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Ministry of Transportation
2007-2008 Accessibility Plan

Table of Contents


Introduction

In June 2005, the Ontario government took a strong stand on accessibility when it passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) into law.

The AODA lays out a comprehensive road map to make Ontario accessible to all people through the development, implementation and enforcement of new, mandatory accessibility standards for some of the most important aspects of people’s lives.

Five key areas have been identified for the first accessibility standards: customer service, transportation, information and communications, the built environment, and employment.

The accessible customer service regulations were approved by the Lieutenant Governor and will come into force on January 1, 2008.

An initial proposed standard on accessible transportation has been developed by the Transportation Standards Development Committee. It was posted for public review on June 27, 2007 and will be available for public comment until September 28, 2007.

The Standards Development Committee that will draft the proposed information and communications standard was established and began meeting in April, 2007.   The committees developing the accessible built environment and accessible employment standards have been selected and will begin meeting in the fall of 2007.

While the government is moving forward to implement the AODA, there will be a transition period where government and the broader public sector will continue to meet their obligations under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA). These obligations will remain in effect until they are repealed and replaced by standards under the new act.

Under the ODA, Ontario government ministries, municipalities, hospitals, school boards, colleges, universities and public transportation organizations are required to develop annual accessibility plans to make policies, practices, programs, services and buildings more accessible to people with disabilities. These plans must be made available to the public. Accessibility planning efforts to date have developed a strong foundation for the development of accessibility standards that will mean real and effective change.

This document is the fifth annual accessibility plan developed by the Ministry of Transportation. It highlights the achievements of the 2006-07 plan and outlines the commitments for 2007-08 so that no new barriers are created and, over time, existing ones are removed.

This ministry intends to build on its achievements by implementing initiatives that support the government's commitment to continue to make Ontario an inclusive and accessible province where people of all abilities have a chance to fully achieve their potential.

Abbreviations used in this report:

ADO – Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
AODA – Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
APS – accessible pedestrian signal
CHS - Canadian Hearing Society
CSD – Corporate Services Division, Ministry of Transportation
EA/RTW – Employment Accommodation and Return to Work
HRCs – Human Resources Consultants
MTO – Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
OBRB – Ontario Bus Replacement Program
ODA – Ontarians with Disabilities Act
OHRC – Ontario Human Rights Commission
OPS – Ontario Public Service
ORC – Ontario Realty Corporation
PIN – Private Issuing Network (privately-owned licensing offices)
RFP – Request for proposals (tendering of a contract)
RUS – Road User Safety, Ministry of Transportation
TDC – Young Drivers of Canada
TTY – Teletypewriter

 

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Message from the Minister

Photo of Donna Cansfield, Minister of Transportation
Honourable
Donna Cansfield

Dear fellow Ontarians:

This province is committed to improving accessibility for people with disabilities, under the umbrella of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities, 2005 (AODA).

Accessibility for all Ontarians is equally important to the Ministry of Transportation.  Specifically, we are proud and pleased to say that we are committed to improving accessibility and have continued to work toward accessibility of public transportation services throughout the province for the past 5 years. We’ve had some notable accomplishments this year.

In 2007, the new Ontario Bus Replacement Program will provide $50 million to municipalities for both conventional and specialized transit buses for persons with disabilities. All replacement buses purchased with this funding must be fully accessible.

Our involvement in testing new technologies on Ontario roads is a long-term commitment. In October 2006, the province began a five-year pilot project to evaluate the use of the environmentally friendly Segway device on roads, sidewalks and paths.  We hope this will lead to expanding mobility options for persons with disabilities.

The accessible customer service regulations were approved by the Lieutenant Governor and will come into force on January 1, 2008. An initial proposed standard on accessible transportation has been developed by the Transportation Standards Development Committee. It was posted for public review on June 27, 2007 and will be available for public comment until September 28, 2007.

I hope you enjoy reading our plan. We are continually looking for ways to better meet the needs of people with disabilities, whether they are staff, members of the public or ministry stakeholders.  We continue to identify, remove and prevent barriers by working together within our ministry, across government and in our stakeholder relationships.

Sincerely,


(original signed)
The Honourable Donna Cansfield
Minister of Transportation

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Report on Achievements

2006-2007 Accessibility Improvement Initiatives

The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) is pleased to report that it has acted on its commitments from the 2006-2007 Accessibility Plan. Below you will find an outline of our achievements.

Our successes demonstrate MTO’s strong support of both the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).  Along with the act, our ministry is dedicated to identifying, removing and preventing barriers to MTO services throughout the province.

Customer service

Commitment: Ensure that all staff members who provide services to the public have received training on serving customers with disabilities.

Status: In progress

Action: A number of training activities have been completed that will improve the service we provide to customers with disabilities: