Item - 2020.DI10.4

The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that:

1.  City Council direct the City Manager, as part of the public consultation process for Dundas Street, to consider specific outreach to people with disabilities and disability organizations.

 
2.  City Council direct the City Manager, as part of the review of the City’s overall framework for commemorative policies, to create a selected list of disability accessibility champions, with input from people with disabilities and disability organizations, for consideration when renaming city streets and other public assets.

A City of Toronto news release dated September 16, 2020 references that a City of Toronto staff report will be going to the Executive Committee on September 23, 2020 with recommendations that options for renaming Dundas Street and other public assets be evaluated in an upcoming public consultation. In addition to renaming Dundas Street, some of the goals of the public consultation would be to solicit feedback on guiding the City’s overall framework for commemorative policies on future street naming and renaming, monument additions and/or revocations. This report notes that the conversation about renaming Dundas Street and other public assets arose as a result of the global conversation about racial inequality and injustice. Please see the following website for more information:

https://www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-staff-report-recommends-a-public-consultation-and-next-steps-on-renaming-dundas-street-and-other-public-assets/

The City should ensure the public consultation includes people with disabilities and disability organizations and should also create a list of list of disability accessibility champions for consideration for renaming Dundas Street and other public assets such as Anne Johnston, David Lepofsky, and Jim Flaherty, to name a few.  For example, David Lepofsky made significant contributions to improving the accessibility of the TTC for people with disabilities by ensuring that bus stop announcements be audibly communicated to passengers. Naming or renaming a public asset after a disability accessibility champion would honour them and demonstrate the City’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.