Item - 2021.DI15.2

The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council request the Toronto Transit Commission Board to request the Chief Executive Officer, TTC, to explore the feasibility of improving access to the Fair Pass Program,  in consultation with the City's Poverty Reduction Strategy Office, and to expedite any ongoing work, including but not limited to:

a. Explore the feasibility of in-person registration in accordance with public health guidelines;

b. Expedite extending the Fair Pass program to residents who already receive other means-tested supports such as rent geared to income housing, and

c. Explore the feasibility of mailing programmed, validated PRESTO cards to facilitate and ensure access;

and to report back to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee on the results of the review by the fourth quarter of 2021.

2. The Manager, Poverty Reduction Strategy Office report to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee by the end of 2021 on:

- the specific data the City has indicating how many people with disabilities are living in poverty in the City of Toronto.

- the data that is needed to have an understanding of how poverty impacts people with disabilities and the impact of the Poverty Reduction strategy initiatives on reducing poverty in this population. 

- next steps the Poverty Reduction Strategy office will take to integrate the collection of disability data into their data collection methods to address identified gaps in current data collection.

The Manager, Poverty Reduction Strategy Office gave a presentation on 2019-2022 Poverty Reduction Strategy Mid-Term Update.

Wayne Chu, Manager, Poverty Reduction Strategy Office, will give a presentation on preliminary mid-term status update for the 2019-2022 Poverty Reduction Strategy Action Plan, and update on the Fair Pass Transit Discount Program. Feedback on this presentation will be incorporated into the next Poverty Reduction Strategy staff report.