Municipalities with populations greater than 10,000 are required to establish an Accessibility Advisory Committee:
The council of every municipality having a population of not less than 10,000 shall establish an accessibility advisory committee or continue any such committee that was established before the day this section comes into force.
The council of every municipality having a population of less than 10,000 may establish an accessibility advisory committee or continue any such committee that was established before the day this section comes into force.
Section 29 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
Two or more municipalities may set up a joint committee, instead of having their own separate committees.
Under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA), all municipalities must prepare and make public all accessibility plans.
The purpose of the ODA is to improve opportunities for people with disabilities through identification, removal and prevention of barriers to participation, as all Canadians have the right to take part fully in society.
What is a Accessibility Advisory Committee?
An Accessibility Advisory Committee is a mandatory committee that reports directly to municipal council. It provides advice and recommendations on the barriers to participation in public life and to the achievement of social, cultural and economic well-being of people with disabilities.
The committee also provides advice to City Council about the requirements and implementation of accessibility standards and the preparation, implementation and effectiveness of accessibility reports as required by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
Who is on a Accessibility Advisory Committee?
Most of the members must be persons with disabilities:
A majority of the members of the Council shall be persons with disabilities.
Section 29 (3) of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
What is a Accessibility Advisory Committee responsible for?
Duties of committee
(a) advise the council about the requirements and implementation of accessibility standards and the preparation of accessibility reports and such other matters for which the council may seek its advice under subsection (5);
(b) review in a timely manner the site plans and drawings described in section 41 of the Planning Act that the committee selects; and
(c) perform all other functions that are specified in the regulations.
Section 29 (4) of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
- Provide input to develop an Multi-Year Accessibility Plan which identifies current barriers to be addressed and describes actions to be taken to measure and remove barriers
- Report to council on the effectiveness of the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan
- Monitor Federal and Provincial government directives and regulations
- Keep council and staff informed
- Liaise with other lower-tier municipalities in Oxford County
- Conduct research on accessibility issues
- Prioritize the disability issues
- Develop and conduct Education Awareness programs/events
- to advise Council about preparation, implementation and effectiveness of its accessibility plan
- to advise Council on the accessibility for persons with a disability to a building, structure or premises, or part of a building, structure or premises, that Council purchases, constructs, renovates, leases or which is provided to the Municipality as a capital facility
- to review site plans and drawings described in Section 41 of the Planning Act
What laws govern the Accessibility Advisory Committee?
Accessibility Advisory Committee meetings must be open to the public (as with all municipal committee meetings), with some exceptions.
If you believe that a meeting was closed to the public improperly (ie. the reason doesn’t fall within one of the 14 exceptions), you can submit a complaint to the Ontario Ombudsman.
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