I’ve emailed members of council my concern regarding the call for applications, specifically the composition of the Accessibility Advisory Committee. It may be confusing, as it has been in the past, given the information on the town’s site or received by email.

Town committee members’ Applications will be accepted until January 9, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.

The town’s website states, ‘Application forms are available at Town Hall, 271 Sandwich Street South or on the Town website at www.amherstburg.ca.’

the burg watch note: the link is to the town’s home page, not specifically to the forms.

There are links to:

• a September 26, 2011 Boards & Committees Appointment Policy.
• a Printable Application Form
• an electronic Board/Committee Application Form

The completed printable form is to be submitted with a resume and notes ‘Each Committee may have additional criteria for eligibility – Refer to Terms of Reference.’

the burg watch note: the Terms of Reference is not attached to the printable form.

The electronic form allows a resume to be uploaded and notes, ‘Each Committee may have additional criteria for eligibility – Refer to Terms of Reference.’

the burg watch note: there is no link to the Terms of Reference from the Vacancies page or the electronic form.

I searched and located the Local Boards/Committees ~ Terms of Reference and it stipulates:

‘The Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee must be made up of 50% or more of members affected by a disability, as per AODA.’ page 3

‘The AODA requires that not less than 50 percent of this Committee’s members be persons with disabilities or such members as Council deems appropriate.’ page 16

The call for applications section states, A majority of the members of the committee shall be persons with disabilities or caregivers of persons with disabilities. 

The Accessibility Advisory Committee section of the town’s site states, ‘The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requires that a majority of the Committee’s members be persons with disabilities.’

A 2020 inquiry about the total number of members of the Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee and the number of members that are people with disabilities ended with a percentage of people.

Answer:  link to the composition and 75% of the committees’ membership are affected by disabilities.