ajax accessibility buzz

AJAX ACCESSIBILITY BUZZ
January 2016
Town of Ajax Accessibility Newsletter
Meet the Accessibility Advisory Committee
The Town of Ajax Accessibility Advisory Committee
(AAC) was first established in 2002. The AAC is
comprised of ten dedicated volunteers, with the majority being persons with disabilities. Members act as
community accessibility ambassadors who are committed to working towards creating a barrier-free
Ajax.
The AAC meets once a month and is responsible for
providing advice and feedback to Council on specific
initiatives to be undertaken by the Town in relation to
accessibility including:

The Town’s Multi-year Accessibility Plan
Site plans and renovations for municipal and
community facilities

Town programs and services

Provincial accessibility legislation compliance

Education, awareness & cultivating inclusion
Training
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Photo of the Town of Ajax Accessibility Advisory Committee
(Back row, left to right) Carion Fenn, Marcia Bowen, Heather Steeves, Sepelene
Deonarine, Kathreen Smith, (Front row, left to right) Julia Stevenson, Councillor Pat
Brown, Jennifer Harrison, Sarah Moore. Not pictured: Donna Mullings, Barb Dowds,
Shandell Conboy
The Committee welcomes accessibility feedback, questions and
concerns from the community. Members of the public are invited
to learn more by attending monthly meetings held on the third
Wednesday evening of the month, 6-8 p.m., at Ajax Town Hall.
“To help beautify the Ajax community, start by planting
seeds of understanding. When we appreciate the unique gifts
inside people of ALL abilities, everyone grows!”
- Accessible Ajax
‘Cultivate Inclusion’ Message
In This Issue

Meet the Accessibility
Advisory Committee

AODA 10th
Anniversary
Champion Award

Text with 911

Inclusive Toy Library

Advancing the AODA

Accessibility Crossword
Text with 9-1-1
Did you know that Durham Region Police Services has introduced a texting service for 9-1
-1 emergency calls? Text with
9-1-1 (T9-1-1) is a service
available to you if you are part
of the deaf, deafened, hard of
hearing or speech impaired
(DHHSI) community in Canada.
Photo of Don Reist, recipient of the AODA 10th Anniversary Champion Award,
with Mayor Parish , Councillor Brown and members of the Town of Ajax Accessibility Advisory Committee, November 23, 2015
AODA 10th Anniversary
Champion Award
On June 13, 2015, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) celebrated 10 years as legislation. The
purpose of the Act it to improve opportunities for persons
with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the
identification, removal and prevention of barriers to participation in everyday life.
With support of the Government of Ontario, the Association
of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario
(AMCTO) put out a call to recognize individuals who demonstrate leadership in accessibility and disability issues,
through receipt of a one-time AODA 10th Anniversary Champion Award.
On November 23, 2015, Ajax Council, on behalf of the Government of Ontario and AMCTO, presented Ajax resident
Don Reist with the AODA 10th Anniversary Champion
Award. Mr. Reist was recognized for this demonstrated passion and outstanding commitment to the promotion of accessibility awareness and inclusiveness in the community over
the past few decades. He is a long-standing advocate and
ambassador for children with special education needs, hosts
the Rogers Community Cable television show Forum on Abilities, and is a supporter of the Durham Region Employment Network. Congratulations Don!
During an emergency, T9-1-1
provides 9-1-1 call centres with
the ability to converse with you
using text messaging.. Prior to
T9-1-1, the system required
users to make TTY calls
through land lines.
Before utilizing this service
you: must register for T9-1-1
with your wireless service provider AND must have a compatible cell phone. Information
on cell phones that meet T9-11 requirements are available
on your wireless service provider’s website.
Check out this recent
durhamregion.com news article
or visit www.textwith911.ca for
more information.
T9-1-1 and clipart image of smart phone
More Access
News from the
Ajax Public
Library
The Ajax Public Library
has added a hearing
loop system to the microphone system in the
Main Branch’s Rotary
Room. It allows customers that attend programs and events to
hear a clearer, more
intelligible sound with
reduced background
noise.
No special equipment
is required. Listeners
hear directly through
their hearing aid simply
by switching it to the
telecoil (T) setting and
adjusting the volume
as needed.
Photo from the launch of the Inclusive Toy Library at the Ajax Public Library - Main Branch
Credit: Ajax Public Library Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajax_public_library/)
Inclusive Toy Library
The Ajax Public Library continues to be an excellent ambassador of
accessibility in the Ajax community and beyond. Access to a new
Inclusive Toy Library provides opportunities for play, for children of
ALL abilities, and promotes a true culture of inclusion. This library is
the first of its kind in Durham Region!
The collection provides specialized, adapted and educational toys
that allow children a meaningful opportunity to learn while having
fun. The Inclusive Toy Library aims to help enhance the play experience while developing skills. The complete collection will include
more than 100 toys that will meet a wide variety of needs and help
to enhance many different skills, including:
Hearing Loop Icon
For those that require
hearing assistance but
do not have a hearing
aid, a portable receiver
and headset are available. For more information, visit
www.ajaxlibrary.ca.
Auditory – hearing, listening
Fine Motor – grasping, hand/eye co-ordination
Gross Motor – large muscle movement
Language – speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary
Social Skills – interaction, turn-taking, life skills
Tactile – touch, texture, skin awareness
Thinking – cause & effect, recall, counting, matching
Visual – seeing
For information on borrowing items from the collection, visit
www.ajaxlibrary.ca or your local Ajax Public Library branch today!
Advancing the AODA
As a broad public sector municipal organization, in 2016 the
Town will focus on making new and redeveloped public spaces
accessible. This will include adhering to technical and consultation requirements relative to the Design of Public Spaces Standards (Accessibility Standards for the Built Environment). These
standards focus on:







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recreational trails and beach access routes
outdoor public use eating areas
outdoor play spaces
public outdoor paths of travel
on and off street parking areas
service counters
fixed waiting lines
waiting areas with fixed seating
For more information on accessibility compliance in Ontario,
visit: www.ontario.ca/accessibility.
Contact
Accessible Ajax
Have an accessibility
question or concern? We
want to hear your feedback. Contact us today!
Accessible Ajax
65 Harwood Ave. South
Ajax, ON
L1S 2H9
905-619– 2529 ext. 3347
TextNet: 1-866-460-4489
accessibility@ajax.ca
Or visit us on the web at
www.ajax.ca
Alternative formats are
available on request.
Accessibility
Crossword
Across
2. A person with a disability can have their
____________ hurt by other people who
don't understand their disability.
3. You cannot _________ a disability.
4. A person with a visual impairment is not
necessarily _____.
6. People who cannot hear may be ______.
8. People who have disabilities have the
___________ to do many different things, but
may use a different way.
10. A person with disabilities is ____________
of doing many things.
11. Before you help a person with a disability,
you should __________.
12. People who cannot _____ may be blind.
Down
1. People who have a ___________ have lots
of ability.
5. People who are blind use a series of raised
dots called ___________ to read.
6. ________ is one kind of learning disability.
7. Many people have ___________ to help
them when their vision does not work
correctly.
9. People with a hearing or speech disability
may use their _________ to communicate.
Source: www.pigmillion.org