Accessibility Strategy Implementation Update

Summary

• Staff recommend Council approve Terms of Reference for a new standing Accessibility Committee and direct staff to establish it, as required by BC's Accessible British Columbia Act (2021).
• The proposed committee would reserve at least 50% of seats for people with lived experience of disability, include a minimum of two seats for Indigenous people with disabilities, and include representatives from the Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee and the Older Persons and Elders Advisory Committee.
• The new committee would replace the existing Accessibility Task Force and serve as the primary advisory body for the City's Accessibility Strategy, helping to identify, remove, and prevent barriers.
• The City also plans to build a public online feedback tool by Q1 2024, allowing residents to report accessibility barriers at City facilities and track when issues are resolved; in the interim, feedback can be submitted via 311.
• Phase 2 of the Accessibility Strategy — involving broader community consultation with persons with disabilities and a prioritization exercise — is underway and will be brought to Council in Q1 2024.
• The report also responds to two prior Council directions: an employment practices audit examining accessibility for City staff (noting current HR databases do not capture disability demographics), and a facilities audit action plan to assess accessibility of all City-owned assets.

Vote

Documents

• Report – Accessibility Strategy Implementation Update and Council Motion Report Back
• Report - Plain Language
• Staff Presentation