Accessibility and Inclusion
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The Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) is a legislated resident volunteer committee that advises Town Council on accessibility initiatives to address requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).
The goal of the AODA is to identify, prevent and remove barriers to make Ontario accessible by 2025. We work with the AAC to promote awareness and celebrate inclusion.
The committee meets quarterly, on the second Thursday of each month at 4 p.m. Membership is appointed by Council and is made up of six residents and one member of Council. The AODA states that the majority of members must be persons with disabilities.
- Accessibility Advisory Committee's Terms of Reference (pdf)
- Goals and accomplishments
- Agendas and minutes
- Accessibility in Oakville brochure (pdf)
Interesting in applying to serve on the town's Accessibility Advisory Committee? Find more details about the application process on the town's Boards and Committees page.
The 2024 to 2029 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan builds on the accomplishments of the town’s previous plans, and outlines areas of focus and actions that will continue to drive the town forward to meet and/or exceed the requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005. The plan was developed in consultation with the town’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, persons with disabilities, staff, key community partners and the broader public.
Visit our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Multi-Year Plan page to learn more about the Town of Oakville’s commitment to being an inclusive workplace and community where everyone feels they belong.
An inclusion lens helps you see things with a new or different perspective from your own. It’s an easy-to-use tool made up of three questions that prompt us to think about inclusion in our work.
- What am I already doing to promote inclusion?
- Who might be impacted and who is not included in the work I’m doing?
- What changes or recommendations am I going to make to modify the potential impact(s)?
Using the lens helps us consider potential impacts of programs, services and initiatives on the diversity of our employees and customers.
Learn more about The Town of Oakville's Inclusion Lens Guide (pdf).
The Oakville Universal Design Standards (OUDS) was created to help staff build this commitment and provide an innovative and detailed approach for the design of barrier free and accessible facilities.
A made-for-Oakville standard, it replaces the town’s previous Oakville Universal Design Standard (version 1.0 and 2.0) with a new and updated OUDS Version 3.0. This edition of the standard has been updated for the Ontario Building Code 2020 changes and administration.
The OUDS is aligned with our Multi-Year Accessibility Plan for the Design of Public Spaces and Procurement Policy By-law. When procuring or acquiring goods, services or facilities, accessible design, criteria and features will be considered in addition to all other legislation and applicable code.
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005, Ontario Regulation 191/11 Integrated Accessibility Standards, Part IV.1 Design of Public Spaces Standards (DOPS) and Ontario Building Code (OBC) regulates the minimum accessibility features within building and on a site. The OUDS often go above the minimum requirements of the OBC and the AODA DOPS creating town facilities which are inclusive and user-friendly for residents and visitors of all abilities. This procedure reflects the requirements of the OUDS, where applicable.
Please review the Oakville Universal Design Standards Version 3.0 (pdf).