County councillors heard on Sept. 30 the municipality will have to provide more accessibility to its services than just wheelchair ramps or wider doors on public buildings.
Jennifer Cowan, the county accessibility clerk, and communications officer Andrea Ravensdale told council there are more changes coming through provincial legislation.
Cowan said to date there are a number of issues to consider, and those range from transportation to computers.
She said currently there are no clear responsibilities, but that is changing and will affect county policies and procedures, planning and emergency training.
Ravensdale said the county will have to change the way it communicates with people. She said accessibility rules will have common guidelines so that “everything is accessible.”
For example, people with low vision will still have to be able to get information from the county’s web site. She said that one way is to provide alternate forms of text, and the new website the county is working on will be compliant. She said the county will be able to provide alternate formats on request.
Among the changes will be “zoom text” so it is much larger than it currently is, as well as closed caption television, and those must include “plain language.”
She said the information technology department is able to provide such things as an audio format for those who cannot read text.
For employment, the county will have to consider accommodation for handicapped people as well as performance management. That means change for Human Resources and Equal Opportunity Employment.
There could be new requirements in transportation, too, for taxis.
Ravensdale said the changes will be implemented by 2012, and the whole process “starts to pick up in 2013.”
She added of the current proposals, “These are very achievable.” She also explained to council there is no choice in the matter.
“There is a $15,000 a day fine for non compliance,” she said.
Councillor Chris White wondered about private businesses such as taxis, and if they, too, could be fined that amount.
White said he is concerned because there is already a taxi shortage in rural areas, and with big expenses for refitting taxis to make them more accessible, he fears the county will have “less transportation in rural areas.”
Cowan said she is not sure about that, but the county has to put a system in place.
White said he understood there was a taxi service for the handicapped, but it had shut down.
Cowan said larger centres like Ottawa and Kingston do provide that service.
White said, “Our companies can’t meet this,” and added there is a woman in his town who needs rides to the hospital.
Councillor Mark MacKenzie said the regulations are “not into the private sector yet.”
Cowan agreed the private sector will have more time than public institutions to comply with the new accessibility rules.
But MacKenzie asked if small businesses “will have to fold up.”
Cowan said she has “no idea.”
White asked for a motion to obtain more details about how the rules will work in a rural area, and if the province will help.
Councillor Jean Innes said she wants some financial data.
Clerk Donna Bryce said there are no details on funding and tax impacts yet.
Councillor Bob Wilson noted that “every so often we look into public transit” but could not fund it.
“We’re being squeezed into it,” he said. “I can feel it coming.”
Councillor Gord Tosh wondered if there will be problems providing audio information.
Ravensdale said county staff will “need to do things so we can scan and convert.”
Tosh wondered if that means providing audio and braille services.
Ravensdale said the county could do that “if requested.”
Cowan added, “If people say they want something, we can say this is what we offer.” Tosh said the program sounds
“quite onerous. If we have audio and they want it in braille – there’s no reason they can’t listen to it.”
