JOINT PEEL-CALEDON

ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AAC)

Glenn Barnes, Chair, presided

1. CALL TO ORDER

Glenn Barnes, Chair of the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. and welcomed everyone present.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

RECOMMENDATION AAC-7-2006:

That the minutes of the February 28, 2006 Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting be approved.

Glenn Barnes advised members of the AAC that, as requested at the January 2005 meeting, the Evacuation Procedure signs have been lowered and enlarged to accommodate the visually impaired and persons using wheelchairs.

3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

RECOMMENDATION AAC-8-2006:

That the agenda for the March 28, 2006 Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting be amended to postpone Presentations - Item 5a to be dealt with at 2:00 p.m.;

And further, that the agenda for the March 28, 2006 Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting be amended to postpone Presentations - Item 5b at 1:00 p.m.;

And further, that the agenda for the March 28, 2006 Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting be amended to include an article from the Toronto Star regarding the audible crossing signal poles in the City of Toronto, to be dealt with under Communications;

And further, that the agenda for the March 28, 2006 Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting be amended to include a City of Brampton News Release regarding the Canada Blooms Universal Access Award for innovative accessible design presented to the City of Brampton, to be dealt with under Communications;

And further, that the agenda for the March 28, 2006 Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting be approved, as amended.

4. COMMUNICATION ITEMS

a. Glenn Barnes, Chair, Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee, Letter dated March 9, 2006 to Daniel Kraszewski, Manager, Site Plan, Planning and Building Department, City of Brampton, Requesting a Waiver of Site Plan Control for the Proposed Renovations and Improvements to the Front-Entrance Ramp at Regional Administrative Headquarters, 10 Peel Centre Dr., Brampton

Received

Glenn Barnes, Chair, Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), provided a brief summary of the Pathways story in which Jacqueline Storkey, a Customer Service Representative at the Customer Contact Centre, Peel Region, was recognized for her outstanding work in assisting a client who suffered a seizure while attempting to book a trip with TransHelp.


b. Glenn Barnes, Chair, Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee, Letter dated March 9, 2006 to Daniel Kraszewski, Manager, Site Plan, Planning and Building Department, City of Brampton, Supporting the Site Plan and Architectural Plans Submitted for the Joint Use Region of Peel-Peel Regional Police Facility Site Plan Application

Received

 

c. Accessibility Advisory Committee Continuing Education Flyer for March 25, 2006

Received

Additional Items - 4d and 4e

d. Article: Toronto Star, dated March 21, 2006, titled "Silence Not Golden Here" Regarding the Installation of Crossing Signal Poles that Emit Sound to Guide Persons with Visual Disability

Received

 

e. News Release: City of Brampton, dated March 20, 2006, Announcing the Canada Blooms Universal Access Award for Innovative Accessible Design Presented to the City of Brampton at the 2006 Canada Blooms Show

Received

 

5. PRESENTATIONS

a. Mel Watson, Facilities Asset Management, Development and Construction, Housing and Property, Region of Peel, Providing a Comparative Analysis on Region of Peel Design Guidelines

This item was dealt with later in the meeting


b. Mauricio Fuenzalida, Fire and Life Safety Co-ordinator, Housing and Property, Region of Peel, Providing a Fire Drill and Evacuation Orientation for the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) Members

Received

To facilitate the scheduled fire drill, Glenn Barnes requested that members of the Committee utilize both sides of the Council Chamber allowing easier access to the fire exits.

Mauricio Fuenzalida, Fire and Life Safety Co-ordinator, Housing and Property, Region of Peel, provided the AAC a brief overview on the scheduled fire drill. He informed the Committee that representatives from the City of Brampton Fire Department and the Region of Peel Fire Team were present to assist the AAC members during the exercise.

The Committee expressed concern regarding the evacuation procedures for persons with disability particularly those that have special needs such as breathing or postural problems. Mauricio Fuenzalida assured the Committee that the Fire Department and the Region of Peel Fire Team is aware of the persons requiring assistance and those who have special needs. In case of an emergency, members of the Region of Peel Fire Team will stay with individuals with special needs until a representative from the Fire Department arrives on the scene.

The mock fire drill took place.

Subsequent to the fire drill, Maureen Tymkow and Naz Husain, Citizen Members, inquired if it is possible to have a distinguishable bell different from the fire alarm to guide the visually impaired to the fire exits during an emergency. Glenn Barnes concurred and requested Housing and Property staff to look for possible solutions to the request of the Committee. Mauricio Fuenzalida informed the Committee that the Regional staff is considering installing horns with strobe lights, in addition to the existing audio alarms at 10 Peel Centre Dr..

Councillor Paterak inquired if the Fire Department has equipment or apparatus which could be used to help evacuate persons with disabilities, particularly in high rise buildings. George Hitchcock, Division Chief, Fire and Life Safety Education, City of Brampton, informed the Committee that the Fire Department does not have equipment to transport people with special needs and that Fire personnel are trained to evacuate people manually. He also stated that paramedics will not enter the building until the Fire Department declares it safe to do so.

Meenu Sikand, Accessibility Planning Specialist, informed the Committee that the new trend in the universal design principles is to post exit signs at a lower level. Smoke spreads upwards so the fire exit signs can be easily seen by individuals who may be on their knees. She also commented that evacuation chairs are available and suggested that the Region should consider purchasing it. Mauricio Fuenzalida noted the purchase of the equipment would require staff training on its use and a high space for storage in stairwells. Meenu Sikand requested the Fire Department representatives to consider acquiring an evacuation chair to help persons with disabilities living or working in high rise buildings.

Glenn Barnes stated that subsequent to evacuations mobility devices would remain in the affected high-rise building, and the disabled would be left without their mobility devices. Further, he suggested that the Fire Department should evaluate procedures for post-evacuation situations particularly for persons with disabilities.

Naz Husain inquired if a report will be forthcoming to a future Committee meeting highlighting future evacuation procedure plans. George Hitchcock stated that he will convey the concerns of the AAC to the Brampton Fire Chief and will continue to co-ordinate with the Region of Peel Housing and Property staff to improve the evacuation process at the Region.

Glenn Barnes suggested that in the case of a real emergency, chaos and confusion could occur and would be best for persons with disabilities requiring assistance to remain beside a wall or in a corner away from the evacuation route so as not to impede the flow of movement by other evacuees. Glenn Barnes reiterated his request for members to utilize both sides of the Council Chamber for future AAC meetings for quicker access to the exit doors.

 

6. REPORTS

7. REPORT FROM THE ACCESSIBILITY PLANNING COORDINATORS

a. Colleen Grant, Town Prosecutor and Solicitor, Town of Caledon (Oral)

Received

Colleen Grant, Town Prosecutor and Solicitor, Town of Caledon informed the Committee that Caledon Economic Development staff will add AAC minutes and reports to their website. In addition, she informed members that the Town of Caledon 2004 Accessibility Plan Update is posted on the Caledon website under Publications (www.caledon.ca/townhall/article). Colleen Grant stated that the request to post the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) Accessibility Plans, Minutes and Agendas on the Caledon website will be completed in the coming weeks and she will update the Committee once completed.

b. Meenu Sikand, Accessibility Planning Specialist, Region of Peel

Received

Meenu Sikand provided a brief overview of the activities that she undertook in March 2006. Some of the highlights noted were:

• Site visit to Peel Family Shelter
• Participate in the Accessibility Advisory Committee Continuing Education workshop
• Attended the International Implications of Disability Policy conference organized by York University

Delegations/Presentations - Item 5a was dealt with.

5. PRESENTATIONS

a. Mel Watson, Facilities Asset Management, Development and Construction, Housing and Property, Region of Peel, Providing a Comparative Analysis on Region of Peel Design Guidelines

Received

Mel Watson, Facilities Asset Management, Development and Construction, Housing and Property, Region of Peel, presented an overview of the different design guidelines in the Region of Peel; Cities of Mississauga and Brampton; Town of Caledon; Ontario Building Code (OBC); and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).

Keith Ward, Commissioner of Housing and Property and General Manager of Peel Living, commented that the varying guidelines are similar in substance but different in the way they present the context and practical use. He noted that input and comments received from the Committee are valuable and staff will continue working with AAC to improve the guidelines.

The Committee thanked Mel Watson and Keith Ward for the detailed presentation and for providing a better understanding of the different design guidelines.

William Goursky suggested that a subcommittee be created that would include AAC Members and Regional staff from Housing and Property and the Planning Department to look into the functional part of site plans. Keith Ward agreed that a subcommittee to specifically look into the site plans would be practical. However, he further stated that William Goursky, Glenn Barnes and Meenu Sikand are already involved in providing input on accessibility issues to departments and in his opinion, there is no need to create another special subcommittee.

Councillor Paterak departed at 2:45 p.m.

Keith Ward sought clarification as to the intent of the Committee regarding the proposed subcommittee. He stated that the subcommittee could be created providing that its mandate is to look at site plans initiated by the Region of Peel Housing and Property Department. However, Keith Ward informed the Committee that the Regional Corporation is not an approving body on site plans coming through the Region and these type of site plans are normally processed by the area municipalities. Peel Planning Department only reviews site plans which affect a property owned or managed by the Region. If the AAC wants to be involved in this capacity, Keith Ward suggested the AAC submit a formal request for consideration by Housing and Property staff.

R. Kent Gillespie, Commissioner of Corporate Services and Regional Solicitor, informed the Committee that the role of the Region with respect to commenting on site plans that do not affect Regional properties is limited. Glenn Barnes requested Keith Ward to establish a process to include the Accessibility Planning Specialist and one or more AAC members in the review process for site plans.

A quorum of voting members was lost, and in accordance with Section III-4(f) of the Region of Peel Procedural By-law 54-1999, as amended, the Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) continued to receive information from staff.

8. REPORT OF THE ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIR

Glenn Barnes informed the Committee that he is the Co-ordinator for the Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion event to be held in the City of Mississauga scheduled for May 6, 2006. He invited the AAC members to participate in the upcoming event. Glenn Barnes requested R. Kent Gillespie, Commissioner of Corporate Services and Regional Solicitor to extend an invitation to the Regional Chair, Acting Chief Administrative Officer and Region of Peel Commissioners to participate in the wheelchair skills challenge.

9. OTHER BUSINESS

a. Meenu Sikand, Accessibility Planning Specialist, Region of Peel, Regarding Location of Future Joint Peel-Caledon Advisory Committee (AAC) Meetings (Oral)

Received

Meenu Sikand outlined the findings of Clerk's staff regarding the location of future Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) meetings, as follows:

	Peel Room	Council Chamber
Advantages	Sufficient size Main Floor Location Less Formal Staff and guests sit at the same desk	Sufficient size/ comfortable facility Good facility for visual presentations/ lighting options Equipped with good audio/video Ability to record meetings
Disadvantages or Concerns Raised	Poor lighting/back lighting from windows (an issue for presentations/ contrast) Locating the Chair at the head of the room and positioning his location in the room so he could see presentations No audio, made it difficult for some members/presenters to be heard Tables are not high enough to allow wheelchairs to have close access	Room is too formal Room is not on the main floor and may be problematic in the case of an emergency

Meenu Sikand noted that should the Committee choose to move future meetings to the first floor, the Peel Room would not be available until June 2006.

Naz Husain commented that having AAC meetings in the Council Chamber works out well. Maureen Tymkow indicated that she finds the Council Chamber too formal and finds it difficult to distinguish voices unless she is aware who the speakers are. She further noted that the monitors in the Chamber do not help with her visual disability and she prefers presentation handouts.

AAC Members expressed the importance of all members' attendance at meetings to get their input and subsequently convey AAC discussions to the areas they represent. Regional staff was requested to send a letter to members to remind them of the attendance requirement at subcommittee and advisory committee meetings as stipulated in the Region of Peel Procedural By-law 54-1999, as amended.

R. Kent Gillespie, Commissioner of Corporate Services and Regional Solicitor, indicated that the Region is currently reviewing the roles, responsibilities and functions of the AAC program to ensure it serves its mandate.

Additional Items - 9b and 9c

b. March 25, 2006 AAC Continuing Education Workshop Organized by the City of Kitchener (Oral)

Received

William Goursky informed the Committee that he was impressed with the panel presentation on invisible and non-visible disabilities and suggested that the Region consider including a similar panel discussion in future training programs.

c. National Access Awareness Week (Oral)

Received

Naz Husain inquired if the AAC plans to be involved in the National Access Awareness Week in May 2006. Meenu Sikand stated that at present there are no plans due to limited resources, however, she would explore the possibility of coordinating an event in partnership with Health and People, Information and Technology Departments. Meenu Sikand undertook to provide an update to the Committee at a future meeting. William Goursky expressed interest in being involved in the project.

10. NEXT MEETING

Tuesday, April 25, 2006
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Region of Peel Headquarters
Council Chamber, 5th floor
10 Peel Centre Dr.
Brampton, Ontario

Glenn Barnes informed the Committee that the August 22, 2006 Joint Peel-Caledon Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) meeting will be held in the Peel Room. The Council Chamber will undergo a retrofit in July and August 2006 to accommodate three additional Regional Councillors in accordance with the Regional Municipality of Peel Act, 2005.

11. ADJOURNMENT

As a quorum of voting members was not achieved and as all business had been reviewed, in accordance with Section III-4(f) of the Procedural By-law 54-1999, as amended, the meeting stood adjourned at 3:10 p.m.