ODA Committee Update
dated July 29, 2003
posted August 28, 2003

ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMMITTEE UPDATE City Of Sault Ste. Marie to Host Major Open Conference on Implementing the ODA 2001 September 10 and 11, 2003 July 29, 2003 SUMMARY The City of Sault Ste. Marie, under the leadership of its Accessibility Advisory Committee, has announced that it is hosting a province-wide Access Ontario conference and Trade Show on implementing the ODA 2001, to be held on September 10 and 11, 2003 in Sault Ste. Marie. See flyer below. We encourage all interested people and organizations to attend. Spread the news to others. While the ODA Committee is not responsible for the sponsorship or planning of this conference, we want to do all we can to publicize it and help it be a huge success. MORE DETAILS We congratulate the Sault Ste. Marie Accessibility Advisory Committee and the City of Sault Ste. Marie for taking on the enormous task of hosting a province-wide conference on implementing the ODA 2001. We are advised that this conference is open to any interested people and organizations, with a special emphasis on members of municipal accessibility advisory committees. We hope that anyone will attend who is interested in seeing the ODA 2001 effectively implemented, so that persons with disabilities can get as much as possible from this legislation. We regret that there is no central funding available to cover the costs of attending the conference. If you are a member of a municipal accessibility advisory committee, we encourage you to ask your municipality to sponsor you to attend this important conference. We urge the Ontario Government, and especially the Minister of Citizenship, to make available funding to pay for the costs of individuals travelling to Sault Ste. Marie and of attending this conference. Because the ODA Committee is itself an unfunded voluntary coalition with no funds of its own, we regret that we are not able to offer funds for attending this conference. We emphasize that this conference is certainly not limited to members of municipal accessibility advisory committees. We hope that anyone interested in having barriers against persons with disabilities removed and prevented will attend the Access Ontario Conference if they can. We hope that representatives of school boards, colleges and universities, hospitals and other organizations that have to have an accessibility plan in place by September 30, 2003 will attend to get ideas for action. We also hope that these organizations will sponsor individuals with disabilities to attend to give them and others advice on how to make their accessibility plans as good as possible. This conference will also be a great forum for those individuals and organizations who have been fighting for a strong and effective Ontarians with Disabilities Act to come together. It will provide an excellent chance for us to all learn from each other, and to see what effect the Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2001 is having. It provides a wonderful forum for us to see what improvements could be made to this legislation, drawing on the actual experience with the legislation so far. Of course, this conference provides a great chance for all interested in our 8 and a half year long campaign for a barrier-free Ontario to meet, network, and plan for the future. Please circulate this announcement to others. Encourage as many people as possible to come. For more information about this conference, and to register for it, please contact: Tracey Roetman 45 Oakwood Dr. Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6B 1K1 Phone: (705) 254-6929 Fax: (705) 254-2764 e-mail: roetman@shaw.ca We fully understand that because this conference is being planned and organized by one particular community for the benefit of us all, the conference planners do not have a great deal of resources and funds to carry it out. We need everyone to pitch in and help as much as they can. This includes offering help to the organizers, and publicizing this event far and wide. Unfortunately, we are advised for example that the City of Sault Ste. Marie is unable at this time to make their web site accessible due to lack of funding. Below please find the announcement of this conference from its organizers, as well as an application form for organizations that wish to have a display table at the conference's Trade Show. ***** ANNOUNCEMENT Access Ontario Conference September 10-11 What the conference can do for you! * Help with your first year accessibility plan. * Exchange ideas and information with others who have already completed the process Highlights Speakers David Lepofsky, founding member and Chair of the Ontarians With Disabilities Act Committee and Member of the Order of Canada. Kevin Duguay, City Planner for Peterborough, a city that has had an accessibility plan for nearly twenty years. Peterborough has recently built a new arena and hospital, which are fully accessible. Kevin has agreed to give a power point presentation that will supply you with a template for your first year plan. Al Buchan, manager of the non-profit HAGI Transit Inc. of Thunder Bay, who has a background in accessible transit planning and implementation Panel A panel will discuss the successes and challenges of overcoming barriers. Panelists will be: * Gerald Parker, C.E.O. of Beyond Ability from Brampton, Ontario. * Representatives from Kawartha Lakes, London, Windsor, Ottawa, Guelph, Orangeville and Oshawa. These cities have been working on improving accessibility for a number of years. As a participant, you will receive the following tools to use as you develop an accessibility plan for your community: * An all-Ontario database to exchange and to communicate information throughout Ontario * First year plan courtesy Kevin Duguay * A video of the conference to share with committee members * An opportunity to hear and be a part of discussions with representatives from cities that have successful plans * A trade show by companies who specialize in new barrier-free technologies. For The Future A province-wide bi-monthly newsletter is being planned. This conference is the first step in the process of forming a Coalition of Cities, which will enable all municipalities across Ontario to work together to make Ontario accessible. This coalition plans to work with the Ontario Accessibility Directorate to find resources, both human and financial, to assist municipalities to implement all aspects of the ODA. Enjoy a "Naturally Gifted" experience! It can't be all work and no relaxation at the AOC. The AAC of Sault Ste Marie has made arrangements to have dinner in the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre. This facility has one of the most interesting bushplane displays in the entire country. For those who wish to stay an extra day, feel free to make your own arrangements to experience the Agawa Canyon tour train. Advance booking recommended. Call 1-800-242-9287. Other Attractions: * Take an international cruise through the Sault Locks * Art Gallery of Algoma * Visit the Ermatinger Old Stone House, the oldest stone house west of Toronto * "Stroll or roll" along the picturesque Boardwalk with its unique wood carvings * Shop at the Station Mall, "The Centre of It All" ***** Accommodations Days Inn - 320 Bay Street (1-888-329-7776), two handicapped accessible rooms with showers, double beds - one smoking and one non-smoking room Quality Inn - 180 Bay St. (1-800-567-4421), one room completely accessible with pull through shower: 2 others with accessibility but no showers Web site: www.qualityinnssm.com Holiday Inn - braille in elevators - 208 St. Mary's River Dr. -(1-888-713-8482), three fully accessible rooms with pull through bathrooms. Web site: www.holiday-inn.com/saulmarieon Best Western - braille in elevators - 229 Great Northern Rd. (1-800-563-7262) - one accessible room with shower, one without shower accessibility Sleep Inn - 727 Bay Street (1-877-953-7533) - 1 accessible room but no pull through shower. Algoma's Water Tower Inn - 360 Great Northern Rd. (1-800-461-0800) - 2 fully handicapped rooms with roll in shower, companion room attached www.watertowerinn.com Super 8 (1-800-800-8000) 184 Great Northern Rd. - 2 handicapped accessible rooms, tub support, toilet grab bars. More rooms are available in Sault Ste. Marie with a wide variety of accessibility. E-mail for more information. ***** ACCESS ONTARIO TRADE SHOW Company Name_______________________________________ Contact Person ___________________________________________ Product/Service __________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________ _______________________ Postal Code ____________________________ Phone ___________________________ Fax __________________ Dates and Fees Register before August 1st: $200 per table Register after August 1st: $ 250 per table Please make cheque payable to "Access Ontario" and send to: Tracey Roetman, 45 Oakwood Drive, Sault Ste. Marie ON P6B 1K1 For registration information, contact: Dorothy Macnaughton: Phone (705) 159-0733 or e-mail: rmacnaug@sympatico.ca E-Mail _________________________________________________________ PLEASE INDICATE Do you require: table ( ) table ( ) power bar ( ) internet access ( ) electrical ( ) A.V. equipment ( ) insert material for registration kit ( ) Cancellation Policy Requests for refunds to the event will be honoured, less a $50 administration fee, provided a written notice of cancellation and request for refund is received at least 5 business days prior. No monies will be refunded to persons who do not attend and fail to provide notice 5 days prior to the 1st day of the Conference. Substitutions will be accepted up to and including the first day of the Conference. Sault Ste. Marie AAC reserves the right to cancel the conference or individual programs in the case of insufficient registrations or unforeseen circumstances and will be responsible for refunding the registration fee only. Access Ontario Conference September 10 - 11, 2003 What the conference can do for you! This conference will be widely marketed in Ontario and Northern Michigan through T.V., print, radio, Ontario-wide newsletter. All Ontario municipalities with a population over 10,000 will be exposed to your company through direct contact or through video. Various representatives from Northern Michigan will attend. Trade Show will be open to local business and the general public. School Boards, hospitals, transit companies will be invited.

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Last updated August 28, 2003