HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune 9, 2020
Revised
Minutes/Meeting Summary
Accessibility Advisory Committee
June 9, 2020
Electronic Meeting
7:00 pm
Attendees: Peter Bashaw
Bianca D’Souza
Saima Fatima
Donna Holmes
Dan Hughes – left at 8:55pm
Glenn Lang
Megan Thorpe Ross
David Wysocki
Tim Higgins, Staff Representative
Rumali Perera, Recording Secretary
Devin Poole, Clerk -Typist
Guests: Isabelle Janton, Planner II -Site Planning, City of Pickering
Vince Plouffe , Manager, Facilities Capital Projects, City of Pickering
Absent: Anthony Lue
Sue Wilkinson
John McLellan, Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade
Item/
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Details & Discussion & Conclusion
(summary of discussion)
Action Items/Status
(include deadline as
appropriate)
1. Welcome & Introductions
T. Higgins welcomed members and guests to the
electronic meeting.
2. Disclosure of Interest
No disclosures of interest were noted.
3. Review and Approval of Agenda
T. Higgins reviewed the agenda items. Agenda
approved.
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Item/
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Details & Discussion & Conclusion
(summary of discussion)
Action Items/Status
(include deadline as
appropriate)
4. Review and Approval of Minutes
Moved by D. Holmes
Seconded by G. Lang
That the Minutes of the May 13, 2020 meeting of the
Accessibility Advisory Committee be approved.
Carried
5. New Business
5.1 Site Plan Review -S11/18 -Metropia
Isabelle Janton, Planner II -Site Planning, City of
Pickering, appeared before the Committee to
provide an overview of the Metropia – Townhouse
development site plan which is to be located at the
intersection of Pickering Parkway and Notion
Road. She noted the following features of the site
plan:
130 3 storey townhouse units – a mix of
standard townhouses and back to back
vertically stacked townhouses;
260 resident parking spaces, 33 visitor
parking spaces, and 2 barrier free parking
spaces;
Contains an outdoor amenity space with
play structures on rubberized surface, berm
with vegetation, and seeding walls;
The 2nd open space is a storm water
management pond which will not be
accessible to the public;
Concrete sidewalks all around the
development; and,
The townhomes do not contain ground level
living areas.
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Item/
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Details & Discussion & Conclusion
(summary of discussion)
Action Items/Status
(include deadline as
appropriate)
Members noted the following comments:
• The townhouses are not accessible as they
are vertically stacked;
• The design of the townhouse complex
demonstrated little in the way of accessibility
features or options;
• questions were raised regarding access to
green space, accessible parking spaces,
and specifications for the surfacing of the
play area;
• The site’s concept and design does not
address accessibility – encourage the
developer to rethink the appeal this site
would have to individuals with disabilities as
both residents and visitors;
• Invite the developer to connect directly with
the Committee to receive input; and,
• The site plan does not complement City
Age-Friendly strategies/plans geared
towards the growing aging population of
Pickering.
5.2 Navigation Study Update
Vince Plouffe , Manager, Facilities Capital Projects,
City of Pickering, appeared before the Committee
to provide an update on the City’s Signage &
Wayfinding Program.
He noted the following of the program:
The intent of the program is to be cohesive
to enable individuals to navigate through
City of Pickering buildings;
The study looked at the City’s current
signage and compared to the Province’s
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Details & Discussion & Conclusion
(summary of discussion)
Action Items/Status
(include deadline as
appropriate)
industry standards working alongside
Bennett Design and Entro;
The study looked at fonts, colours, contrast,
spacing between letters, and pictograms;
The City will be creating a committee and
engaging with stakeholders for input for a
policy to be endorsed by Council. The Policy
will include general statements of criteria
and specific guidelines for wayfinding to be
used in City buildings;
The City will be implementing these
guidelines to the City’s Operations Centre
first before moving on to the City’s
Recreation Centre;
The Operations Centre already has coloured
exterior doors to assist with navigation for
delivery vehicles;
The Operations Centre will be used to test
the new guidelines as the building does not
see much public traffic; and,
The signage will be rolled out in 2021.
Members noted following comments/questions:
Questions were raised regarding the study’s
role in creating the policy with Vince Plouffe
noting that the study and consultation with
stakeholders will both be used in the
creation of the policy;
Questions were raised regarding lighting
levels with Vince Plouffe noting that lighting
levels are mandated by the building code;
If the study will look at parks and trails with
Vince Plouffe noting that this policy is only
for buildings;
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Item/
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Details & Discussion & Conclusion
(summary of discussion)
Action Items/Status
(include deadline as
appropriate)
The use of beacons in this study with Vince
Plouffe noting that the City is exploring this;
and,
Navigation for the ‘new normal’ post COVID-
19
5.3 Alternate Formats – Closed Captioning &
ASL Interpreting
T. Higgins noted that due to COVID-19 and the
closure of City Hall to the public, the City has
moved to an electronic meeting platform for
Council and Committee meetings. In doing so, the
City is considering the need to provide closed
captioning for livestreamed meeting videos, and
American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation
D. Wysocki appeared before the Committee to
provide a brief presentation on Listening
Accessibility: Captioning.
He noted the following:
captioning will benefit a broad spectrum of
Pickering’s residents: the aging population,
persons with hearing loss, attention related
issues, learning disabilities or other
audio/visual–perceptual challenges,
population with English as a 2nd language,
and the general audience;
nearly 1 out of every 4 adult Canadian
reports having some hearing loss;
Two types of captioning -Real-Time Live
captioning (Communication Access
Realtime Translation (CART) and
Video/Recorded captioning (e.g. YouTube);
Real-Time Live captioning uses an outside
source to ensure that the captioning
displayed on the screen is what the speaker
is saying in real time;
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Item/
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Details & Discussion & Conclusion
(summary of discussion)
Action Items/Status
(include deadline as
appropriate)
Video/Recorded Captioning, the most
frequently used, captions what has already
been said;
For chamber meetings its best to use CART
– infrastructure can best be implemented
during Council Chamber renovations;
For electronic meetings – ensure all videos
are captioned;
The best time to build accessibility is when
planning new initiatives;
In doing so the City joins best-practices
leadership and becomes responsive to the
entire population;
Prepares the City for forthcoming AODA
refresh, Federal Accessibility Legislation,
United Nations (UNCRPD) Canadian
Optional Protocol implementation, and
current Human Rights requirements; and,
AODA and the Human Rights Code requires
that obligated organizations and employers
provide reasonable accommodations for
alternate formats once it is requested.
5.4 Canada Day Planning
T.Higgins noted that a YouTube video from the
Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee could
be displayed during the City’s virtual Canada Day
celebration.
D. Wysocki noted that members could all submit a
short video of personal meaning of accessibility to
be compiled into one video.
6. Other Business & Updates
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Item/
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Details & Discussion & Conclusion
(summary of discussion)
Action Items/Status
(include deadline as
appropriate)
6.1 Member Updates
T. Higgins surveyed the Committee members for
updates and final remarks. No action items from
updates.
T. Higgins noted that representatives of the
developers of the Jerry Coughlin Centre may be
attending a future informal meeting to consult the
Committee further on its site plan.
7. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 9:20pm
:rp
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