2022 Accessibility Advisory Committee Annual Town Hall

Agenda

Please note that masks are strongly encouraged for attending in-person at Paul O'Regan Hall.

For more information about the 2022 Town Hall please see the notes at the bottom of the agenda or visit Accessibility Townhall | Halifax.

Attendees joining virtually in Zoom can find a guide for using the Q&A function here.

1.    Call to Order and Opening Remarks – Andrew Taylor, Chair, Accessibility Advisory Committee

2.    Staff Overview of Accessibility Successes, Challenges and Updates

•    Melissa Myers, Accessibility Advisor, Office of Diversity & Inclusion/African Nova Scotian Affairs Integration Office
•    Darren Young, Manager of Building Infrastructure, Property, Fleet & Environment
•    Victoria Horne, Director of Parking, Public Works
•    Lindsay Mullin, Outreach and Engagement Specialist, Halifax Transit Services, and Dave Nantau, Supervisor of Bus Operations, Access-A-Bus
•    Pat McGrath, Manager of Aquatic & Inclusion Services, Parks and Recreation

3.    Feedback, Input, Questions and Comments from the Public

Ground Rules:
•    1 speaker at a time
•    Please keep comments limited to 3 minutes or less if attending from Paul O’Regan Hall
•    Speaker to provide name and community/organization for the record
•    If attending from Paul O’Regan Hall, please use the microphone so all attendees can hear
•    Questions submitted virtually in Zoom will be asked on residents’ behalf by a committee member at Paul O’Regan Hall
•    Respect all points of view and opinions expressed
•    If you wish to be contacted by staff for follow up after the meeting, leave your name and contact information on a contact sheet at the side table of Paul O’Regan Hall
•    Questions submitted virtually requiring follow up will be addressed by email 

4.   Envisioning a More Accessible Future – Open Floor

•    What are the biggest accessibility concerns facing municipal government in 2023?

•    What should the 2023 Accessibility Town Hall look like?
o    Is there a different structure? 
o    Does it occur in a different space? 
o    How would you like to be engaged?

Ground Rules:
•    1 speaker at a time
•    Please keep comments limited to 3 minutes or less if attending from Paul O’Regan Hall
•    Speaker to provide name and community/organization for the record
•    If attending from Paul O’Regan Hall, please use the microphone so all attendees can hear
•    Comments submitted virtually in Zoom will be shared on residents’ behalf by a committee member at Paul O’Regan Hall
•    Respect all points of view and opinions expressed
•    Comments provided will inform the work of the Accessibility Advisory Committee in the year ahead

5. Closing Comments - Andrew Taylor, Chair, Accessibility Advisory Committee 
 

6.    Adjournment – 8:30 p.m. 
 
NOTES:
Sighted guides will be available at Paul O’Regan Hall. ASL Interpretation and CART Captioning Services will be available at Paul O’Regan Hall and livestreamed to Zoom and YouTube. 

During the public participation portion of the event, questions from the audience will be facilitated both from the floor of Paul O’Regan Hall and virtually in Zoom. To attend this event virtually and submit your questions live, registration is required: Webinar Registration - Zoom

Attending at Paul O’Regan Hall: 
If you wish to speak during the public participation portion of the meeting, please keep your comments to 3 minutes or less, so that everyone has an opportunity to have a turn. If you do not wish to speak during the meeting, you can write down your questions or comments to be read aloud by a member of the Committee. A volunteer at the side table can assist with writing if needed. If you wish to be contacted by staff for follow up after the meeting, leave your name and contact information at the side table so they can get in touch with you. 

Attending Virtually in Zoom:
If you wish to join the Town Hall virtually and ask a question during the public participation portion of the meeting, please register to attend the event in Zoom. Please include your name at the beginning of your question. Instructions for submitting your question in the Q&A function in Zoom will be provided on the day of the Town Hall. A member of the Committee will ask your question on your behalf from the floor at Paul O’Regan Hall. While residents can ask more than one question, preference will be given to those who are asking a question for the first time. 

Minutes are being taken from this meeting and will be available online next month after approval from the Committee. The information being collected will inform a future report from the Accessibility Advisory Committee to the Executive Standing Committee.

The meeting will end promptly at 8:30 p.m. to meet Access-A-Bus bookings. As many people suffer from allergies to scented products, meeting participants should avoid wearing strongly scented perfumes.

For further information please visit the Accessibility Town Hall Webpage