Windsor, Ontario Accessibility Advisory Committee

Windsor, Canada

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Type: Policy

Status: Adopted

Source File: http://www.citywindsor.ca/001198.asp

Text:

See the Facility Accessibility Design Standards, as approved by City Council on November 6, 2006.

Preface:
The Windsor Accessibility Advisory Committee (WAAC) is committed to complying with the provisions of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2001). To carry out the mandate of the Act the WAAC shall advise Windsor City Council in promoting a barrier free community for the persons with disabilities.

Terms of Reference:

1. In addition to the above, the WAAC will be responsible in its advisory role to City Council to:

a) Oversee the development and preparation of the Annual Accessibility Plan

b) Provide advice to City Council annually about the implementation and effectiveness of the Annual Accessibility Plan

2. Furthermore, following its historical and traditional role, as set out upon implementation in 1981, the WAAC in fulfilling its advisory function will work to promote and achieve the following goals and objectives:

a) To review and monitor federal, provincial and municipal directives and regulations as they relate to persons with disabilities

b) To identify issues of concern to persons with disabilities and on the basis of research, knowledge, and experience, recommend action where appropriate

c) To participate in community committees that seek to eliminate barriers for persons with disabilities

Process

Membership:
The WAAC shall be comprised of a total of 12 Members as follows:

• 7 persons with disabilities
• 1 Member of Council
• 4 volunteer citizens

In accordance with Council Resolution M 175-82 membership is restricted to individuals residing within the City of Windsor. Council may waive this provision.

A member of WAAC is defined as an individual appointed by the Striking Committee of City Council for a designated term.

Length of Term:
Striking Committee appoints members for a period of 1 year. In accordance with Council Resolution M 103-93 members may be re-appointed up to a maximum term of 6 years. Council may waive this provision.

First Meeting:
The WAAC Coordinator shall chair the first meeting of the newly appointed Committee in any year. The Coordinator will also preside over the elections for Chair and Vice-Chair.

Elections:
The Chairperson and Vice-Chair shall be elected at the first meeting of the newly appointed Committee.

Rules of Order:
Elections and Meetings will be conducted according to Bourinot’s Rules of Order and the City of Windsor Procedural By-Laws.

Meetings:
The WAAC shall meet once a month. The Committee may meet more frequently should a majority vote of the members deem it necessary. The Committee may decide to hold meetings during the months of July, August, and December.

Sub Committees:
The WAAC may establish sub-committees as required. Membership shall be appointed by the WAAC. The Chair of any sub-committee must be a member of WAAC.

Reporting
The WAAC reports directly to the City Council through the Chairperson. The Chairperson and/or his/her designate is the official spokesperson for WAAC. All sub-committees report directly to WAAC.

Staff Resource:
The CAO of the City of Windsor will identify appropriate administrative staff to act as resources to WAAC. Administrative staff are resources for the Committee and as such do not have voting privileges. The WAAC Coordinator is the primary staff contact to the Committee.

Prologue:

A) In 1981, the Mayor of the City of Windsor, Bert Weeks, set up a “Mayor’s Coordinating Committee” for the U.N. Year of the Disabled, 1981. The driving force behind this move at that time was Jack Longman, a passionate advocate. The purpose of the Coordinating Committee was to increase the level of awareness of the barriers facing persons with disabilities.

B) Following 1981, the Committee recommended to City Council that it not be disbanded, but that it continue as a Standing Committee of Council. Thus the Windsor Advisory Committee on the Disabled, WACD, was formed, (1982).

C) In 1992, a name change occurred to coincide with the change of the name of the provincial Office for Disabled Persons to Office of Disability Issues. The name adopted locally was the Windsor Advisory Committee on Disability Issues, WACDI (1992).

D) With the passage of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act in 2001, the Committee will be known as the Windsor Accessibility Advisory Committee, WAAC, (2002). It will play the historical and traditional role of serving the Windsor community in its efforts to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities.