Accessibility
Accessibility
People with disabilities represent a significant and growing part of our population. According to Statistics Canada, about 1.5 million Ontarians have disabilities – about 13.5% of the population. The Province has passed legislation to enhance the ability of people with disabilities to have equal access to opportunities, live independently and contribute to the community – Ontarian with Disabilities Act, 2001 and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.
Ontarian with Disabilities Act, 2001
The purpose of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) is to improve opportunities for the people with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of the barriers. The ODA mandates that each Municipality prepare an annual accessibility plan.
The accessibility plan is intended to address existing barriers to people with disabilities and to prevent new barriers from being established. All municipalities, regardless of the size, are required to prepare annual accessibility plans as part of their regular planning process.
The plan describes the measures the Town has taken in the past and will take during the current year to identify, remove, and prevent barriers to people with disabilities who use the facilities and services of the Town, including employees and members of the community at large.
The establishment of an annual accessibility plan will have positive outcomes on the community as a whole. The primary beneficiaries of barrier removal and barrier prevention exercises are people with disabilities. However, a positive result of accessibility planning is that all people benefit.
Town_of_Parry_Sound_Accessiblity_Plan_2010.pdf
Schedule_B___Barriers_to_be_Addressed_in_2010.pdf
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.
The purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
(AODA) is to benefit all Ontarians by developing, implementing and enforcing accessibility standards in order to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities by 2025.
The five standards are: Customer Service Standard; Information and Communications, Transportation; Employment and the Built Environment.
Ontario's first accessibility standard, the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, came into effect on January 1, 2008. This standard requires the establishment of policies, procedures and practices regarding the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities.
The Town of Parry Sound has developed an Accessibility Customer Services Policy and addresses the following areas:
• The provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities;
• The use of assistive devices by persons with disabilities;
• The use of service animals by persons with disabilities’
• The use of support persons by persons with disabilities;
• Notice of temporary disruptions in services and facilities;
• Training;
• Customer feedback regarding the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities;
• Notice of availability and format of documents and meetings.
The policies are detailed in the Customer Service Manual.
