City Council Meeting Summary

Oakville’s council advanced accessibility, transportation, and recreation initiatives, endorsing the 2025 Accessibility Annual Status Report and approving several policy and program updates. The meeting emphasized integrating AAC reporting, expanding training and digital accessibility, and broadening public input channels, with ongoing work planned into 2026.

Five Most Important Topics Discussed

1) Accessibility in Procurement Practices - The town has embedded accessibility into procurement, requiring suppliers to comply with AODA and Oakville’s universal design standards. Quote: "The town prioritizes accessible design criteria and features and purchasing processes wherever applicable." Updates to the procurement policy and purchasing bylaw are underway to maintain IASR compliance. - Impact: Ensures accessible products and services are standard in purchasing decisions, affecting everyday goods and services residents use.

2) Transportation Accessibility and On-Demand Services - On-demand and caravan services have seen increased use, creating capacity challenges the city is addressing. Quote: "The success of a caravan and on-demand has led to an increase in the use of the services... there can be issues with making capacity to meet that demand." Public feedback highlighted wait times and connectivity issues, including weather-related delays. Quote: "The two buses don't line up together all the time... it took me over two hours from town hall to get to the hospital." Service frequency improvements were noted for key routes (e.g., some routes now run every 10 minutes). Quote: "The service has increased substantially on those routes... from every 30 minutes to now it is every 10 minutes." - Impact: Directly affects accessibility for residents relying on transit, including reliability and wait times.

3) Adapted Aquatics Training Program - A pilot training program for adapted aquatics staff expanded significantly, with ongoing emphasis on inclusive teaching. Key data: pilot launched in June at Glen Abbey, expanded to 74 staff by September 2025. Quote: "We've seen a 100% increase in 10 out of 10 instructor ratings as well as program experience ratings on our surveys for the Aquedap program specifically." Instructors emphasize flexibility and individualized goals. Quote: "Our instructors focus on flexibility, adapting each lesson to the participants' goals, interests, and individual needs." - Impact: Improves safety, accessibility, and inclusion in aquatic programs for participants with disabilities.

4) Information Standards, Digital Accessibility, and Public Communications - The town is advancing Information and Communications Standard (AODA) compliance, including WCAG 2.0 Level AA on the website and remediation of online documents. Quote: "The goal is simple but critical: ensure everyone—residents, visitors, and staff—have an equal opportunity to access information, to learn, and to participate in everyday life." The interactive accessibility map was enhanced to help residents locate accessible features, with staff training on inclusive digital content and plain language. Quote: "We improved how information about accessible spaces and amenities at town facilities is shared with the public." - Impact: Improves access to information for all residents and supports inclusive online content and services.

5) Public Feedback Mechanisms and Community Engagement - The town is expanding feedback channels to include multiple formats (phone, TTY, mail, accessible online formats) and ongoing engagement with the community. Quote: "We're expanding supports for meetings, events, and feedbacks, offering multiple channels for feedback." The AAC serves as a channel for input on accessibility initiatives, and public input is encouraged for multi-year plans (including the 2024-2029 plan). A specific initiative—the multisensory room at the Oakville Public Library—will be bookable by the public in early 2026, offering another avenue for user feedback. - Impact: Increases resident opportunities to shape accessibility initiatives.

Opportunities for Public Input

• Public input channels include:
  • Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) involvement and related public consultations on the multi-year accessibility plan.
  • Town website feedback page, Service Oakville, phone, TTY, mail, and in-person submissions.
  • The Oakville Public Library multisensory room (bookable in early 2026) as a public-use initiative for feedback on accessibility and inclusivity.
• For accessibility initiatives, residents can engage via AAC forums and during related public consultations.

File Numbers / Bylaws Discussed

• No numeric file numbers were provided in these excerpts. References include:
  • IASR (Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation)
  • RHFAC (Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification)
  • Procurement Policy and Purchasing Bylaw (no numeric identifiers given)
• Note: No specific file numbers or bylaw numbers were cited in the provided material.

Motions Passed, Rejected, or Deferred

• Review of Procurement Policy and Purchasing Bylaw

  • Outcome: Approved for review and update to maintain IASR compliance.
  • Next Steps: Updates to be implemented by 2026, including mandatory accessibility fields in the corporate information system.

• Incorporation of Accessible Purchasing Requirements into Staff Training

  • Outcome: Approved.
  • Next Steps: Training to be rolled out by 2026 to ensure consistent application of accessibility criteria.

• Enhancement of Interactive Accessibility Map

  • Outcome: Approved and implemented.
  • Next Steps: Continue monitoring and updating the map to reflect new accessible features.

• Staff Training on Inclusive Digital Content

  • Outcome: Approved and ongoing.
  • Next Steps: Continue training staff on creating accessible digital content and promoting plain language.

• Review of Accessible Customer Service Procedure

  • Outcome: Approved for inclusion in the 2026 review of procedures.
  • Next Steps: Regular reviews to ensure alignment with accessibility standards and community needs.

• Transportation Master Plan

  • Outcome: Passed (approved in October).
  • Next Steps: Implementation of the plan through 2015, including accessible streetscapes and parking management studies.

• Oakville Universal Design Standards (Version 3.0)

  • Outcome: Ongoing implementation.
  • Next Steps: Continued upgrades to public spaces and facilities, targeting more RHFAC certifications.

• Transit Accessibility Enhancements

  • Outcome: Passed as part of the 2025 initiatives.
  • Next Steps: Continued promotion of the on-demand app, driver training, and infrastructure improvements.

• Endorsement of the 2025 Accessibility Annual Status Report

  • Outcome: Passed.
  • Next Steps: Implementation of the report’s recommendations and ongoing annual reporting.

• Adapted Aquatics Training Presentation

  • Outcome: Received (no separate motion to implement beyond acknowledgment); aligned with the town’s master plan and will be supported through ongoing staff training.

• Receive Information Items

  • Outcome: Passed.
  • Next Steps: Information items to be reviewed as part of ongoing committee work.

• Receive the Presentation on Adapted Aquatics Training

  • Outcome: Passed.
  • Next Steps: Recommendations to be reviewed by council for potential action or implementation.

Councillors Present

• Karen (Council Member) – moved the motion to endorse the 2025 Accessibility Annual Status Report.
• Council Member (Name not provided) – participated remotely from British Columbia.
• Chairperson (Name not provided) – presided over the meeting.

Note: The excerpts identify staff presenters (e.g., Brett McN, Heather Ray, Martin Steager, Barbara Smith, Braden Curran) and residents (e.g., Mr. Stevens) but these are staff or residents, not councillors. The chairperson is listed as a participant but unnamed, and other named councillors beyond Karen are not consistently identified in the provided sections.