The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act and Transportation October 27, 2006

First, a little about

OCTA Members include Transit (in 76 Ont. Municipalities) Industry Suppliers (30) Non-Profit Partners (8) Ministry of Transportation

Vehicle Mix Includes  Conventional Buses  Articulated Buses  Mini Buses  Streetcars  Subways  Rail  Light Rail  Vans  Taxis  Privately Owned Vehicles

ODA, 2001  Municipalities  Public transit systems  Hospitals  School boards  Universities & Colleges

ODA, 2001 Must create an annually updated Accessibility Plan & make it public -No standards - Limited enforcement …created dissatisfaction …

AODA AODA, 2005 Develop, Implement & Enforce Standards: - Goods - Services - Accommodation - Employment - & Buildings …by January 1, 2025

AODA AODA Intent of Accessibility Standards - Set policies to remove & prevent barriers - Address full range of disabilities - Mandatory - Apply to all sectors, public & private - Staged in 5 yr. periods - Within existing funding envelopes

AODA - Enforcement: - Accessibility reports made public - Self-certification by organizations - Incentives - Inspections and audits where necessary - Fines for filing false reports or obstructing an inspector

AODA AODA Standards Development Committees Common Standards  Customer Service – in progress  Information & Communication – fall 2006  Built Environment – winter 2007  Employment – spring 2007

AODA AODA Standards Development Committees Sector Specific Standards Transportation First and only, to date

AODA AODA SDC Process - SDC develops standards - SDC recommends standards to Minister - Minister’s Accessibility Adv. Cttee reviews Standards - Standards are posted 45 days for public input - Public input forwarded to SDC - SDC makes final recommendations to Minister - Accepted standards are adopted as regulations

AODA AODA Transportation SDC Established January Chair and 27 Members: - 8 Agencies for People with Disabilities - 6 Provincial Ministries - 1 Municipal Managers, Clerks & Treasurers - 1 Ontario Federation of Labour

AODA AODA Transportation SDC - Cont’d - 2 Taxi Companies - 1 Motor Coach and School Bus Industries - 5 Public Transit Systems - 1 Association des municipalités Francophones - 1 School Board - 1 Ontario Universities Association

AODA AODA Transit Resource Team 26 representatives from across the province 26 representatives from across the province Providing key analysis & input to standards development and development process Providing key analysis & input to standards development and development process Facilitating communication to stakeholders Facilitating communication to stakeholders Writing position papers Writing position papers

AODA What will legislated Standards likely affect?

AODA For Public Transit: Service Standards Service Standards Eligibility Criteria Eligibility Criteria Trip Lengths Trip Lengths Service Hours Service Hours Service Area Service Area Fares Fares Vehicles Vehicles

AODA Other AODA Standards: Bus Stops Bus Stops Subway Stations Subway Stations LRT Stops LRT Stops Shelters Shelters Terminals Terminals Office Buildings Office Buildings Ticket/Pass Outlets Ticket/Pass Outlets

AODA Cont’d Print Media Print Media Electronic Media Electronic Media Signage Signage Call Centres Call Centres Employee Training Employee Training Customer Training Customer Training Hiring Hiring Communications Policies Communications Policies

AODA … and AODA will impact: RoadsBridges Ferry Services Trucking Inter-City & Tour Coach School Busing Taxis Emergency Services

AODA 2005 Issues to be aware in Standards Development TimelinesProcessAffordability

AODA AODA Timelines The aggressive timetable has created many issues…

AODA Process Issues Include:  Pre-planning  Standards used from other countries  Best practices

AODA Process  C onsistency  Linkages  Education

AODA Affordability Issues Include: Who pays? Who pays? The impact on services The impact on services ( 700 million + transit trips per year)

AODA In Conclusion: The AODA touches upon every aspect of life … it is not just about accommodating people in wheelchairs!