Accessibility and Age Friendly Advisory Committee

The Accessibility and Age Friendly Advisory Committee (AAFAC) will provide sound advice and recommendations to Council related to the accessibility of Town programs, services and facilities for all users. They will also serve to promote and facilitate a barrier-free and age friendly community by assisting in the removal and prevention of barriers faced by persons with disabilities and the creation of programs and services that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors of all ages. 

View the Advisory Committee Terms of Reference to learn more about the responsibilities of this committee.

Meetings

Meetings of the AAFAC are held monthly between March and November of each year. Please consult the Calendar of Council and Committee Meetings to find out when the next meeting is. You can also explore past and present meeting agenda packages and minutes.

All Council and Committee meetings held by the Town of Arnprior are open to the public, unless noted otherwise. Learn more about how to attend a Council or Committee meeting.

Please contact the Clerk's Office if you require an accommodation to attend a public meeting.

Membership

Council appoints up to seven (7) members to the AAFAC for a four-year term to coincide with the term of Council which includes two (2) Members of Council and up to five (5) Citizen Members. A majority of members appointed to this committee are persons with disabilities. The current AAFAC membership includes:

• Tina MacLaren, Chair 
• Councillor Lynn Cloutier, Vice Chair 
• Councillor Tom Burnette
• Amanda Deschamps
• Dave Furgoch
• Amanda Harris
• Sarah Tait

Roles and Responsibilities

The Advisory Committee’s goals and objectives are to provide advice and make recommendations to Council on:

• Promote and facilitate a barrier-free and age friendly Arnprior through active community engagement and through raising issues, concerns and opportunities for improvement;
• Developing and implementing a Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for the municipality to address inclusivity and diversity barriers faced by members of our community, in coordination with the Culture and Diversity Advisory Committee;
• Developing new policies and procedures related to accessibility and age friendly community planning;
• Reviewing existing Town policies and procedures with an inclusionary lens to eliminate barriers to Town programs and services for persons with disabilities; 
• Acting as the Town’s Accessibility Advisory Committee in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and its regulations;
• Review and monitor the development, implementation and effectiveness of the Town’s Multi-Year Accessibility Plan;
• Provide recommendations to Council and staff to improve accessibility at Town facilities through regular audits;
• Fostering a greater understanding and awareness of accessibility and age friendly community planning within the community through community partnerships;
• Facilitating opportunities to educate and celebrate persons with disabilities and age friendly community members; and
• Identifying resources and community outreach activities.