Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee
The full agenda, as filed
All 7 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.
DI17.1amended
At its meeting of April 11, 2019, the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee elected Stefanie Marinich-Lee and Glen Hart as the two Vice Chairs of the Committee for a term of office ending on November 14, 2022, and until successors are appointed. There is currently a vacancy in one of the positions of Vice Chair due to the resignation of Stefanie Marinich Lee. The Committee may elect a member as Vice Chair for a term of office ending on November 14, 2022, and until a successor is appointed. All members are eligible for election.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee: 1. Elected Liv Mendelsohn as Vice Chair of the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee for a term of office ending on November 14, 2022, and until successors are appointed.
DI17.2received
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, Chair, Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee will give a presentation to the Committee on recent initiatives and updates.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee received the item for information.
DI17.3amended
Update on COVID-19 Vaccination
Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health will give a presentation on the status of COVID-19 vaccination in the City of Toronto.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee: 1. Recommends that City Council request the Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the Toronto Accessibility Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccines, people with disabilities, support persons, and other equity deserving groups, to ensure that any mandatory vaccination policy or program recognizes legislated or regulatory exemptions or a Human Rights Code related accommodation request for exemption and report back to the next meeting of the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee on November 15, 2021. 2. Recommends that City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry, and Recreation to make any public printers at community and recreation centres available at no cost to residents to print their provincial vaccine receipts to ensure equitable access. 3. Recommends that City Council request the Toronto Public Library Board to make any public printers at libraries available at no cost to residents to print their provincial vaccine receipts to ensure equitable access. 4. Recommends that City Council write a letter to the Ontario Ministry of Health to encourage them to expand the accessibility of the Ontario Vaccine booking portal directly and to make it possible for disabled Ontarians to be able to book the accommodations they need to be vaccinated. 5. Requested the Program Manager, Accessibility Unit to invite representatives from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) to give a presentation or to provide a report to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee on the challenges of disaggregated data on people with disabilities and COVID-19 infection and vaccination rates to date, including issues in collecting the data and what can be done to expedite the collection of disaggregated data similar to other jurisdictions.
DI17.4received
Review of Parking and Accessible Parking Requirements for New Development
Michael Hain, Program Manager, Policy and Analysis Unit Transportation Planning, City Planning will give a presentation on Parking Requirements for New Development. City Planning are currently reviewing the requirements for parking spaces in newly erected or enlarged buildings contained in the city-wide Zoning By-law 569-2013. The presentation includes a preliminary proposal for changes to the accessible parking requirements.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee received the item for information.
DI17.5received
Digital Infrastructure Plan and Accessibility Considerations
Alice Xu, Manager, Connected Community, and Hamish Goodwin, Management Consultant, Technology Services will provide a presentation on the Digital Infrastructure Plan, which will guide the use of data and technology by the City of Toronto. Special attention will be paid to accessibility considerations with regards to digital infrastructure. Public consultations are planned for September and October.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee received the item for information.
DI17.6received
Employment Accessibility at the City of Toronto
Hali Farah, Manager of Diversity and Inclusion, People and Equity, will give a presentation on Employment Accessibility at the City of Toronto. The presentation will include information previously requested on access to employment, including specific recruitment tactics that will be used with different disability communities; as well as the employee experience, including an update on the development of an outreach model and pilot strategy, and the current representation rates of City employees who self-disclose as having a disability.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee received the item for information.
DI17.7amended
Protecting Vulnerable Persons and Reducing Homelessness
There have been reports of landlords, their agents or staff neglecting their duty to accommodate as described in the Human Rights Code, resulting in undue stress, and trauma for persons with disabilities. In practice, it has been reported that landlords or their agents report to Toronto Police Services in an attempt to address ongoing tenant issues either known or obviously attributed directly to a disability. In some cases, residents are unable to respond to allegations due to their disability. It is unclear the types of education, training and information available to officers responding in these situations and how their actions directly impact eviction prevention, or vulnerable residents at risk of homelessness. Designing a policy ensuring that any officers responding in these sensitive scenarios understand the Human Rights Code, in particular the duty to accommodate, when a person with disabilities is involved is critical to protecting their rights. In addition, it is critical to understand how the City of Toronto can address this gap through eviction prevention services, and any forthcoming initiatives ensuring that persons with disabilities are made aware of their rights regarding conflicts with landlords and their agencies. People living with disabilities are especially vulnerable to housing insecurity, and the City of Toronto along with the Toronto Police Services need to work together to ensure that their rights are respected and to reduce their risk of homelessness.
The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee recommends that: 1. City Council request the Toronto Police Services Board to conduct a review of any existing policies educating, or informing officers and residents of the Human Rights Code Duty to Accommodate as it pertains to people living with disabilities, landlords and their agencies, and to report back City Council by the second quarter of 2022, outlining existing policies, any gaps and recommendations on how to address them, including the feasibility of a. An educational campaign, pamphlets or other accessible documents that list health, disability, legal clinics and other community supports available for the regions each Police Division serves and protects. b. Arranging appropriate supports when it is likely that the rights of people with disabilities under the Human Rights Code are not being addressed, including but not limited to: i. Healthcare, ii. Disability, iii. Legal clinics, iv. Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, and v. Family, or another appropriate support person. 2. City Council request the General Manager, Shelter Support and Housing Administration, in consultation with the General Manager, Social Development and Finance Administration, the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and relevant divisions to report to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee by the second quarter of 2022, on what the City is doing and can further do to ensure that persons with disabilities are made aware of their rights regarding conflicts with landlords and potential evictions including but not limited to: a. Educational campaigns to landlords on Human Rights Code Accommodations; b. Eviction prevention services offered through the City of Toronto or other agencies, and c. Educational tools and strategies for the Community Crisis Response Teams to support persons living with disabilities.
Staff recommendation as filed
Michael McNeely recommends that the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee recommend: 1. City Council request the Toronto Police Services Board to conduct a review of any existing policies educating, or informing officers and residents of the Human Rights Code Duty to Accommodate as it pertains to people living with disabilities, landlords and their agencies, and to report back City Council by Q2 of 2022, outlining existing policies, any gaps and recommendations on how to address them, including the feasibility of a. An educational campaign, pamphlets or other accessible documents that list health, disability, legal clinics and other community supports available for the regions each Police Division serves and protects. b. Arranging appropriate supports when it is likely that the rights of people with disabilities under the Human Rights Code are not being addressed, including but not limited to: i. Healthcare, ii. Disability, iii. Legal clinics, iv. Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, and v. Family, or another appropriate support person. 2. The General Manager, Shelter Support and Housing Administration, in consultation with the General Manager, Social Development and Finance Administration, the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and relevant divisions to report to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee, on what the City is doing and can further do to ensure that persons with disabilities are made aware of their rights regarding conflicts with landlords and potential evictions including but not limited to: a. Educational campaigns to landlords on Human Rights Code Accommodations; b. Eviction prevention services offered through the City of Toronto or other agencies, and c. Educational tools and strategies for the Community Crisis Response Teams to support persons living with disabilities.