessible Parking Permit motion to Transportation Service
Department.
CARRIED
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COUNCILLOR’S
ITEM
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COUNCILLOR
LULOFF
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2.
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ST. JEAN STREET – NO PARKING VERSUS NO STOPPING
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ORLÉANS (1)
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COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
That the
Accessibility Advisory Committee review the proposed changes to parking on
St. Jean Street and provide input as appropriate.
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Councillor Matthew Luloff spoke to a
PowerPoint presentation with regards to a proposed ‘No Stopping’ Designation on
St-Jean Street in Orléans. He advised that he is working with the Medical
Office building owner on a validation parking program. A copy of the
presentation is held on file with the City Clerk and Solicitor. Phil Edens,
Program Manager of Road Safety and Traffic Investment and Riley Carter, Specialist,
Traffic Assessment, Transportation Services were in attendance to respond to
questions.
Questions and comments related to, but not
limited to, the following:
·
Suggest to add markings between accessible parking spots (in the
medical office’s parking lot) to encourage people to use these spots
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Currently, there is an average of one in five respecting the no
parking zone on St. Jean Street
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Public notice of free parking (how will people know parking is
free)
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Importance of enforcement of accessible parking permits holders
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Request to receive an update, should AAC endorse the ‘no
stopping’ for a two-block radius on St. Jean Street
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A condition can be included to set a timeframe for this proposed
change
After discussion, the Chair ceded his seat
and moved the following motion:
MOTION AAC 2/3
Moved by Member Turcotte,
That the Accessibility Advisory Committee
endorse Councillor Luloff’s initiative for a no stopping designation on both
sides of St. Jean Street from St. Joseph Blvd to Joseph Drouin Street; and
That Councillor Luloff speak to the owner
of the medical facility for free parking for accessible parking permit holders
(in the medical office’s parking lot); and
That the Accessibility Advisory
Committee receive updates; and
That this initiative be revisited in
one year.
CARRIED
PRESENTATIONS
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3.
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O’CONNOR STREET BIKEWAY PHASE 2
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SOMERSET (14)
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COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
That the
Accessibility Advisory Committee receive the staff presentation and provide
input as appropriate.
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Kornel Mucsi, Program Manager,
Transportation Policy & Networks and Deborah Lightman, Project Manager,
Transportation Planning, Transportation Services Department spoke to a
PowerPoint presentation, which is held on file with the City Clerk and Solicitor.
Questions and suggestions from members
were in regards to, but not limited to:
·
Multi-Use Pathways and connectivity to/from transitway
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Digital indicators for public parking i.e. World Exchange Plaza
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Bicycle lanes/paths should be consistent throughout the City of
Ottawa / Ville d'Ottawa
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Barriers pose a problem for pick-up/drop-offs
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Benches and seating areas would be beneficial for all
After discussion, the Committee approved
the following motion:
AAC
MOTION 3/3
Moved by Member Patterson,
That the Accessibility Advisory
Committee receive the staff presentation and request staff to provide additional
feedback as the project moves ahead.
CARRIED
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4.
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OTTAWA PUBLIC LIBRARY AND LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA
JOINT FACILITY
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CITY WIDE
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COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
That the
Accessibility Advisory Committee receive the staff presentation and provide input
as appropriate.
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Paul Hussar, Program Manager, Design and
Construction, Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Department and
Ralph Wiesbrock, Partner, KWC Architects provided an overview of the
preliminary phases of the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada
Joint Facility. A copy of the presentation is held on file with the City Clerk
and Solicitor.
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Suggest to look at Museum of Human Rights in Manitoba where there
are ramps throughout (no stairs)
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Illustrations lack people with disabilities; important to show
accessibility features in concept plans
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Suggest to making the library not only visually stunning but
include other features to stimulate people with developmental disabilities or
visually impaired
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Consideration to gender-neutral and adult-change facilities
Councillor Luloff offered to bring forward
any further Accessibility Advisory Committee comments to the Ottawa Public
Library Board.
AAC
MOTION 4/3
Moved by Member Patterson,
That the Accessibility Advisory
Committee receive the staff presentation and request staff to provide
additional feedback as the project moves ahead.
CARRIED
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5.
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PROPOSED COMMUNICATIONS WORKING GROUP
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CITY WIDE
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COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
That the
Accessibility Advisory Committee consider the following proposed motion:
Moved by
Member B. Wade
WHEREAS
the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) during the last term of council
and passed a motion recommending that the City of Ottawa be more inclusive in
its communications as it noted that materials produced by the city,
especially those used at public consultations, lacked the visibility and depiction of persons with disabilities or the use
of mobility devices and accessible
features;
WHEREAS
the AAC met with staff from the Service Innovation and Performance
Department/Public Information and Media Relations (SIPD/PIMR) and this single
meeting resulted in an image of person with a disability being included on
the cover of the 2018 City of Ottawa Budget document;
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WHEREAS
the AAC appreciates the efforts of staff from Ottawa Elections in producing
communications that were inclusive and specifically directed to people with
disabilities;
WHEREAS
the AAC believes that the City of Ottawa does not do enough to educate
residents and visitors on the various accessible services, features and
privileges provided to those residents and visitors; and
WHEREAS
the AAC notes that the “Accessibility Services” page on Ottawa.ca is buried
within the footer under the “About Us” category and is not intuitive for
residents or visitors to click on this link to learn about the special
parking privileges in public parking areas and on public roadways to holders
of a valid Accessible Parking Permit (APP);
THEREFORE,
be it resolved that the Accessibility Advisory Committee request that a
working group be created with representatives from the Accessibility Advisory
Committee, the Accessibility Office and staff from SIPD/PIMR that will meet
on a regular basis to discuss and implement strategies to produce more inclusive
communications as well as strategies to communicate the City of Ottawa’s
accessibility features, services and privileges to residents and visitors;
BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED that the AAC recommends that a
centralized collection of images depicting and representing people with
disabilities as well as city accessibility features be created and made
available to all staff to use in their communications; and
BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED that the AAC recommends that the “Accessibility Services”
page on Ottawa.ca be more visible.
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Member Patterson provided background on
this item advising that this motion is to assist with staff to promote accessibility
features that the City provides such as the Confederation Line. Chair Turcotte
noted that it has been requested to refer to motion to staff to allow for them
to review it and report back to an upcoming meeting.
AAC
MOTION 5/3
Moved by Member Patterson,
That the Accessibility Advisory
Committee refer Member Wade’s motion to staff in Service Innovation and
Performance Development Department and report back at an upcoming AAC meeting.
CARRIED
COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
That the
Accessibility Advisory Committee receive the updates for information.
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Members provided updates on the following
items :
·
Accessibility Working Group
·
Environmental Assessment meetings (St. Catherine Street; Earl
Armstrong Road Extension; Montreal/Blair Transit Priority Corridor)
It was noted that accessibility should be
included in all Master Plans and Official Plan during the re-development.
The Committee RECEIVED this item for
information.
Member Karam
submitted the following inquiry:
On June 18, the AAC reviewed a motion
regarding the availability of accessible on-street parking and the need for the
City to adopt formal policies and practices and protect the availability of
accessible parking permit on-street parking spaces in Ottawa by: requiring
usage studies prior to removal of these spaces to evaluate impact of the loss
on the disabilities community; requiring that where spaces are removed they are
relocated to nearby streets; and, only removing the accessible spaces as a last
resort.
In considering this motion, I am advancing
the following queries on behalf of the AAC:
1. According to the parking permits
webpage, all parking lots with 20+ spaces must reserve at least one space for
the use of permit holders. However, I was wondering what the rule is for
on-street parking - on each block, how many accessible spaces are required?
2. How many accessible on-street parking
spaces are there in Ottawa, compared to the total number of on-street parking
spaces, and how has the number of on-street parking spaces and those that are
accessible, changed year-over-year from 2017 to 2018 to 2019?
3. Do we have an idea of how many people
that require accessible parking use a personal vehicle to get to work compared
with the general population? Just trying to get a reading on whether we have
adequate accessible parking available for the downtown working population.
Chair Turcotte submitted the following two inquiries:
News organizations in Ottawa widely
reported on the week of June 11, 2019, that the Ottawa’s By-law services would
be conducting a two-week enforcement blitz downtown as part of efforts to ease
congestion in the downtown core.
On September 18, 2018, the
Accessibility Advisory Committee approved a motion on the availability and
protection of accessible parking spaces in Ottawa in order to make clear how
vital accessible parking spaces are to an inclusive and accessible Ottawa. (see
attached)
1. How is the current traffic blitz being utilized to promote and
protect the rights of persons with disabilities who hold an accessible parking
permit and are attempting to use it in the downtown core;
2. What public communications has By-Law Services engaged in to promote
the rights of Accessible Parking Permit users, especially in the downtown core;
and
3. The interaction between bike lanes (whether segregated or not) and
Accessible Parking Permits remains a significant issue of confusion for persons
with disabilities in Ottawa. Does the presence of a bike lane affect in any way
the rights that persons with Accessible Parking Permits have?
a. Particularly, are Accessible Parking Permit users allowed to park in
a bike lane (usually allowed in a ‘No Parking’ zone); and
Are vehicles
allowed to stop in a bike lane to pick up or drop-off Accessible Parking Permit
holders (usually allowed in a ‘No Stopping’ zone)?
Member Turcotte
The members
of the City of Ottawa’s Accessibility Advisory Committee have for several years
highlighted the emergency-related needs of persons living with disabilities as
a key issue for Ottawa, especially since large-scale emergencies can leave
persons living with disabilities in vulnerable states. The 2017 and 2019 floods
have highlighted for Ottawa’s disability communities just how crucial it is to
ensure that our city’s emergency officials and first responders have the
capacity and competence to respond to disability-related needs during an
emergency.
1. What steps has the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) taken to
ensure that its plans, policies, and procedures adequately equip the city to
respond to disability-related needs during emergencies;
a. Particularly, what training and capacity building has OEM already
undertaken to understand the emergency-related needs of persons living with
disabilities and to build the capacity and competence to respond to those
needs?
2. What measures were put in place during the 2017 and 2019 floods to
meet the needs of persons living with disabilities in the affected areas;
3. Is the Office of Emergency Management compliant with section 13(1)
of the Integrated Accessibility
Standards of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act;
and
4. Is it OEM’s current policy and practice to ensure that sign language
interpretation is offered and available during public press conferences and
other such events where emergency-related information communicated to the
public?
a. If not, why not?
In response to a question from Member Patterson, Chair Turcotte
advised that he would work with him to incorporate some wording within his
inquiry to Emergency and Protective Services with respect to emergency evacuation
in LRT trains and stations.
DESIGNING NEIGHBOURHOOD COLLECTOR STREETS
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CITY WIDE
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MOTION AAC 6/3
Moved by
Vice-Chair Benard,
That the
Accessibility Advisory Committee approve the addition of the following item for
consideration by the Committee at today’s meeting, pursuant to Section 20(3) of
the Advisory Committee Procedure By-law:
“Designing
Neighbourhood Collector Streets”
CARRIED
Prior to this
meeting, Nelson Edwards, Transportation Policy and Networks, Transportation
Services provided a memorandum to the Committee with details on the above-noted
project. At the request of the Accessibility Advisory Committee, Mr. Edwards
spoke to a detailed presentation on the item. A copy of his PowerPoint
presentation is held on file.
The more
salient points noted by staff included:
·
Staff noted that existing guidance documents for collector
streets do not reflect policies and standards such as the Official Plan,
Transportation Master Plan, Complete Streets Framework and the Accessibility
Design Standards (ADS)
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Staff outlined in their presentation how a new document to guide
the design of these streets called: Designing Neighbourhood Collector Streets
will provide an accessibility perspective and integrate accessibility design
requirement (included in the ADS) and will meet AODA requirements.
Committee
members were supportive of the project and praised staff for the images
included in the presentation. Staff direction and additional feedback included
the following:
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Concerns with respect to having cyclists and pedestrians on the
same level due to issues with service dogs and white cane users. It was
suggested to have cyclists on the same level as cars.
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Suggestion to consult with organizations that are
accessibility-based (i.e. CNIB)
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Tactile directional strips should be used (also used in LRT
stations)
AAC
MOTION 7/3
Moved by
Member Patterson,
That the
Accessibility Advisory Committee receive the staff presentation and request
staff to provide additional feedback as the project moves ahead.
CARRIED
The meeting
adjourned at 9:27 pm.
_____________________________ _____________________________
Committee Coordinator Chair