Oakville's Accessibility Advisory Committee Endorses 2026 Election Plan

Oakville's Accessibility Advisory Committee endorsed the town's 2026 municipal election accessibility plan and received an updated accessibility policy and procedures report. The meeting focused on how residents with disabilities will be able to vote in the Oct. 26, 2026 municipal election, including home voting, drive-through and curbside options, accessible voting equipment, and outreach. Committee members and residents also raised specific gaps, including the lack of an advance registration process for home voting and the absence of on-site American Sign Language interpretation as a standard service.

Topics Discussed

• 2026 ELECTION ACCESSIBILITY PLAN: The committee endorsed the accessibility plan for the 2026 municipal election. Staff said "the election team really is committed to removing barriers for all voters for the 2026 election, whether they're voting in person or using one of our alternative options, which is reflected in the town's 2026 accessibility plan."

• ACCESSIBLE VOTING OPTIONS: Staff outlined several voting methods for residents who may not be able to use a standard polling place. These include home voting for homebound residents, drive-through voting at Oakville Trafalgar Community Centre, curbside voting for people unable to enter a polling place, and proxy voting. Peter Longo said proxy voting "will be available for voters who are unable to vote during advanced voting opportunities or on voting day allowing them to assign someone to vote on their behalf." Staff reported that in the 2022 election, about 20 voters used home voting, 358 used drive-through voting, six curbside appointments were made, and about 25 proxies were used.

• VOTING LOCATIONS AND EQUIPMENT: Staff said all voting locations will be inspected for physical barriers under the Municipal Elections Act. Site supervisors at larger locations will monitor accessibility features, including rest areas between entrances and voting areas, and additional accessible parking signage will be added where needed. Accessible voting equipment, including hand and foot paddles and sip-and-puff devices, will be available at Town Hall during advance voting and on election day.

• OUTREACH AND LANGUAGE ACCESS: Staff said the town plans to attend community events, run mock elections for children, provide multilingual election information, and use targeted social media campaigns. Language support will include access to the 311 language line and identifying staff language skills during recruitment for on-site assistance. Angela Johnston said, "We want to remove those barriers and make sure that every eligible voter has the ability to cast their ballot."

• ACCESSIBILITY GAPS AND POLICY UPDATES: Committee discussion identified two specific concerns. Staff said American Sign Language interpretation is not currently provided as a standard service at voting locations, but said they would try to accommodate requests. A resident, Enora, asked for a clearer process for home voting registration, saying: "how do we do it so that I'm not stressed out trying to get everything done all the time?" The committee also received an updated Accessibility Policy and Related Procedures report. Sarah Dare said the town "updated the design of public spaces guideline to better align with the Oakville universal design standards, which exceeds provincial accessibility standards."

Motions

Passed: - 2026 Municipal Election Accessibility Plan — Endorsed - Accessibility Policy and Related Procedures (Clerk's Department, dated June 2, 2026) — Received - December 10, 2026 meeting rescheduled to Jan. 21, 2027 — Approved - Information items distributed by email regarding municipal elections — Received

Attendees

• Peter Longo
• Angela Johnston
• Sarah Dare
• Enora

Councillors present were not identified in the provided meeting notes.