Report to: General Committee Date Report Authored: January 10, 2011
SUBJECT: Accessibility and Diversity Objectives for the 2010
Municipal Election
PREPARED
BY: Andrew
Brouwer, Deputy Clerk (ext. 8220)
RECOMMENDATION:
1)
That the report entitled “Accessibility
& Diversity Objectives for the 2010 Municipal Election” be received for
information purposes; and
2)
That the feedback obtained during
the 2010 Municipal Election with respect to accessibility be considered by the
Returning Officer when planning future electoral events in Markham.
PURPOSE:
The
purpose of this report is to outline the objectives, supporting activities, and
outcomes regarding the Returning Officer’s accessibility and diversity
objectives for the 2010 Municipal Election.
Future considerations regarding same will also be discussed.
This report satisfies Subsection
12.1 (1) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 (the Act) which requires
each Returning Officer in Ontario to submit a report to Council outlining what
steps were taken in the 2010 Municipal Election to identify, remove and prevent barriers impacting the
participation of voters and candidates with disabilities in the local electoral
process.
Prior to the 2010 Municipal
Election, the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, was amended to include a
provision that municipal Returning Officers “have regard to the needs of
electors and candidates with disabilities” [12.1 (1)].
In addition, like other municipal
services, O. Reg. 429/07 (Accessibility Standards for Customer Service) applied
to the 2010 Municipal Election, and required that election officials receive
specialized accessible customer service training, in addition to providing
voters with a mechanism to share feedback on the accessibility of municipal
election services as well as access to alternative formats for election
information.
Given the above, Markham’s Returning
Officer established the following as important objectives for the October 25,
2010 Municipal Election: 1) identification, removal and prevention of barriers
for persons with disabilities; and 2) assistance for voters who experience
English language comprehension barriers.
These objectives were designed to enhance customer service and to provide
for improved dignity and respect for individuals participating in the electoral
process. They also complement Markham’s
leadership in accessibility and diversity planning, such as the corporate
Accessibility Strategy and Diversity Action Plan. It is important to note that while Markham
has undertaken efforts in previous electoral events to improve access for
persons with disabilities, the accessibility and diversity objectives for the
2010 Municipal Election were more comprehensive in nature.
To help inform Markham’s accessibility
and diversity objectives for 2010, Election staff organized and hosted an
Accessible Election Workshop on May 7, 2010 which was attended by the lower
tier municipalities in York Region.
Workshop participants discussed issues and opportunities associated with
accessibility and diversity plans for the October 25, 2010 Municipal
Election. The Workshop was facilitated
by Sarah White of Accessibility Experts, Ltd., and was attended by Markham’s
Diversity Specialist and Accessibility Coordinator.
Markham’s accessibility and diversity
election objectives were also informed by consultations with the Town’s Accessibility
Advisory Committee, Race Relations Committee, the Mayor’s Youth Task Force as
well as the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal decision in Hughes v. Elections
Canada regarding accessible voting locations.
Improved language support services
were also recommended following feedback the Returning Officer received from
voters and candidates in the Ward 3 By-Election held on November 23, 2009, in
addition to similar services provided by the cities of Toronto and Brampton. To facilitate expanded language services for the
2010 Municipal Election, Council was required to pass a by-law to permit
election information to be provided in languages other than English in
accordance with Subsection 9.1 (3) of the Act.
This was achieved when Council passed By-law 2010-30 on March 24, 2010
and resulted in key voting information (identification requirements, how to
mark a ballot, etc.) being provided in the five most spoken languages in
Markham, in addition to English and French.
OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:
The accessibility and diversity
objectives established for the 2010 Municipal Election related to (1) Outreach;
(2) Election Officials & Training; and (3) Assistance to Voters. The actual objectives, supporting activities,
outcomes and future considerations are summarized in Table included as
Attachment 1.
The outcomes and future
considerations outlined in Attachment 1 will be used to help inform decisions
and improve service delivery for future electoral events. Early in 2011, election staff will again meet
with the Accessibility Advisory Committee, Race Relations Committee, Diversity
Specialist and Accessibility Coordinator to discuss the results of the 2010
Municipal Election. Staff will also
review the experiences of other Ontario municipalities with respect to accessibility. This will primarily be achieved through an
analysis of results obtained from a province-wide survey being conducted by the
Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks, and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO).
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Costs
associated with communications, printing, translation and other objectives
identified in the Strategy were accommodated in the established Municipal
Election budget.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:
This
report aligns with the Town’s Strategic Priorities related to diversity.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED
Office
of the Chief Administrative Officer and Human Resources Department.
RECOMMENDED
ATTACHMENTS:
2010 Municipal Election –
Accessibility and Diversity Objectives