Accessibility

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

If you have experienced a Barrier to Accessibility, please contact us by:

• Reporting it on the web site,
• Sending us an email,
• Giving us a call at 905-372-4301, or
• Visiting us in person. (Please note: Due to COVID-19, our offices are currently open between 10:00 am to 3:00 pm)

Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

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:

• People,
• Communications,
• Technology,
• Infrastructure,
• Training,
• Policies, Procedures, Best Practices, and
• Accessibility Audits.

An accessible version of the Town of Cobourg's Mutli-Year Accessibility Plan 2020 to 2024 is available upon request by emailing Jamie Kramer at accessibility@cobourg.ca.

Past Multi-Year Accessibility Plans

View the Town of Cobourg Draft Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2016-2019.

National AccessAbility Awareness Week (NAAW)

Thank you for making National AccessAbility Awareness Week a success! If you missed the presentation from Wednesday on Town and Community Resources, you can watch it below.

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 Jamie Kramer, 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

The Town of Cobourg is continously 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

Accessible Parking Locations in Downtown Cobourg

An authorized Ontario or other jurisdictional Accessible Parking Permit must be displayed in order to use an accessible parking space.

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.

Accessible Parking Permits are not allowed to park in "No Parking" or "No Stopping" areas. You can view the map of accessible parking spots:

Accessible Public Washrooms Locations in Cobourg

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.