TOWNSHIP OF RIDEAU LAKES

 

ACCESSIBILITY PLAN

 

January 2007

This publication can be made available in alternative formats

 

Executive Summary

The purpose of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) is to improve opportunities for people with disabilities and to provide for their involvement with the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the Province.  To this end, the ODA mandates that each Municipality prepare an accessibility plan.

 

This is Year 2007 Plan prepared by the accessibility-working group of the Township of Rideau Lakes.  The report describes the measures the Township has taken in the past and the measures the Township will take during the upcoming year to identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities who use the facilities and services of the Township, including Council, staff and members of the community at large.

 

This year the Township committed itself to the continual improvement of access to municipal facilities including the electronic (world wide web) premises as well as the actual physical.

 

The working group (Dianna Bresee, Clerk, Michael Touw, Manager of Municipal Operations, Fire Chief Jay DeBernardi, Sue Dunfield, Manager of Community & Leisure Services) identified a number of barriers to people with disabilities.  Over the next several years, the working group recommends focusing on those barriers.

 

Aim

The aim of this report is to identify all barriers to people with disabilities who utilize the facilities and services of the Township and to prepare a forecast for the correction of such barriers.

 

Objective

1.      Describes the process by which the Township of Rideau Lakes will identify, remove

and prevent barrier to people with disabilities.

2.      Review earlier efforts to remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities.

3.      List the facilities, polices, programs, practices and services the Township will review in the coming year to identify barriers to people with disabilities.

4.      Describe how the Township will make this Accessibility Plan available to the public.

 

 

 

The Township of Rideau Lakes is located in Eastern Ontario in the County of Leeds.  The County of Lanark borders the Township on the north, Lanark County, the Town of Smiths Falls on the northeast, the south by Leeds and The Thousand Islands Township, the east by Elizabethtown-Kitley and the west by the County of Frontenac.

 

The Township has a population of approximately 9,289 persons (from the 2002 census information) and is located in the heart of Rideau System.  The Township currently has four public schools located in the Hamlets of Lombardy, Portland, Elgin and the Ward of North Crosby as well one high school located in the Hamlet of Elgin.

 

The Municipality itself owns a number of facilities including the Lower Beverley Lake Township Park (camping, canteen, cottages, pavilions), South Crosby Park (day camp office, lifeguard shelter, change rooms, service building), North Crosby Park (canteen,

picnic shelter, storage building) general office in Chantry, Community Halls are located within the Hamlets of Chaffey’s Lock, Lombardy, Newboro, South Crosby, Morton, Portland and North Crosby, recreational facilities in the Hamlets of the Ward of North Crosby, Portland, Newboro and Elgin, Fire Halls located in the Hamlets of Portland, Elgin and Delta, Libraries in the Hamlets of Newboro, Portland, Elgin and Lombardy, Boat docks and ramps located at Beverley Lake Park, Newboro, Portland and in South Elmsley Ward.

 

 

The Council of The Corporation of the Township of Rideau Lakes is committed to:

 

1.      The continual improvement of access to all municipally owned facilities,

premises and services for all those with disabilities

2.      The provision of quality services to all members of the community with

disabilities

 

Paper Documents

 

The Township will provide all paper documents, such as by-laws, minutes, correspondence and reports, in a format, which is user friendly by those with disabilities if requested.

 

 

Informal Site Audit of the Municipally Owned Buildings

 

All municipally owned buildings were subject to an audit, conducted by Department Heads, Fire Chief and staff.  The review was conducted with the use of the Customer Service Standard for People with Disabilities from the Canadian Standards Association, and the Ontario Building Code to determine what barriers may exist and what possible solutions could be found to ensure compliance with the Ontario With Disabilities Act.

 

Barriers Identified

 

 

BARRIER - LOCATION	TYPE OF BARRIER	STATUS	STRATEGY FOR REMOVAL OR PREVENTION
CHANTRY MUNICIPAL OFFICE	Requires the following - doorway thresholds, automatic door opener, ramp, signage required on doors stating accessible, parking designation	Completed during year 2004/2005	Fully Accessible
CROSBY COMMUNITY HALL	Requires the following - automatic doors, vision panels, signage on door stating accessible, handrails in Waterclosets, designated parking	Designated parking completed	(Year 2007-2010)
NORTH CROSBY COMMUNITY CENTRE	Newly Constructed – Fully Accessible	Fully Accessible with Designated parking	Fully Accessible
ELGIN COMMUNITY HALL	Newly Constructed	Fully Accessible with designated parking	Fully Accessible
MORTON COMMUNITY HALL	Requires the following - automatic doors, vision panels, washrooms require handrails, designated parking and handrails in waterclosets, signage on door stating accessible	Designated Parking and Ramp completed	(Year 2007-2010)
SOUTH ELMSLEY HALL	Requires the following -automatic doors, signage on door, designated parking	Designated Parking completed	(Year 2007-2010)
PORTLAND COMMUNITY HALL	Requires the following - designated parking, signage, waterclosets requires handrails	Fully accessible, signage required on door	(Year 2007-2010)
CHAFFEY’S LOCK COMMUNITY HALL	Requires the following  – automatic doors, handrails in waterclosets, signage on door , no vision panels, no designated parking	Designated parking completed	(Year 2007-2010)
DELTA LIBRARY	Requires signage on door, handrails in waterclosets	Handrails installed	(Year 2007-2010)
PORTLAND LIBRARY LEASED PROPERTY	Requires the following –designated parking, signage stating accessible	Designated parking installed	(Year 2007-2010)
NEWBORO LIBRARY	Requires automatic doors, vision panels, signage stating accessible, waterclosets not accessible, no designated parking	Designated parking installed	(Year 2007-2010)
SOUTH CROSBY LIBRARY	Fully Accessible	Fully Accessible with Designated parking	Fully Accessible
NORTH CROSBY DAY CARE	Accessible  - requires signage, no designated parking, automatic doors	Designated parking allotted	(Year 2007-2010)
DELTA PHARMACY/MEDICAL CENTRE	Accessible – requires the following – no signage stating accessible, designated parking, waterclosets require handrails, no vision panels,	Designated parking allotted, handrails in waterclosets	(Year 2007-2010)
SOUTH CROSBY PARK	Accessible – requires signage stating accessible and no designated parking	Designated parking allotted	(Year 2007-2010)
NEWBORO PARK	Accessible – Canteen Waterclosets require handrails and ramp, signage stating accessible	Designated parking allotted	(Year 2007-2010)
SHILLINGTON PARK	Requires designated parking and signage stating accessible	Designated parking allotted	(Year 2007-2010)
LOWER BEVERLEY LAKE TOWNSHIP PARK	Office and Cottage #2 – Accessible, requires signage stating accessible	Renovations Cottage #9 is Accessible	(Year 2007-2010)
KIN PARK – PORTLAND	Canteen Accessible Waterclosets not accessible and requires handrails		(Year 2007-2010)
NEWBORO & PORTLAND HARBOURS	Not Accessible	Requires – Ramps to piers	(2007-2010)
PORTLAND LANDFILL	Limited Accessibility - Recycling bins not accessible	Accessible – Work completed in 2004	Accessible
SOUTH ELMSLEY RECYCLING DEPOT	Limited Accessibility – Recycling bins not accessible	Accessible – Work completed in 2004	Accessible
ELGIN LANDFILL	Limited Accessibility	CLOSED
DELTA LANDFILL	Limited Accessibility – recycling bins not accessible	Accessible – Work Completed in 2004	Accessible
FIRE HALLS – Delta, Portland, Elgin		Fire Halls are used for emergency operations and not used for community events

 

The first barriers that should be addressed are making all Municipal Owned Community Halls accessible.  This will have to be budgeted for in 2007-2010 and would be Council’s priority. 

 

 

Council is committed to following through with this plan.  This plan will be created annually thus allowing Council, staff and the public to monitor the barriers identified and the direction to which the Township is moving to remove all barriers under the Ontarians With Disabilities Act.

 

 

This Plan will be available on the web site (www.twprideaulakes.on.ca) as well as at the office and we will make every attempt to make it available to those with disabilities for their perusal and review.  Should a copy in Braille be requested, Council will try to accommodate by having staff contact the CNIB to inquire if it could be translated.