City of Ottawa Accessibility Spotlight - October 2020

 

Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) 2020

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is upon us! In support of this, Mayor Jim Watson has declared October 2020 Disability Employment Awareness Month in the City of Ottawa. This year, the theme of the campaign is “The Power of Inclusion”. For the whole month of October, businesses and individuals are looking at the many ways inclusive hiring empowers businesses, employees and their communities. Based on NDEAM, a federal initiative celebrated in the U.S. every October since 1945, the purpose of Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) is to promote employment inclusion for people who experience disability and to celebrate the many and varied contributions of workers with disabilities. The campaign is gaining traction with a number of provinces proclaiming October as Disability Employment Awareness Month. The City of Ottawa is proud to be part of this important initiative. The City strives to have a workforce that is representative of the people that we serve as well as create an inclusive work environment. However, the statistics are not encouraging. Individuals with disabilities are completing college and university programs at the same rate as their non-disabled colleagues, however, this group is often unemployed or under-employed. The municipality works to increase awareness and remove barriers to employment for persons with disabilities. A key piece of this work is an active membership in EARN (Employment Accessibility Resource Network), a community initiative led by the United Way East Ontario, with the goal of increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities in Ottawa. Campaigns such as this are important to raise awareness and spread the important message that a strong workforce is one inclusive of the skills and talents of people with disabilities. The City and EARN see DEAM as an excellent opportunity for Employment Service Providers and Employers to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to residents with disabilities and to help promote employment inclusion in our country.

Snow Go programs support increased mobility for seniors and people with disabilities

With the arrival of ice and snow, Ottawa winters can be a challenging time for seniors and people with limited mobility. The City funds two programs, Snow Go and Snow Go Assist, which help seniors and people with disabilities with their snow removal. The City partners with nine community agencies to run these two programs. The Snow Go program vets snow removal workers and matches them with seniors and people with disabilities to get their snow cleared. Residents pay the workers directly for their services. The Snow Go Assist program goes one step further and helps low-income seniors and people with disabilities with the cost of their snow removal. To be eligible for the Snow Go Assist program funding, applicants must: 1.    Be a senior at least 60 years old or a person with a disability 2.    Have a low-income and show proof of: ·Annual income below $31,500 if single and below $39,200 for a household of two persons or more Eligible residents may be reimbursed up to 50 per cent of snow removal costs to a seasonal maximum. To apply, contact the partnering local agency in your area. For a list of these agencies, visit ottawa.ca/snowgo or call 3-1-1.

Improvements to the OC Transpo Community Pass program

The OC Transpo Community Pass program provides a discounted rate on fares for eligible beneficiaries of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSB). On August 18, 2020, the process was improved to allow for over the phone applications, eliminating the need for customers to travel to an OC Transpo Customer Service Centre. This improvement helps customers apply for the program without travelling outside the home, reducing unnecessary travel and overcrowding at Customer Service Centres. Customers can call OC Transpo at 613-741-4390 and speak to a Customer Service Representative to complete the application over the phone and answer any questions about the discount. After submitting the application by phone, customers should expect to see the discount loaded onto their registered presto card within 10 days. Customers will still have the option to apply in person at the Rideau Centre Customer Service Centre. For more information on OC Transpo’s Community Pass program, please visit the OC Transpo website.

Ontario Renovates can help with your home repairs

For low or fixed-income homeowners who are aging, repairs and upgrades to your house can be costly and daunting. That's where the Ontario Renovates program can help. Run by the City of Ottawa and funded by the Province, the Ontario Renovates program provides funding for eligible homeowners and landlords for necessary repairs and accessibility modifications to support independent living. The program provides funding for eligible applicants up to a maximum amount of $20,000. Eligible homeowners are:   Persons 65 years of age or older People with disabilities Families with a household member who is a senior or person with a disability may be eligible if property value and income criteria are also met. Visit the Ontario Renovates page at ottawa.ca for income requirements. Funding is available to homeowners to upgrade or modify items such as: electrical and heating systems doors and windows foundations, roofs, walls, floors and ceilings plumbing septic systems, well water, and well drilling fire safety cues for doorbells or fire alarms ramps, handrails, chair and bath lifts, height-adjusted countertops The Ontario Renovates program can also assist landlords. The program provides funding to modify existing units or buildings to make them more accessible and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Landlords can apply for funding for repairs including: Ramps Handrails Chair and bath lifts Countertop height adjustment Cues for doorbells or fire alarms

Want to apply?

Complete the form. Funding is available until March 31, 2021 (or until all funding is spent). For more information about the Ontario Renovates program, please call our information line at 613-580-2424 ext. 12300 or email Ontariorenovates@ottawa.ca.