TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT MEMORANDUM
MEETING DATE: December 2, 2024 Report No. ADM-24-079
TO: Council
FROM: Deb Hopkins, Director of Corporate Services
SUBJECT: Township of Esquimalt Accessibility Plan
INFORMATION:
At a Council meeting held October 7, 2024 staff introduced the draft inaugural Accessibility Plan for the Township of Esquimalt. At that meeting, Council directed staff to publish the draft Plan and invite feedback for at least 30 days prior to bringing it back to Council for consideration of approval. The draft Accessibility Plan was published to the Township's website on October 10, 2024, and robust public notice was provided inviting public comment.
The Plan is the result of a year-long collaborative effort between the member partners of the Capital West Accessibility Advisory Committee (CWAAC) and Township staff. Members of the CWAAC include the City of Colwood, Township of Esquimalt, District of Highlands, City of Langford, District of Metchosin, District of Sooke, and the Town of View Royal. This Plan strives to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility barriers while fostering a culture of equity and inclusivity. As the Plan continues to evolve and gain sophistication over the years to come it will be instrumental in integrating accessibility into all services and achieving the Township's long-term goal of becoming a barrier-free municipality.
No additional input was submitted since the Plan was made available for public comment. Feedback on the Plan and any accessibility barriers experienced by residents, staff, volunteers or visitors is invited on an on-going basis to the Township's feedback mechanism by emailing accessibility@esquimalt.ca. The CWAAC membership is currently transitioning to community-based membership representing each of the member municipalities including people with lived-experience and new appointees will be in place for the first CWAAC meeting in 2025. This change to the membership will provide valuable input to ...
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