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

Announcements

• Volunteers Wanted!
  The Council for Persons with Disabilities is always looking for new members to join standing committees on a volunteer basis.  If you have a disability or experience working with people with disabilities, and are able to commit some time, we are interested in having you join CPD.  To pursue this, please send a letter of intent indicating which committee you are interested in and a brief explanation of the contributions you can make, to Lisa DeFlorio, Access Co-ordinator, at ldeflorio@peterborough.ca.  You can make a difference in your community!

•  Access Awareness Week
  The Council for Persons with Disabilities Access Awareness Committee once again hosted Access Awareness Week.  The Opening Ceremonies were held on Saturday, May 29, 2010, at Peterborough Square. Various activities throughout the week included displays  and a Time in My Shoes experiential learning program for some Grades 5-8 students.

• Holnbeck Award
  The winner of the 2010 Gordon & Arbie Holnbeck Award was Lucinda Hage, the founder of Heads Up for Inclusion and the Amigos program.  An Appreciation Award was also presented to Peter Bascan, current President of People First. 

• Accessible Elections
  The City of Peterborough is dedicated to providing fully accessible elections for the upcoming municipal election in the fall of 2010, including accessible voting locations, online voting, and audible voting machines.

• 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 recently 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. 

• 2009 Accessibility Plan
  The 2009 Accessibility Plan has been prepared and adopted by City Council.  The document sets out accessibility initiatives completed in 2008, and initiatives planned for 2009 in the City of Peterborough. For a copy of the 2009 Accessibility Plan, please visit the Documents section of this webpage, or contact the Access Co-ordinator at Extension #1785 for a photocopy or an alternate format copy.

• Launch of The Accessible Channel (TACtv):
  As of January 29^th, 2009, you can enjoy TACtv on Bell TV, Rogers, Cogeco (Ontario and Quebec), Shaw, and Star Choice provided you subscribe to a basic digital package.

  The Accessible Channel is a national descriptive, closed-captioned HD digital TV specialty service for the vision impaired and persons who are hard of hearing that is inclusive of the whole family. More than 700 films, countless television programs and entertainment are accessible to all cable subscribers on The Accessible Channel. Broadcasting partners currently include Rogers Media, CTV Globemedia, Canwest, CBC, Audiovision, CTS, and the Channel Zero group.

  To obtain further information on The Accessible Channel, please call 416-422-4222, Extension #260, or visit the website at www.tactv.ca.

• CPD Visit with Lt. Governor David Onley
  The City of Peterborough was honoured to host the Ont. Lieutenant Governor David Onley's New Year's Day Levee on January 1st, 2009.  Prior to greeting the public at City Hall and attending a Peterborough Petes hockey game at the Memorial Centre, the Council for Persons with Disabilities had a private meeting with the Lt. Governor.  CPD committee members introduced themselves and discussed some of the recent accessibility improvements in our community.
  
  
• Kinsmen Civic Centre Elevator
  An elevator has been installed at the Kinsmen Civic Centre.  This elevator will allow visitors access to the warm enclosed viewing area, the concession booth and fully accessible washrooms on the second floor.  Part of the funding for this project was provided by the City of Peterborough's Accessibility Fund, administered by the Council for Persons with Disabilities Buildings Committee.

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 Advisory Committee also consists of eight (8) standing committees, covering areas such as buildings, transportation, access awareness, children, finance, public relations, recreation 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.

• City Hall
• Living
• Business
• Visiting
• Online Services
• Login