Accessibility Advisory Committee

Purpose

The purpose of the Accessibility Advisory Committee is to:

1. Receive and communicate out City activities and updates related to accessibility to “parent” organizations the member represents (where applicable)
2. Comment on new provincial accessibility legislation to inform City planning and program changes on suggested priority actions for initial implementation
3. Provide feedback to staff on accessibility considerations through the 2022 Pilot on Responsive Budgeting Process
4. Share information on best practices and innovations on accessibility issues which align with the Focus Areas identified in the City’s approved Accessibility Framework
5. Respond to staff requests for input on new projects to identify and address accessibility considerations – On-going
6. Act as a resource and provide advice and recommendations to City Council and staff on the implementation of the Accessibility Framework and short-term action plan
7. Work with staff on a draft Mid-to-Long Term Accessibility Action Plan by Q1 2022
8. Review proposed tool for balancing competing rights and interests and provide comments and recommendations to Council after review
9. Review and update current guidelines for writing an Accessibility Impact Statement (AIS) so the document can function as an Accessibility Lens

Terms of Reference

On March 10, 2022, Council extended the Accessibility Advisory Committee's term that was due to expire in April 2022, until the Governance Review has concluded and a new Advisory Committee structure is implemented.

Staff will work with the Accessibility Advisory Committee to update the current Terms of Reference.

Eligibility

The Committee is comprised of up to nine (9) voting members of the public appointed by Council for a one-year term. 

• Up to two (2) of these members may have served on the City’s Accessibility Working Group established in 2015.
• Other members shall be appointed from the Capital Region that reflect a diversity of the types of accessibility issues faced by members of the community as outlined in the Accessibility Framework. (Accessibility challenges and lived experience may include developmental, pain-related, flexibility, mobility, mental-health-related, seeing, hearing, dexterity, learning and memory challenges.)
• Membership to the Committee is limited to people with lived experience or accessibility challenges and may also include individuals representing a broad range of under-served and equity seeking groups such as, but not limited to: Indigenous Peoples, faith-based groups, LGBTQ, newcomers, new Canadians, persons living in poverty, people of diverse ethnic or cultural origin, seniors, women and youth.

Time Commitment

Committee members serve up to a one-year term as to be determined upon completion of the City’s Governance Review. 

The Committee meets monthly on the second Tuesday of the month from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. in a Zoom meeting. In addition to preparing for and attending monthly meetings, applicants should anticipate working on ‘special projects’ or serving on a subcommittee for two to three hours per month.

About 

The Committee elects a Chair and Vice-Chair. Two members of City Council are appointed to serve as non-voting liaisons to the Committee. Council Liaisons communicate matters from Council on issues that the Committee is discussing and speak on behalf of the motions passed by the Committee that come forward to Council as recommendations.

Staff from the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are assigned to support the Committee. Other direct staff support to the Committee shall be at the discretion of the City Manager. 

Membership

The following individuals are members of the Accessibility Advisory Committee: 

Suzan Jennings (Chair)
Sandra Hough (Vice-Chair)
Linda Bartram
Chris Marks
Nate Moss
Christine Paisley
Jeremy Scott
Priyanka Singh

Background                                    

In 2015, the Accessibility Working Group was established to support the development of a Framework for accessibility and inclusion in the City of Victoria.

With the Accessibility Framework now adopted, the City has transitioned to the new interim Accessibility Advisory Committee, which can include up to two returning members of the Accessibility Working Group to ensure continuity and knowledge transfer. 

Close to 19,000 Victoria citizens live with one or more disabilities. This means approximately one in five people over the age of 15 are impacted by the level of accessibility in Victoria. 

The City of Victoria is committed to making itself a more inclusive community through its Accessibility Framework. Learn more.