Staff Report #8 – Annual Accessibility Plan Update

Staff Report #8

January 25, 2023

To All Commissioners

Re: Annual Accessibility Plan Update

Recommendation

That the report be NOTED and FILED.

Background

Consistent with the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) regulations, the Commission’s Accessibility Plan was updated in 2019, and covers the period of 2020-2025. The plan was developed in consultation with the Accessible Public Transit Service Advisory Committee (APTSAC), and included public feedback gathered through drop in sessions, online survey and customer contacts. The final 2020-2025 Accessibility Plan was approved by the Commission at the November 28, 2019 meeting.

The following table provides an overview of the initiatives from the 2020-2025 Accessibility Plan which were scheduled to be addressed as part of the 2022 work program as well as a status of each, noting further detail with respect to those initiatives that have been deferred is provided later in the report.

Status of 2022 Accessibility Plan Initiatives

The following provides greater detail with respect to the projects listed above that have been deferred due to the pandemic, as well as others that have been completed.

Consider Additional Methods to Communication Policies – This initiative was intended to identify and gather feedback on additional methods that could be utilized to communicate various policies which impact LTC customers. Through a review of common inquiries and/or customer contacts relating to specific policies, administration was to identify those policies that need to be better communicated and develop an outreach campaign. Currently these policies are available on the corporate website, and the public is provided links to same should they request information. This initiative was placed on hold due to resource limitations as well as pandemic-related restrictions. This initiative will be carried forward for consideration on a future Work Program within the Accessibility Plan horizon (2020-2025).

Consult public re communication of temporary disruptions – This consultation was intended to gather feedback from the public with respect to the manner in which the communication relating to temporary service disruptions is disseminated. Given the resource issues associated with dealing with the pandemic, this initiative is deferred for consideration in a future year within the Accessibility Plan horizon (2020-2025).

Communications campaign re: priority seating and service animals – This program is a partnership between the Ontario Public Transit Association and the Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility, intended to provide a uniform and consistent communications campaign to all Ontario transit systems, with a focus on priority seating and service animals. This program was deferred from the 2020 Work Program, but re-commenced in 2021. The campaign development has been completed and was launched in January 2022 with messaging on the website and socials as well as with interior bus cards depicting the various themes on all buses in the LTC fleet

Assessment of Ride Hailing Options for the Visually Impaired – This program is intended to undertake an industry scan of ride hailing options that may be in place in other jurisdictions for conventional transit services. Given the challenges associated with resource limitations being experienced at all transit systems throughout 2022 this project was deferred and will be considered in a future year within the Accessibility Plan horizon (2020-2025).

Implement Smart Card Readers on Specialized – This program was deferred due to ongoing supply chain issues associated with the required hardware to move this initiative forward. Discussions with the provider have resumed with respect to the preferred technology to be utilized. Once the technology has been finalized and is readily available, equipment will be installed on the specialized fleet.

Utilize non-accommodated data to plan for service expansion – Service expansion plans for both 2021 and 2022 have been placed on hold due to the reduction in demand for specialized services throughout the pandemic period. Administration is currently working with the contracted service provider to return to pre-pandemic service levels and then beginning implementing the expansion hours as demand warrants.

Assessment of Current Booking Window Parameters – This program is intended to undertake an industry scan of the booking window parameters that are in place in other jurisdictions and the issues and implications associated with each. The review will also consider feedback from London’s specialized transit registrants in terms of what they would prefer going forward. Given resource limitations this review was deferred for consideration in a future year within the Accessibility Plan horizon (2020-2025).

Regular Consultation with APTSAC – Meetings with the Accessible Public Transit Service Advisory Committee (APTSAC) were held through 2022 via video-conference.

A further requirement of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is for conventional transit service providers to hold an annual public meeting to allow the public, including persons with disabilities, the opportunity to participate in a review of the accessibility plan and provide feedback. Compliance with this requirement has traditionally been handled through the annual drop-in sessions which are attended by members of staff as well as the Commission where the Accessibility Plan and progress against same is one of the key themes. The annual drop-in session has been deferred to 2023 given the ongoing pandemic.

Subsequent to Commission review, the status update included in this report will be posted on the corporate website consistent with requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and the public will be encouraged to provide any feedback relating to the Plan and/or the annual update via email or phone. Feedback gathered will be compiled and shared with both the APTSAC and the Commission at a future date.

Recommended by:

Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager