Terms of Reference - ECAAC Amended by CC June 2007

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Amended Terms of Reference Adopted by County Council June 6, 2007 Page 1 Terms of Reference Essex County Accessibility Advisory Committee 1. Preamble In recognition of the almost 1.9 million Ontarians that have disabilities, the Provincial government is moving towards a goal of creating a fully accessible Ontario. On December 14, 2001, Royal Assent was given to the Ontarians With Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA). The stated purpose of that legislation was to improve opportunities for people with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the Province. Under that legislation, onus was placed on all municipal governments, transportation providers, the Ontario Public Service, hospitals, universities, colleges, schools and various other agencies in the public sector to put accessibility issues on their agendas. The municipal sections of the Ontarians With Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) were proclaimed on September 30, 2002 at which time municipalities with populations of over 10,000 were required to establish an Accessibility Advisory Committee. In early 2004, the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration drafted new legislation to benefit all Ontarians by establishing a goal of achieving accessibility for people with disabilities by the year 2025. To achieve this goal, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) legislates the development, implementation and enforcement of accessibility standards concerning goods, services, accommodation, facilities, buildings and employment. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, was passed by unanimous vote by the Ontario Legislature on May 10, 2005. On June 14 2005 it received Royal Assent and came into force. The legislative provision requiring municipalities with populations over 10,000 to establish an Accessibility Advisory Committee continues under the AODA. 2. Definitions: Within this Terms of Reference the term: "the organizations" refers to The Corporation of the County of Essex and may refer to the Corporation's Agencies, Boards and Commissions. It is intended that the Essex County Accessibility Advisory Committee (ECAAC) shall advise comprehensively upon issues within the jurisdiction of the Corporation, related to the promotion of a barrier -free Essex County, which may entail forwarding recommendations to the Corporation's Agencies, Boards and Commissions and /or other outside organizations.