MEETING PREVIEW: Accessibility Advisory Committee for August 20, 2024

Not everyone is getting August off. The Accessibility Advisory Committee will take a break from the summer break to have their bi-monthly meeting and tackle several different topics around local accessibility concerns. This August we’ve got changes to parks, changes to the Civic Museum, and improving the ways you can find your way around town. All that and more on this agenda for the AAC!

NOTE #1: This meeting will take place in Meeting Room A at City Hall, but you can also watch it on video via Microsoft Teams. (Find the link on the meeting agenda.)

NOTE #2: Accessibility-related accommodations available upon timely request to the committee liaison at 519-822-1260 extension 3536; TTY 519-826-9771 email: accessibility [at] guelph.ca.

NOTE #3: The meeting begins at 3 pm and is expected to wrap up around 5 pm.

Update on Accessibility Renovations at Silvercreek Park – This memo to the committee outlines the accessibility improvements made to Silvercreek Park based on recommendations made by the ACC in December. These changes include a universal and barrier-free washroom and an adult changing table, while the existing long table has been retained by AAC request.

Finding Your Way: Walking, Cycling and Rolling (Active Transportation Wayfinding Strategy) – The City recently completed phase 1 of the Wayfinding Strategy and are now in the midst of Phase 2. The goal of the project is to “design a user-friendly system of signs and other information tools that will enable people to easily find their way along Guelph’s trails and cycling routes,” so staff is coming to the AAC to get their feedback about what paths need better signage, what wayfinding tools are needed, and what destinations should be highlighted. The strategy will go out into the whole community for feedback in the fall.

Introduction: Orin Reid Park Development Project – Orin Reid Park is getting a facelift with a new splash pad, washroom building, shade and seating areas, trails, parking areas, and cricket pitch. The committee will be asked for their feedback about how best to make these improvements to the park accessible to everyone.

Additional Residential Dwelling Unit Incentive Program: Accessible Design Component – The Housing Accelerator Funds received by the City from the federal government requires the creation of an incentive program to encourage the creation of more Additional Residential Dwelling Unit, or ARDUs. The incentives here are being designed to encourage accessible design features on those ARDUs, and the committee will be asked to develop a list of recommendations for what design features the program should incentivize. The City wants to have the program ready for January with the goal of getting 40 new ARDUs added to Guelph’s housing stick by the end of 2026.

Guelph Museum: Renovation Feedback – The Families Gallery, The City Gallery, and the lobby are getting renovated at the same time that the City is updating the HVAC system at the Guelph Civic Museum. Along with new features to improve the museum’s accessibility and, the AAC will also be asked for feedback on possible exhibition content that will represent and reflect the lived experiences of people with disabilities in Guelph.

AAC Member Handbook Appendix A Review – Yes, there is a handbook for being a member of the AAC, and it gets reviewed every year. The biggest change this year to the handbook, at the request of the committee itself, is a definition of intersectionality:

“What is intersectionality:

“Intersectionality is a way of understanding how a person’s different identities – such as race, gender, class, sexuality, disability, etc. – can affect the way they experience life. It’s like looking at life through many different lenses at the same time. It helps us understand that people’s experiences can’t just be split into separate categories.

“We now include disability when we talk about intersectionality because people with disabilities face unique challenges. When you mix disability with other parts of a person’s identity, it can change the way they experience discrimination or privilege. This helps us understand that everyone’s experience is different and more complex than just one part of their identity.

“Today, intersectionality is used to study how different social categories, including disability, combine to shape people’s lives and opportunities. This broader view helps us analyze social justice issues more thoroughly and inclusively.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Feedback is presently being collected for the recommendations brought by the Design of Public Spaces Standards Development Committee. The feedback deadline is August 29, 2024.
The Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility (MSAA) is planning an AAC Forum that will be taking place on October 2.
Two members, Zehava Jacobs and Donna McMurdo, have tendered their resignations from the AAC.
Committee Liaison Sarah Boghossian will be on maternity leave effective October 2.

FUTURE TOPICS: