Accessibility Advisory
The Town of Fort Erie is committed to providing accessible information and communications to all of our customers. The Town recognizes that people with disabilities often use methods other than standard print to access information. It is the policy of the Town of Fort Erie to provide any correspondence, invoices and other documents in an alternative format upon request.
Town Council adopted the 2019-2023 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan (By-law No. 157-2019) at its Regular meeting held December 9, 2019. Thank you to all who participated in the AAC's survey, which helped develop the Plan!
On November 21, 2022, Council received the Annual Accessibility Status Report CAO-16-2022, which provides an update of the annual accomplishments of the AAC and how the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan is being implemented.
The Accessibility Advisory Committee:
The Fort Erie Accessibility Advisory Committee was formed by Municipal Council of the Town of Fort Erie, pursuant to Section 11 of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. The purpose of the Committee is to advise Municipal Council about the requirements and implementation of accessibility standards and the preparation of accessibility reports and such other matters for which the Council may seek its advice under Section 29(5) of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. The Act also requires the completion of a multi-year Accessibility Plan that addresses the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to persons with disabilities in the municipality's by-laws and in its policies, programs, practices and services. The Committee also reviews in a timely matter site plans and drawings as described in Section 41 of The Planning Act.
The Committee meets the last Tuesday of each month, unless otherwise decided, and its members are:
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Staff Resources are: |
2023 AAC Minutes:
- January 31, 2023 AAC Meeting Minutes
If you would like any previous AAC Meeting Minutes, you can search through the Council Agendas or you can contact Bev Bradnam at 905-871-1600 ext. 2201 or by E-mail
Policies and toolkit for accessible customer service:
Municipal Council approved the amendments to the 2012 Accessibility Policy with the adoption of By-law No. 73-2016, being the Town of Fort Erie Accessibility Policy. This overarching document provides details on how the Town is complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Also access the December 3, 2012 power point presentation to Council on the Policy, including speaking notes.
- ACS Pamphlet
- Town's Accessible Customer Service Standard Policy
- Talking About Disabilities - Choosing the Right Word
- Accessible Meeting Planner - What You Need To Know When Planning a Meeting
- Integrated Accessibility Standard Regulation presentation to Council - January 2014
- Integrated Accessibility Standard Regulation Pamphlet
Accessibility Feedback:
Feedback from our customers gives us the opportunity to learn and improve. Feedback may be provided by a person with a disability in the manner deemed most convenient to them, such as in person, by telephone, in writing or by delivering an electronic text by e-mail or on diskette or otherwise. Feedback may be provided directly to the service provider/department or by contacting the Town Clerk at:
Town of Fort Erie Clerk, 1 Municipal Centre Drive, Fort Erie, ON L2A 2S6 Telephone: (905) 871-1600 FAX: (905) 871-4022 or by email at: clerk@forterie.ca
All feedback will be kept in strict confidence and used to improve customer service. In addition, the author of the feedback will be provided a response in the format in which the feedback was received outlining actions deemed appropriate.
For Businesses: The Business of Accessibility - How to Make Your Main Street Business Accessibility Smart - Produced by The Ontario BIA Association
ACCESSIBILITY TIPS FOR TRICK OR TREAT
Video link instructions for accessible customer service training requirements (Ontario Regulation 429/07)
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) requires that standards be developed in order to ensure a fully accessible Ontario by 2025. Standards have been developed to deal with the most important aspects of our lives: Customer Service, Employment, Information and Communication, Transportation and the Design of Public Spaces. Ontario Regulation 429/07 sets out how to provide accessible customer service.
The municipality met all of the requirements of the standard by January 1, 2010, including training all staff, Board and Committee members, volunteers, contractors and any other people who interact with the public on behalf of the municipality.
An e-module has been produced for those that need to comply with these requirements. The module has been made available via a weblink so that you can complete the training module from your own computer. The e-module has been updated to include the requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standard Regulation. The e-module can be found at the following link: Watch the AODA Training Video
Hit play!
Thank you!
Additional Resources:
For Seniors and persons with disabilities that need assistance with leaf and snow removal, contact Community Support Services of Niagara at 905-682-3800 ext. 35 or toll-free at 1-866-283-1931 ext. 35. Also check out all of the other assistance provided by CSSN by visiting https://happyinmyhome.ca/
Additional resources can be found on the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade website (still linked to Ministry of Community and Social Services web-site) at:
Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities - prepared by Emergency Management Ontario in partnership with the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario