City consults with disabled to make facilities more accessible

Citizens in Greater Sudbury are invited to attend a public consultation session June 16 to provide input into the city's 2011-2012 Accessibility Plan.

Under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2001, the city is “required to prepare an annual accessibility plan to make it available to the public,” according to a press release.

The purpose of the plan is to “improve opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in the life of the city through identification, removal and prevention of barriers.”

Through the public consultation session, the city hopes to hear from “citizens with disabilities about their experiences with accessing municipal buildings, participating in programs or seeking municipal services from paying tax bills to visiting arenas.”

The city is hoping to “identify barriers to access municipal facilities...to remove barriers and to provide feedback on municipal services for persons with disabilities.”

The public consultation session is being held June 16 at 4 p.m. at Tom Davies Square in Committee Room C-11.

Citizens can download a copy of the 2010-2011 Accessibility Plan at www.greatersudbury.ca. Printed copies can be obtained by phoning Linda Purvis at 705-674-4455 ext. 4226. Additional information is also available by phoning 311 or (TTY) 705-688-3919.

Members of the Accessibility Advisory Panel include Ward 3 Coun. Claude Berthiaume, Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann, chair Linda Whiteside, vice-chair Lionel Courtemanche, Vice-Chair E.J. Craig Ticalo and members Bob Bannister, Earl Black, Norma Fitzgerald, Linda Mende and Andrew Oliver.