City of Ottawa Accessibility Spotlight - December 2020

 

Mental health and COVID-19 in Ottawa

COVID-19 continues to be difficult, especially on our mental health which is at the core of our well-being. No matter our age, we all get stressed, and positive coping skills can help improve our mental health. A person can build resilience and better handle the normal stresses of life and overcome challenging situations. We can reduce the stigma and improve our coping skills by speaking to one another about mental health. Through the Community Health and Resource Centres, you can receive short term counselling and to remove geographical boundaries of counselling services at the beginning of COVID, Connecting Ottawa  put together Counselling Connect; a free counselling service for children, youth, adults and families in Ottawa and the surrounding area. Outside of regular business hours, mental health support is available through the Distress Centre. This period of physical distancing can make you feel alone and unsafe. If you’re dealing with physical, emotional, sexual, or other kinds of abuse at home, please use the following resources to reach out for help now. ·       Ottawa and area ·       Lanark County If you’re in immediate danger, please call 911. To learn more about how to talk about mental health, check out have THAT talk.

Recreation, Cultural & Facility Services (RCFS) stencil project

More fun for all in City Parks! This year’s warm fall weather meant everyone could enjoy a little more outdoor time. It also allowed RCFS to paint a variety of game stencils in City parks for visitors of all ages and abilities to enjoy. The game stencils are brightly painted figures and graphics on asphalt walkways within the park playground areas. With hopscotch games, maps of Ontario and Canada, an alphabet sun dial, and dancing feet wandering along the path, these added features are great for playing, getting active and learning the ABC’s and numbers.

An extra stencil of wheel marks from a mobility device was added to accompany the dancing feet stencil at McNabb Park to demonstrate and promote the inclusion of children with disabilities in the games. The teachers and students from Centennial Public School were especially thrilled with it. There are many students at that school who use mobility devices and they were at the park to see the stencil painting being completed. A total of 15 City parks were included in this fun project: ·       McNabb Park, 435 Bronson Ave ·       Dutchies Hole Park, 154 Mann Avenue ·       Jules Morin Park, 400 Clarence St E ·       Overbrook Park, 33 Quill St ·       New Edinburgh Park, 203 Stanley Ave ·       Optimiste Park, 43 Ste Cecile St ·       St Laurent Complex, 525 Cote St ·       St. Paul’s Park, 469 Donald St ·       Elizabeth Manley, 1161 Blohm Dr ·       Greenboro Park, 363 Lorry Greenberg Dr ·       Pushman Park, 1270 Pebble Road ·       Hunt Club/Riverside, 3320 Paul Anka Dr ·       Albion/Heatherington, 1560 Heatherington Rd ·       Grandeur Park/Belltown, 2915 Haughton Ave ·       Andrew Hayden Park, 3169 Carling Ave

City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan (COMAP) updates

As required under the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), the City of Ottawa prepares an annual status report on the progress of the organization’s multi-year accessibility plan to prevent and remove barriers to accessibility. On November 25, 2020, Council approved  both the final update on the City's 2016 - 2020 City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan, approved by Council on March 23, 2016, and the  new 2020 - 2024 COMAP. The annual report provided a status update on the City’s progress in 2019. This included details of improvements to City services, programs, information, communications, goods and facilities, broken down into the five standards of the AODA: Customer Service, Information and Communications, Employment, the Design of Public Spaces, and Transportation. These improvements demonstrate the City’s commitment to meeting the legislated requirements of the AODA as well as non-legislated improvements, which support the inclusion and full participation of people with disabilities in our City, including residents, employees and visitors. Many of the initiatives outlined in the report have become part of regular business at the City, and we will continue to report on their progress in the 2020-2024 plan as they continue to expand, evolve and increase accessibility. The City conducted a comprehensive public engagement process, in 2019, on the accessibility of City programs, services and facilities. Over 200 residents from diverse communities participated in the consultations through a variety of outreach methods, including a survey conducted online or by phone, in-person consultations or a community toolkit for groups to provide feedback without City staff present. The information was shared with departments to assist in identifying gaps and developing initiatives to form the 2020 – 2024 COMAP.

A Successful Second Annual International Day of Persons With Disabilities (IDPWD)

On December 3, the City of Ottawa hosted their second annual IDPWD event, virtually over Zoom. This day aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. The theme for this year’s event was, not all disabilities are visible, and it encourages us to seek out the experiences of persons with visible and invisible disabilities, to inform our work and celebrate their valuable contributions. The event included a video message from Minister Carla Qualtrough, a proclamation from Mayor Jim Watson, a presentation by the Accessibility Advisory Committee Chair Phillip Turcotte and presentations by community members. With over 100 people in attendance, the City sees the importance of this annual event and continues its efforts to make its services accessible to all.