For the firs time in 2025, the Accessibility Advisory Committee will gather and discuss the goal of creating a barrier-free Guelph with another busy agenda. This month, the AAC will be focusing much of their attention downtown with a look at matters of history and matters of access when the summer comes around. So let’s dig into what’s coming up in the always interesting world of accessibility with this month’s AAC agenda!
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.
Parks Planning Update of Upcoming January Council Report – A report about playground accessibility was published among the information reports to council on January 31. This was also a follow up to a council request to have the AAC look at some outstanding matters of accessibility from the Parks and Recreation Master Plan last May, during which the committee offered several recommendations. While staff are committed to pursuing many of those directions, others like aiming to equip 100 per cent of Guelph playground with rubber surfaces or having one playground with a rubber surface within 1.5 kilometres of every resident instead of 2.5 kilometres, comes with some substantial additional costs.
Extension to Provincial Feedback Deadline for the Accessible Customer Service Draft Standard – The Ontario government was collecting public feedback about updates to the Accessible Customer Service Standard, a regulation that requires public, private and not-for-profit organizations with more than one employee in Ontario must provide accessible customer service to people with disabilities. The deadline for feedback was extended until February 6.
Introduction of Interim Staff Liaise for the AAC – Kayla Besse will be introduced to the AAC as the interim liaison between City of Guelph staff and the committee.
Vision Zero Upcoming Council Report – Because of the AAC’s involvement in the Vision Zero project, a City of Guelph effort to reduce fatalities in road collisions to, well, zero, staff are making the committee aware of an upcoming release. A report about the action plan for Vision Zero will be coming to Committee of the Whole on March 4, and will be available for public consumption two days after this meeting date.
College Ave at Edinburgh Rd Protected Intersection is complete – This item is a memo that pretty much outlines what the subject head says, the reconstruction work on this intersection was done before the new year. This is important to the members of the AAC because there are a number of new features with this intersection that the committee gave their feedback for prior to construction and because phase II of the College Avenue reconstruction (University Avenue to Gordon Street) will be coming to the next AAC meeting in April.
Introduction to the Downtown Guelph Heritage Conservation District Plan and Guidelines – The creation of a Heritage Conservation District in Downtown Guelph has been a work in progress for the last several months, and now it comes to the AAC for their feedback and analysis. The boundaries of the HCD have been established, but with work on the draft plans and guidelines underway, the AAC will be asked for their input regarding accessibility requirements, which is especially tricky given the age of many of the buildings in the HCD area pre-date modern accessibility standards by decades.
Accessible On-Street Parking: Downtown Seasonal Patios – It may not seem like it, but spring is coming, and with it the Seasonal Patio program. While the AAC has been supportive of the program over the years, they have raised concerns about access with the placement of parking spots for people with mobility issues. Last year, accessible spots were relocated to two specific locations, but when applications open staff will look at moving accessible spots to the closest location using AODA requirements like proximity and stall dimensions. The AAC will be given notice the week before patio installation.
Mobility Transit Application Discussion and TaxiScrip Program General Discussion – Both of these items were discussed at the December meeting with the AAC requesting more involvement in the application and other processes when it comes to these programs. There items are on the agenda at the request of the chair, but no formal report was attached to the agenda.
Guelph Politico 