City of Ottawa - Accessibility Spotlight - July 2021

 

Emergency Preparedness – Spring Freshet

The 2021 spring freshet task force began meeting in February, however preliminary discussions began in late 2020. Team members come together annually to prepare for the potential impacts to City residents and lands during each freshet. In addition to planning, one of the key activities is to ensure regular communications with residents and internal & external partners on the status of river levels within the larger and local watershed. The City has developed response plans and best practices which are based on works completed during the 2017 and 2019 floods, and have evolved throughout each freshet response. The communities with the highest likelihood of being impacted are located throughout West Carleton, which includes Vidon Acres, Fitzroy Harbour, Willola Beach, and the Constance Bay/Armitage areas. Other communities with a high likelihood of being impacted are Britannia Village, and to the East in former Cumberland. Annual preparations include spring maintenance operations such as the inspection and opening of culverts, ditches, and blockages in overland drainage assets. Supervisors and staff will check and clear assets as required. When the freshet begins and river levels rise, staff may expand inspections to include city facilities, roads, bridges, sidewalks, pathways and parks. Where impacted, teams will respond to ensure all assets are accessible and safe, and as water levels permit, begin to stabilize and repair the areas of erosion and the damage to hard & soft areas. Spring preparations include the provision of sand and sandbags for resident use in the protection of private property. Clear information is available online for residents on where sand and sandbags are available for pick-up. Information and processes are updated annually and have been modified to include how to properly fill sandbags with Covid-19 protocols in place. Residents have options to obtain materials at City works yards or within affected areas as coordinated by the freshet team, and to information on the appropriate operations to the current and forecast freshet conditions as they develop. A growing number of City staff have been trained in emergency response and for specific functions. Freshet taskforces are established with specific command leads and functions. The size of the team and functions being fulfilled are scalable and will be adjusted as required in response to the situation as it evolves. Although a great deal of work occurs within the taskforce rooms, the physical response work happens in the field. These works are completed by the operations teams and as required, through the establishment of one or more Incident Command Posts (ICP’s). Once mobilized, clear lines of responsibility and communication are established between the taskforce command leads and the ICP’s. This structure and these functions were especially critical during the 2017 and 2019 freshets as well as following the 2018 and 2019 Tornadoes. The Office of Emergency Management continues to offer and expand on its training on an annual basis. Spring freshets are one example of how City departments come together to provide critical services and supports to residents. Planning for the next event starts at home, in the community and at work. Remember, we may all have a part in a future emergency response.

Ontario Launches Online Renewal Tool for Accessible Parking Permits

The Ontario government has launched a new online renewal tool for Accessible Parking Permits, providing a simpler, faster, and more accessible service for permit holders. Ontarians can now choose to renew a permanent Accessible Parking Permit, apply for a traveler’s permit or motorcycle decal and request a change of address all by visiting Ontario.ca/RenewAPP. Companies and not-for-profit organizations that transport individuals with accessibility needs on a not-for-profit basis can also use this online option to apply, renew or request changes to permits. By providing standard personal information and an existing permit number, permit holders will now have the option to quickly and easily renew their Accessible Parking Permits from the comfort of their home. Previously, these services were only available in person at ServiceOntario or by mail. Ontarians can still take advantage of these methods but will now benefit from a quick and easy option that can be accessed at any time from a computer, tablet or smartphone. Over 40 of the most common ServiceOntario transactions, such as driver’s licence and licence plate sticker renewals, are available 24/7 at ServiceOntario.ca.

Invitation to Inform Disability Inclusion Action Plan

Employment and Social Development Canada recently released a survey to solicit information that will be used to inform the development of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan. They are looking for responses from all Canadians, including: persons with a disability, organizations working with persons with a disability, and caregivers or family members of persons with a disability persons identifying as First Nations, Inuk (Inuit), Métis, or Indigenous members of racialized groups, the LGBTQ2 community or an official language minority community Please complete the online survey by August 31, 2021.

City of Ottawa’s Anti-Racism Secretariat’s (ARS) second phase of action planning initiatives

Another set of action planning sessions and an online survey were launched on July 21, 2021, for residents to determine the immediate actions the City can take to address systemic racism. The survey will be open until Saturday, July 31, 2021. The survey is open to all residents and will help determine the immediate needs within the six priority areas identified in past consultation – employment equity, housing, governance, economic development, health outcomes and youth development. The second phase of initiatives aims to engage groups with intersectional identities, who were not as actively engaged during the first phase. A Community Stakeholders virtual session for community leaders, community organizations, and research experts was held on Tuesday, July 27, 2021. The other sessions that will be held virtually for residents to attend are listed below. To sign up for any of the following sessions, visit the ARS Engage Ottawa page: Racialized Women and Gender Diverse Persons: Wednesday, August 4 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Racialized Youth: Thursday, August 5 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Racialized Persons with Disabilities: Monday, August 9 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Racialized Francophones: Tuesday, August 10 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Racialized 2SLGBTQQIA+ Community: Wednesday, August 11, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Please feel free to send this information amongst your networks. If you have any questions, please contact antiracism@ottawa.ca.

Curbside Diversion Options

Starting in August, the City of Ottawa will be asking residents to weigh in on the future of curbside garbage collection. Right now, more than half of everything we throw away could be diverted from the landfill. By rethinking how we collect waste at the curb, we can reduce emissions, save money, and turn more waste into new products and resources.    Engagement will run from August 9, 2021 for 5 weeks, and we will be asking for feedback on three potential options:   Partial Pay-As-You-Throw Reduced Firm Item Limits Clear Garbage Bags with recycling and organics bans   Sign up to receive an alert when the online survey/workshop sign-ups start, or head to Engage Ottawa on August 9th. Your input will help shape any changes we make to curbside garbage collection.    Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request in order to fully participate. Please contact: wasteplan@ottawa.ca.

OC Transpo launches 613-560-5000 customer service phone line

OC Transpo has simplified its customer service phone system by launching a new convenient phone number to direct you to the information you need. You can now call 613-560-5000 for all OC Transpo inquiries, including Para Transpo booking and cancellation services, schedule information, trip planning, fares, discounts, Park & Ride, Bikesecure permits and more. With one easy-to-remember phone number, you can access OC Transpo services through six self-serve options or be connected directly to a customer service representative. All existing numbers will remain active during the transition to the new number, to allow existing customers time to adapt to the new change. Important phone numbers such as Special Constable Unit, Lost & Found and the Ottawa Distress Centre will not be affected and will continue to be available. The phone number complements OC Transpo’s other 560 travel tools. When you need real-time information you can continue to text 560560 or call 613-560-1000 and use the four-digit bus stop number, or first three letters of the station name to get information about departure times for buses, the latest schedule updates, cancellations, or detours. For more information, visit octranspo.com or give us a call today at 613-560-5000!