The Council for Persons with Disabilities, acting as the Accessibility Advisory Committee

Announcements

Come Join Us!
Interested in making a difference?  Join us as a volunteer in making our City the best it can be.  The Council for Persons with Disabilities is a volunteer committee dedicated to improving the quality of life for all persons with disabilities by promoting equal opportunity in all aspects of life. This committee is mainly people who have a disability or those with experience working with people with disabilities.  Come join us in making Peterborough an all-inclusive community.  And best of all, there is no fundraising obligation with a CPD volunteer position!  To volunteer, please send a letter of interest indicating which committee you are interested in and a brief explanation of the contributions you can make to Phyllis Hodder, Accessibility Coordinator, at phodder@peterborough.ca.  Accessibility benefits everyone!

2011 Accessibility Plan
The 2011 Accessibility Plan was adopted by City Council on June 6, 2011.  The document sets out accessibility initiatives completed in 2009/2010, and initiatives planned for 2011 in the City of Peterborough. For a copy of the 2011 Accessibility Plan, please visit the Documents section of this webpage, or contact the Accessibility Coordinator at Extension #1785 for a photocopy or an alternate format copy.

2012 Holnbeck Award
The Holnbeck Award is a lifetime achievement award given to people who have enhanced the quality of life for people with disabilities. This award will be presented at the Opening Ceremonies of Access Awareness Week in May.  Congratulations to last years winner Sheryl Over for her tireless work with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).  

Strategic Plan
With the assistance of Lisa Smith of the United Way, The Council for Persons with Disabilities underwent an extensive Strategic Planning Process in the first part of 2010.  From the data collected and 2 planning sessions, a strategic plan was created to determine goals and priorities.  

Recreation & Services Directory
The CPD Recreation Committee has prepared a Peterborough Recreation and Services Direction for Persons with Disabilities, which includes extensive information on accessibility, using symbols and full descriptions.  This directory includes information on Building Facilities, Recreation Facilities, Transportation, Aquatics, Parks & Trails, Recreation Programs & Services, Special Events, Sports, Support Groups & Services, and Restaurants & Cafes.  This directory is available in our Documents section. 

Goals

The committee is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all persons with disabilities by promoting equal opportunity in all aspects of life.

History/Background

The Council for Persons with Disabilities was originally formed in 1989 in Peterborough. In 2002, the City Council recognized the Council for Persons with Disabilities as the 'Accessibility Advisory Committee' (AAC), as required by the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2001). Peterborough was at the forefront in creating such a Committee before it was ever mandated by the government, and continues to be a leader in this area. New legislation was created in 2005 called the 'Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005', (or AODA). This new legislation takes the commitment to transform Ontario into an accessible society to the next step, with a 20-year plan for implementation.

The Committee is comprised of members from community volunteers, persons with disabilities, city council, city staff, service providers and stakeholders. The Council for Persons with Disabilities also consists of several standing committees, covering areas such as access awareness, children, finance, public relations, and employment. More information is provided on the standing committees under the appropriate heading.

1. To advocate on behalf of persons with disabilities.
2. To promote public awareness and understanding of the needs of disabled persons.
3. To encourage improved services, which will allow disabled persons to live a full and productive life.
4. To facilitate access to services in all sectors of the community.
5. To liaise with all levels of government and agencies on policies and legislation affecting disabled persons.
6. To assess recommendations and form policies to assist municipal governments to address the issues.

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