The Town of Cobourg's Commitment to Accessibility
The Town of Cobourg is committed to meeting the accessibility needs of people with disabilities in a timely and proactive manner and will use reasonable efforts to provide equitable access to municipal programs, goods, services and facilities in a way that respects a person's dignity and independence.
End of Year Accessibility Update
Here you will find annual update on the actions taken in 2022 to improve accessibility in the community and outlines the progress made in accordance with the 2020-2024 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan. The goal of this plan is to make Cobourg a barrier-free community by the end of 2024. This plan and report were made in conjunction with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Acts, 2005 (AODA)
2022 Accomplishments
With the goal of creating an atmosphere both structurally and systemically that is truly accessible to all, improvements have been made in the following areas over the course of the 2022-2023 term:
- The hiring of a full-time permanent Accessibility and EDI coordinator
- Continued commitment to provide information on accommodations in the hiring process on all job postings
- Continuous review on current HR hiring policies and job postings to see if there are any matters that could unknowingly be barriers to retaining and/or developing persons with disabilities
- Completion of audits of 9 public spaces that see high visitor traffic throughout the year including the Coburg Yacht Club, Victoria Park (washrooms, parking, beach access and pathways), Victoria Hall washrooms and the boat launch dock
- The completion of the accessible boat launch dock design with feedback from direct frequent user groups implemented
- A motion for the purchasing of more accessible beach mats was passed in August 2022
- Increased universal and accessible washroom signage at Victoria Hall, purchased through the EnAbling Change federal grant
- Implementation of accessible technology throughout town spaces through captioning software for all Council meetings, language interpretation devices, screen reading software and a braille keyboard purchases
- Browse Aloud web overlay and plain language translation tools implemented on all channels of Cobourg websites including Venture 13
- Continuous revision of policies and procedures to include more plain language ensure best inclusive and accessible practices are implemented
- Continued feedback taken on the transit services with changes made: ▪ The elimination of the need for a doctor’s note permanent disability re-applications, creating a more trauma-informed and easy application process
- Direct feedback to RideCo. resulting in their company working on a solution so that when a Wheels member books a ride, they are not put on the back-up school bus, but rather onto 908/910 or 8643 (low floor/ramp) vehicles
- In partnership with the Abilities Centre, the successful implementation of the LEAD process with phase one being completed in July 2022
- This training took management and full-time staff through 2 days of internal reflection on the accessibility reflected within the corporation; this led to the beginning phases of identifying where embedding accessibility roles and tasks throughout various roles and departments were both excelling and lacking
- Phase 2 of this plan involves assigning “accessibility champions” in each department to continue to improve best accessible practices throughout each department
2022 Key Recommendations & Motions
- Town Hall Universal Washroom Retrofitting
- Including Youths on advisory committees (EDI & Accessibility) lowering the age from 18 to 16
- The continued proclamation of Accessibility Awareness Week on an Annual basis. This year included the first Wheel the Walk event which highlighted physical barriers within the downtown core through use of mobile devices like walkers, wheelchairs, crutches etc.
Report a Barrier to Accessibility |
If you have experienced a Barrier to Accessibility, please contact us by:
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Multi-Year Accessibility Plan |
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The Town of Cobourg Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2020 to 2024 provides the opportunity to demonstrate and establish an implementation framework and future priority initiatives for the Town of Cobourg and to demonstrate current achievements regarding accessibility. Objectives identified within the plan are both long and short term; many are ongoing actions completed and implemented from year to year or could require implementation over several years. The Town will continue to focus on the following areas:
An accessible version of the Town of Cobourg's Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2020 to 2024 is available upon request by emailing Yasmyn Belle at accessibility@cobourg.ca.
View the Town of Cobourg Draft Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2016-2019. |
Inclusive Communities Grant Program Project |
| The Corporation of the Town of Cobourg has received $60,000 to enhance accessibility within the downtown core ensuring all residents are able to safely access areas of business, parks and Victoria Hall.
This initiative is funded entirely by the Inclusive Communities Grant Program awarded by the Ontario Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility. The Town of Cobourg will begin educating all residents, especially seniors and persons with disabilities, on how to engage and interact with the municipality through the public engagement tools that are currently being used, such as Engage Cobourg, as well as understanding other ways to reach residents. From here, the Town will work with its Accessibility Advisory Committee and Town staff to pilot the information into creating a public engagement process for accessibility in the downtown core to ensure that all persons are able to access and use the downtown including its many business areas, parks, and Victoria Hall. You can complete the survey to have your say in how we create more accessibility in our downtown area: https://engagecobourg.ca/increasing-access-in-cobourg-s-downtown-core. To learn more about the program residents are encouraged to read the Council report or contact Yasmyn Belle, Accessibility Coordinator for the Town of Cobourg by emailing accessibility@cobourg.ca.
Here is a presentation on the Grant and the next steps you can expect: |
Age-Friendly Community |
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The Town of Cobourg is continuously working towards becoming an Age-Friendly Community (AFC). Age-Friendly Communities can help create more accessible environments for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. AFCs respond to both the opportunities and challenges of an aging population by creating physical and social environments that support independent and active living and enable older adults and people with disabilities to continue contributing to all aspects of community life. In AFCs, community leaders and residents work together to ensure that local policies, programs and services are inclusive and support the social and physical environments that enable Ontarians to live safe, active and meaningful lives. You can learn more about being an Age-Friendly Community on the Ontario Government website. |
Legislation and Policies
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 |
| On June 13, 2005, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) received Royal Assent and is now law. The AODA required the provincial government to work with the community and the private and public sectors to jointly develop standards to be achieved within stages of five years or less, leading to an accessible Ontario in 20 years (2025).
The AODA was enacted to serve as a framework for the establishment of accessibility in five different areas:
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Cobourg Accessibility Advisory Committee |
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The Cobourg Accessibility Advisory Committee meet on a monthly basis, and provide advice on the implementation of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, as required through regulation in the following:
View the Cobourg Accessibility Advisory Committee agendas and minutes. |
Accessible Customer Service Policy |
| The Corporation of the Town of Cobourg is committed to providing quality goods and services that are accessible to all persons that we serve and in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
Read the Town of Cobourg's Accessible Customer Service Policy. |
Integrated Accessibility Standards Policy |
| This policy is intended to provide the overreaching framework to guide the review and development of other policies, standards, procedures, by-laws and guidelines of the Town of Cobourg in order to comply with the standards developed under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) established by Ontario Regulation 191/11.
Read the Town of Cobourg's Integrated Accessibility Standards Policy. |
Accessible Parking Locations in Downtown Cobourg |
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Regular parking fees apply to all Accessible Parking Spaces. If you are legitimately parked at a parking meter or in the Pay and Display lots, you will need to pay the required fee. For more information on parking please visit our parking page. An authorized Ontario or other jurisdictional Accessible Parking Permit must be displayed in order to use an accessible parking space. Accessible Parking Permits are not allowed to park in "No Parking" or "No Stopping" areas. You can view the map of accessible parking
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Accessible Parking Stall in Downtown Lot Locations |
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Accessible Metered Street Parking Stall(s) Downtown Locations |
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Locations can be found along:
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Accessible Public Washrooms Locations in Cobourg |
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Accessible Washroom Locations |
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Seasonally Available Accessible Washroom Locations |
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1. Marina 2. Victoria Park Concession Stand, and 3. Legion Fields. |
Accessibility Concern? Make a Barrier Report
If you have experienced one of these five barriers LET US KNOW:
- Buildings or areas not adequately accessible to users of mobility aids.
- Outdoor hazards e.g. blocked or damaged sidewalks, overgrown shrubs, inadequate snow or ice removal, malfunctioning lights or cross-walk devices etc.
- Indoor hazards e.g. tripping hazards, inadequate lighting, inadequate alarm systems, rooms or areas inaccessible to users of mobility aids.
- Communication barriers involving service provision or customer service.
- Transportation barriers
Accessibility Reports
One of the requirements that Municipalities must meet under AODA is to file a report every two years on the Municipalities level of compliance with the provincial accessibility standards.
Please see attached for the Town of Cobourg Accessibility Report provided by the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario.
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