Who developed this proposed standard?
The initial proposed accessible transportation standard was developed by the Transportation Standards Development Committee. The committee is comprised of 26 voting members including representatives from the disability community, the private sector, transportation experts and providers, government ministries, and the broader public sector, in addition to a neutral non-voting chair.
For a complete list of the members of the standards development committee, click here.
What does the proposed transportation accessibility standard cover?
The initial proposed accessibility standard specifies accessibility requirements for a broad range of public transportation services under provincial and municipal jurisdiction in Ontario, such as:
- Accessibility features of transportation vehicles;
- practices and procedures for providing service to people with disabilities in transportation settings;
- service criteria and outcomes for the delivery of accessible public transit services (including specialized transit for persons with disabilities); and emergency preparedness and response requirements for the transportation providers.
How will comments submitted for public review be used?
Your comments, along with those of other members of the public, are being compiled into a report by a third-party facilitator and transmitted by the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario to the Transportation Standards Development Committee to assist it in drafting a final proposed standard.
Will anyone respond directly back to me regarding my feedback?
No. This process is designed to provide you with an opportunity to comment on the proposed transportation standard, and make your views known to the standards development committee. The committee is not able to respond to individual comments.
What were the selection criteria for Transportation Standards Development Committee members?
Selection criteria for Transportation Standards Development Committee members include:
- Endorsement to represent a broad range of interests within an industry, sector or community or area of knowledge or expertise;
- Knowledge/expertise about sectoral issues, barrier identification, removal and prevention;
- Experience in working on boards, committees or teams;
- Volunteer/professional links to the disability community and/or general familiarity with accessibility issues; and
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, such as network/relationship building, negotiation, and listening skills.
What are the next steps now that the public review period is completed?
The public review period ended September 28, 2007. Feedback received is now being compiled into a report by a third-party facilitator and will be considered by the Transportation Standards Development Committee for its use.
The committee considers the public review input to amend the proposed standard based on that feedback, before submitting its final proposed standard to the Minister.
Once the Minister receives the final proposed standard, she must decide within 90 days whether to recommend that it be enacted as a regulation in whole, in part, or with changes.
When will the final standard be completed?
A final standard is expected in early 2008.