September 29, 1998

To:Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee

From:City Clerk

Subject:Submission to the Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation on the "Ontarians With Disabilities Act"

Recommendation:

The Task Force on Community Access and Equity on September 24, 1998, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee and Council that the position of the Task Force on Community Access and Equity respecting the Ontarians With Disabilities Act, embodied in the submission dated September 3, 1998 to the Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation, be endorsed.

The Task Force on Community Access and Equity reports for the information of the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee and Council, having referred the aforementioned submission to the Writing Team of the Task Force on Community Access and Equity for its consideration when preparing the final report for City Council.

Background:

The Task Force on Community Access and Equity had before it the following communications:

(a)(July 17, 1998) from David Lepofsky, Co-Chair, Ontarians With Disabilities Act Committee, headed "ODA Public Consultation Kit", requesting that written submissions regarding the enactment of the Ontarians With Disabilities Act be sent to the Ontario Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation by the September 4, 1998 deadline; advising that the Ontarians With Disabilities Act Committee is contacting other disability organizations in the community to work together to find ways of participating in the consultation process that the Ministry is organizing; and forwarding the ODA Committee's Analysis of the Discussion Paper, draft letters to The Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation; and a list of regional contacts for the Ontarians With Disabilities Act Committee; and

(b)(September 3, 1998) from Councillor Joe Mihevc, Chair, Task Force on Community Access and Equity, forwarding a submission dated September 3, 1998 to The Honourable Isabel Bassett, Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation, headed "Submission to the Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation - The Discussion Paper on the Ontario With Disabilities Act", in response to the Ministry's discussion paper titled "Preventing and Removing Barriers for Ontarians with Disabilities", respecting the Ontarians With Disabilities Act.

City Clerk

M. Lewis

Item No. 5

Attachment