Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee
The full agenda, as filed
All 6 items in the clerk’s order. Each carries the city’s own words: the staff recommendation, what the body decided, and its status. Nothing below is written by us.
DI10.1received
Councillor Jamaal Myers, Chair, Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee will provide an update on recent initiatives and updates.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee received the item for information.
DI10.2amended
Beach and Toronto Island Accessibility
Parks, Forestry and Recreation is committed to creating inclusive parks, facilities and natural spaces for everyone. Inna Olchovski, the Senior Project Manager, Capital Projects Design and Delivery, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and Andrea Chow, the General Supervisor, Parks Operations and Technology Services, Parks, Forestry and Recreation will give a presentation that responds to Item 2024.EX18.11 and provides an overview of how accessibility measures are considered and implemented at City beaches and Toronto Islands.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee recommends that the Executive Committee: 1. Request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to consult with the Division's Community Disability Steering Committee on the placement and visitor experience related to the installation of beach mats and accessible beach features and make the minutes of the Community Disability Steering Committee publicly available prior to the start of the 2025 season. 2. Request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the Waterfront Secretariat, to review the infrastructure proposals in the Presentation from Friends of Hanlan's Point Beach Proposed Accessibility Requirements and give consideration to: a. scheduling a consultation meeting for the disability community in January 2025 to discuss the improvements underway at Bluffer's Park Beach to ensure they are accessible; b. conducting an audit of all of Toronto's beaches to establish gaps in accessibility and report results back to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee at the October 24, 2025 meeting; and c. exploring the creation of accessible, digital maps of parks, recreation centres, and beaches to aid people living with disabilities in preparing their visit to those spaces.
DI10.3amended
Heather Inglis Baron, the Project Manager, Waterfront Secretariat and Alex Deighan, the Manager Business Services, Parks, Forestry and Recreation will give a presentation in response to the letter from Luke Anderson about Toronto's private water taxis and accessibility to Toronto Island Park.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee recommends that the Executive Committee: 1. Request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to review current practices to assist individuals with accessibility requirements related to ferry ticketing and queueing and consult with Parks, Forestry and Recreation's Disability Steering Committee to make any necessary adjustments prior to the start of the summer ferry schedule. 2. Request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to review the feasibility of creating a formal designated waiting area policy for people with disabilities to ensure persons with disabilities can access the Toronto Island ferries at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and at the Toronto Island Ferry Landings. 3. Request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to report back to Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee at its May 9, 2025 meeting, to provide an update and receive feedback on any such updated operational process.
DI10.4received
Toronto Transit Commission Easier Access Phase III Project Update
Gary Downie, the Chief Capital Officer, TTC will provide a status update to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee on the delivery of the Easier Access Phase III Program. The Easier Access Phase III Program is an important part of the Toronto Transit Commission's Multi-Year Accessibility Plan and the program provides an accessible path from street level, buses and streetcars, to subway platforms for all remaining stations not currently accessible.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee received the item for information.
DI10.5received
Accessibility Protection Zones Around Construction Projects
Roger Browne, Director of Traffic Management, and Stuart McGhie, Manager of Work Zone Coordination, will give a presentation on Accessibility Protection Zones around Construction Projects. This presentation will provide details on what actions have been implemented to improve accessibility in work zones and what is still to come in 2025.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee received the item for information.
DI10.6adopted
The City of Toronto is developing a third Toronto Seniors Strategy to better support aging in place, particularly for seniors who are Indigenous, Black, and who belong to equity-deserving groups. The City of Toronto will be implementing a community consultation process to enhance the City's understanding of the priorities of seniors and older adults in Toronto. These consultations will be a key input into the development of the next Toronto Seniors Strategy. The experiences of seniors with disabilities must be included in this strategy, and people with disabilities should be a specific priority group for consultations. The strategy should be designed with an accessibility lens.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee recommends that the Executive Committee: 1. Request the Toronto Seniors' Strategy team, in the Seniors Services and Long-Term Care Division, to present to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee at its February 28, 2025 meeting, on: a. an update on the strategy and outreach to and consultation with disability communities in the community consultation process; and b. how the team is using/will use an accessibility lens in preparing this strategy.
Staff recommendation as filed
Liv Mendelsohn recommends the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee to recommend the Executive Committee to: 1. Request the Toronto Seniors' Strategy team in Seniors Services and Long-Term Care Division to present to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee at its February 28, 2025 meeting, on: a. an update on the strategy and outreach to and consultation with disability communities in the community consultation process; and b. how the team is using/will use an accessibility lens in preparing this strategy.