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

2. First, a little about

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

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

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

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

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

8. 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

9. 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

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

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

12. 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

13. AODA AODA Transportation SDC Established January 2006 1 Chair and 27 Members: - 8 Agencies for People with Disabilities - 6 Provincial Ministries - 1 Municipal Managers, Clerks & Treasurers - 1 Ontario Federation of Labour

14. 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

15. 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

16. AODA What will legislated Standards likely affect?

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

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

21. AODA 2005 Issues to be aware in Standards Development TimelinesProcessAffordability

22. AODA AODA Timelines The aggressive timetable has created many issues…

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

24. AODA Process  C onsistency  Linkages  Education

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

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