The Williams Lake Accessibility Advisory Committee would like to encourage community members to nominate individuals, organizations and businesses that have made a significant contribution to improve accessibility within the City of Williams Lake for the prestigious Annual Accessibility Award of Merit.
The City of Williams Lake believes that public awareness about physical and attitudinal barriers will help improve the quality of life for all disabled persons, giving them the opportunity to participate in all aspects of community life. This has been written into the City’s Official Community Plan.
The Williams Lake Accessibility Advisory Committee’s Mission is to remove physical and social barriers which impede the full participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of community life.
Eligibility Criteria and Nomination Criteria:
? The nominee has demonstrated a commitment to increase accessibility above and beyond what is required by law or regulation.
? The nominee has improved accessibility for persons with one or more of the following types of disability: mobility, agility, hearing, seeing, speaking and mental.
? The business or group being nominated must be located within the boundaries of the City of Williams Lake and provide a service for the people of William Lake and others.
? Businesses or groups may be nominated by any citizen or group who should provide strong evidence in support of their nominee’s commitments and contribution to improving accessibility.
? Any citizen or group wishing to re-submit or re-nominate an individual, group or business who was, or was not, selected for an Award in a previous year may do so by completing a new nomination form and providing up-to-date information in support of that nomination.
? The nominee has improved accessibility for persons with one or more of the following types of disability: mobility, agility, hearing, seeing, speaking and mental.
? The business or group being nominated must be located within the boundaries of the City of Williams Lake and provide a service for the people of William Lake and others.
? Businesses or groups may be nominated by any citizen or group who should provide strong evidence in support of their nominee’s commitments and contribution to improving accessibility.
? Any citizen or group wishing to re-submit or re-nominate an individual, group or business who was, or was not, selected for an Award in a previous year may do so by completing a new nomination form and providing up-to-date information in support of that nomination.
Access Awareness Award Criteria:
An award will be considered for achievements in the following areas;
1. Employing people with disabilities whenever possible.
2. Providing adequate Handicapped Parking spaces close to the main entrance to business.
3. Providing automatic door openers on heavy entrance doors and washrooms. Provide good lighting at any steps or entrance ways. Paint yellow or white strips marking the edge of any steps or lips in the flooring.
4. Provide appropriate ramps for wheelchair and stroller users for any indoor or outdoor areas. Wheelchair accessible doors must be a minimum of 36 inches wide.
5. Provide a wheelchair accessible washroom with easily opened doors.
6. Provide Braille lettering at any signs for customers to read.
7. Provide sufficient handrails beside steps in the interior and exterior of building.
8. Provide wheelchair height counters at checkouts and reception desks. Provide extra width between aisles and at the ends of aisles to allow for easier turning.
9. Provide a rest area with two armchairs or a bench with arms at each end.
10. Provide snow and ice clearing in front of business.
4. Provide appropriate ramps for wheelchair and stroller users for any indoor or outdoor areas. Wheelchair accessible doors must be a minimum of 36 inches wide.
5. Provide a wheelchair accessible washroom with easily opened doors.
6. Provide Braille lettering at any signs for customers to read.
7. Provide sufficient handrails beside steps in the interior and exterior of building.
8. Provide wheelchair height counters at checkouts and reception desks. Provide extra width between aisles and at the ends of aisles to allow for easier turning.
9. Provide a rest area with two armchairs or a bench with arms at each end.
10. Provide snow and ice clearing in front of business.
Nomination forms are available at www.williamslake.ca or the attached nomination form can be completed and forwarded to the Williams Lake Accessibility Advisory Committee:
Williams Lake Accessibility Advisory Committee
c/o Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex
525 Proctor Street, Williams Lake, BC V2G 4J1
Email: smiranda@williamslake.ca
Fax: 250.398.7884
Williams Lake Accessibility Advisory Committee
c/o Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex
525 Proctor Street, Williams Lake, BC V2G 4J1
Email: smiranda@williamslake.ca
Fax: 250.398.7884
Examples that meet nomination criteria:
? Accessibility of built environment – parking, indoor and outdoor, lack of physical barriers, accessible playgrounds, walkways, paths, ramps, wheelchair accessible washrooms, sufficient hand rails, wheelchair height counters, snow removal, etc.
? Housing Initiatives – new low cost housing that accommodates people with disabilities or visitable housing
? Service, Staffing and Employment opportunities
? Transportation
? Health and Wellness
? Inclusion of People with Disabilities
? Innovative New Idea or Activity or Product
? Housing Initiatives – new low cost housing that accommodates people with disabilities or visitable housing
? Service, Staffing and Employment opportunities
? Transportation
? Health and Wellness
? Inclusion of People with Disabilities
? Innovative New Idea or Activity or Product
Evaluation Criteria:
? A subcommittee which consists of three members of the Accessibility Advisory Committee and a CWL staff member who has not submitted one of the current nominations will be chosen at the first Accessibility Committee meeting in March each year.
? Once the Award of Merit nominations close one of the members of the sub-committee will schedule visits to the businesses, organizations or meet with individual nominees.
? The subcommittee will visit the nominees together, discuss features and each member will complete a score sheet with numerical and anecdotal notes on each nominee.
? The four members will meet following the visits to discuss their score sheets and tally the numbers. The tally of all scores sheets will determine the Award of Merit winner. This data will be taken by the staff rep to the Accessibility Advisory Committee for final endorsement.
? A subcommittee which consists of three members of the Accessibility Advisory Committee and a CWL staff member who has not submitted one of the current nominations will be chosen at the first Accessibility Committee meeting in March each year.
? Once the Award of Merit nominations close one of the members of the sub-committee will schedule visits to the businesses, organizations or meet with individual nominees.
? The subcommittee will visit the nominees together, discuss features and each member will complete a score sheet with numerical and anecdotal notes on each nominee.
? The four members will meet following the visits to discuss their score sheets and tally the numbers. The tally of all scores sheets will determine the Award of Merit winner. This data will be taken by the staff rep to the Accessibility Advisory Committee for final endorsement.
Recognition Process:
Application deadline is April 24, 2015. Awards will be announced during Access Awareness Day on Saturday June 6, 2015.
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