Item - 2017.DI14.5

The Disability, Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that:

1.   City Council change the name of the Disability, Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee.

I am recommending that the committee change its name in line with the terminology of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) S.O. 2005, Chapter 11, Section 29, and to remove confusion on the part of City staff and members of the public that have difficulty identifying the Committee by the complex name that was selected in 2015.

On February 24th, I attended the Election Services Accessibility Outreach Network Meeting. When introducing myself, I found myself tongue-tied and unable to recall the full name of the Disability, Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DAIAC). I was not the only one that struggled with the committee's name in that meeting, and several attendees commented that the name is very complicated.

I spoke with Nicole Cormier, Accessibility Consultant in Equity Diversity and Human Rights division, who was an observer at the same meeting on February 24. Nicole responded that the she had also noted that in many interactions she has with City staff, they have great difficulty in recalling the Committee's official name, and often resort to calling it the "Disabilities Committee". Whereas, it would be preferable to shift the focus of the name to "accessibility". Nicole felt that members of the public who search for our legislated committee can't find it because the current name doesn't match the term used in the AODA. She observed that every other municipality refers to their committee as the Accessibility Advisory Committee, often prefaced by the name of the City. Nicole also added that timing to introduce a simplified name would be ideal since a new Policy is coming forward, followed by training. Changing the name once the Policy is implemented would be more disruptive and have associated costs.

I participated in the renaming of the Committee in 2015, and recall lengthy discussions that lead to the new name. Given the time and effort that were invested, I do not make this recommendation lightly.  However, if people cannot remember what "DAIAC" stands for, and members of the public cannot find the committee by the name indicated by legislation, then we are doing a disservice. Therefore I move that DAIAC recommends to the Executive Committee that City Council change the name of the Disability, Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee to: Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee.