The Public GalleryToronto

Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee · 2019-04-11 · 2019.DI1.8

The filed record

Improving Representation of Persons with Disabilities on City Boards, Committees, and Tribunals

The Public Gallery wrote no story on this item. What follows is the city’s own record of what happened to it, as filed: nothing on this page is summarised or scored by us.

The decision

2019-04-11 · Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee · adopted

As filed

The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee recommends that: 1. The Executive Committee direct the City Clerk, in consultation with the Executive Director, People, Equity and Human Rights and key community stakeholders, to report back to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee, on September 26, 2019, with a strategy to strengthen the recruitment and civic appointment selection process for public appointments to

Show the rest of As filed, 174 more characters as filed

City boards, committees and tribunals, with the goal of increasing representation of persons with disabilities, and striving toward equitable representation by the year 2025.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

On February 11, 2019, the People Equity and Human Rights Division (PEHR) and the City Clerk's Office held an information session to provide information to the persons with disabilities community on the requirements and recruiting processes for appointments to public boards, committees, and tribunals. Participant feedback during the information session indicated that there are citizen concerns regarding the diversity of appointments to City boards, committees and tribunals, with particular regard to the lack of representation of persons with disabilities.

Show the rest of As the city filed it, 927 more characters as filed

Participants also discussed the potential unconscious bias on the part of the selection committee, as well as qualification requirements that exclude capable applicants. It is important to acknowledge that the City Clerk's Office has been making significant strides towards improving diverse recruitment, particularly with regard to gender. Unfortunately, efforts toward greater inclusion do not always translate through the selection process. For example, Public Appointment statistics show that 10.5% of applicants were persons with disabilities. However, only 7.7% were appointed. These numbers are current as of January 31, 2019, and are available on the Public Appointments website. The City of Toronto promotes itself as "home to a diverse population." This diversity should be reflected in our public appointments, to ensure that City boards, committees and tribunals are truly representative of the resident population.

Staff recommended

Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam recommends that: 1. The Executive Committee direct the City Clerk, in consultation with the Executive Director, People, Equity and Human Rights and key community stakeholders, to report back to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee, on September 26, 2019, with a strategy to strengthen the recruitment and civic appointment selection process for public appointments to City boards, committees

Show the rest of Staff recommended, 150 more characters as filed

and tribunals, with the goal of increasing representation of persons with disabilities, and striving toward equitable representation by the year 2025.

    On the record

    The item as the City filed it

    More from this meeting

    The whole meeting