Report to / Rapport au :

Accessibility Advisory Committee

Comité consultatif sur l’accessibilité

13 August 2002 / le 13 août 2002

Submitted by / Soumis par : Diane Blais, Coordinator / Coordonnatrice

Contact / Personne-ressource: Diane Blais, Coordinator / Coordonnatrice, Accessibility Advisory Committee / Comité consultatif sur l’accessibilité

580-2424 ext / poste, 28091 / Diane.Blais@ottawa.ca

Ref N°: ACS2002-CCV-ACC-0014

SUBJECT:	YORK STREET STEPS ACCESSIBILITY STUDY
OBJET :	étude sur l’accessibilité de l’escalier de la rue York

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Accessibility Advisory Committee receive an update from Member G. Warren on the above-noted study.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité consultatif sur l’accessibilité prenne connaissance d’une mise à jour présentée par G. Warren, membre du Comité consultatif, concernant l’étude susmentionnée.

BACKGROUND

On 23 July 2002, Member G. Warren attended a public meeting, on behalf of the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) on the above-noted project. Attached, for the AAC’s review and discussion, is his report.

THE YORK STEPS - UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY

(7 August, 2002)

On 23 July, 2002, this member of the the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) attended a meeting at NCC Headquarters at 40 Elgin St. in Ottawa concerning the universal accessibility of the York Steps which link Sussex Drive and McKenzie Ave. in downtown Ottawa.

BACKGROUND - In the 1998-99 time frame the National Capital Commission (NCC) decided to recreate the so-called York Steps in downtown Ottawa at a cost of approximately $1.7 M. The U.S Government, whose new embassy bordered the Steps, paid for the design of the Steps and the same construction company, Axor Group Inc., that built the embassy also built the new Steps.

At the time, many people, including this member as a private citizen, and the City of Ottawa Disability Issues Advisory Committee (DIAC) expressed concern that the new York Steps would not be universally accessible. The NCC spokesperson at the time stated that the Steps were simply too steep and to make them universally accessible would be both technically and financially impractical.

As a concession to the concerns of persons with disabilities the NCC undertook to ensure that when the nearby Daly Building was replaced the NCC Request for Proposal (RFP) would stipulate that there must be a universally accessible passageway between it and the Connaught building. That would put this passageway one building (ie. the Connaught Bldg) away from the York Steps.

Apparently, unknown to many, including this member, a complaint was filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission objecting to the new York Steps because they were not universally accessible. The wording of the Human Rights Commission ruling is unknown to this writer but it is assumed to have required the NCC to again address the subject of universal accessibility of the York Steps. The NCC apparently recently contracted with a consultant, Robertson Architects and Associates, to study and report on the subject.

MEETING - At the meeting were numerous NCC representatives including lawyer Richard Fujarczuk, and Mr. Gerry Lajeunesse, who was the NCC project officer for the York Steps. However, not present was Peter McCourt, the NCC project officer for the Daly Building replacement. Others present, were representatives from DPCR, Ms. Danielle Vincent, from the U.S. Embassy, from the Connaught Building, from Independent Living, from the Canadian Psychiatric Association, and representatives from the consultant’s firm.

A draft report from Robertson Architects and Associates, listing the options studied with advantages and disadvantages, was provided in advance of the meeting to all projected attendees. The report essentially confirmed the impracticality of now making the Steps universally accessible. It also studied a possible accessible passageway between the Connaught

Building and the York Steps as well as a passage through the Connaught Building itself. Both these options were deemed unacceptable, the former for safety and technical reasons and the latter for security reasons. This essentially left the only logical option as a universally accessible passageway (including a 24 hour elevator) between the replacement for the Daly Building and the Connaught Building.

The draft report did not seem to make clear exactly which option was being advanced as the preferred option, but when pressed the consultant’s representative, confirmed that the preferred option was the accessible passageway, with an elevator, between the Daly Building replacement and the Connaught Building.

The site plans for the Daly Building replacement were not presented, although they are existent. However, sketches of the new building were presented that showed the passageway and the elevator and the consultant representative confirmed that the sketches were taken from the site plans for the Daly Building replacement.

(As a matter of interest the site plans for the Daly Building replacement are currently with city planner, Mr. Douglas Bridgewater, who promised on 22 July 02, to provide a copy to Diane Blais, the AAC co-ordinator.)

When queried, the NCC representatives acknowledged that the basic reason for the meeting was a result of a decision by the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Cursory discussions took place on the various other options but soon the discussions zeroed in on the accessible passageway between the new building and the Connaught Building. Various questions were presented concentrating on whether the elevator would be open 24 hours a day (yes), the question of vandalism (it would be in line of sight from the entrance area of the new building), who would be responsible for maintenance (the operator of the new building - it would be a term of the lease with the NCC who still own the property), signage (there would be ample signage at the York Steps site to alert persons of the location of the accessible passageway as well as at the passageway itself).

The meeting ended with a consensus that the passageway, with a 24 hour operation elevator, was now the only logical solution to providing universal accessibility. This member concurred with the general consensus for the reasons already listed. However, this member believes that this meeting was merely window dressing to satisfy the Human Rights Commission dictates to the NCC.

Prepared By Giles Warren

City of Ottawa Accessibility Advisory Committee