London Transit Commission

Committees

Accessible Public Transit Service Advisory Committee (APTSAC)

APTSAC will meet on the following dates in 2010.
February 11, 2010	August 19, 2010 - See note below
April 15, 2010	September 9, 2010 - Meeting at the call of the Chair
May 13, 2010	October 7, 2010
June 17, 2010
Meetings are subject to change without notice. This page will be updated accordingly.

Note: The August 12, 2010 APTSAC meeting has been changed to August 19, 2010 and will be held at City Hall, Committee Room #3 and the meeting will start at 11:00 a.m.

Contact for Information:
Caroline Roy
Secretary
450 Highbury Avenue North
519-451-1340 ext. 335

Mandate: The Accessible Public Transit Services Advisory Committee shall advise and assist the London Transit Commission in promoting and supporting the development and delivery of accessible public transit services in London for individuals of all disabilities. This objective shall be discharged through the review of policies, programs and plans related to the development and delivery of accessible public transit services. Accessible public transit services include accessible conventional and specialized transit services.

Duties: The Accessible Public Transit Services Advisory Committee (APTSAC) shall serve at the pleasure of the Commission and shall be responsible and reporting to the Commission for the following:

Participating, through review and providing input, in the annual development of the London Transit’s Accessibility Plan in general and specifically to those policies, programs and plans that relate directly to the development and delivery of accessible public transit services.
Advising the London Transit Commission on issues and concerns (barriers) faced by persons with disabilities associated with the delivery of public transit services and the means by which London Transit Commission may work towards the elimination of such barriers.
Supporting the London Transit Commission Administration in developing and delivering of information and education programs and supporting the development and delivery of accessible public transit services. Such programs apply both internally and externally to the London Transit Commission.
Reviewing from time to time, in cooperation with the Administration, service performance of the various service delivery options comprising specialized transit services.
Reviewing and recommending, as may be required, on changes to existing and/or new service policies and programs relating to the various service delivery options comprising specialized transit services.
Dealing with other matters referred to APTSAC by the Commission from time to time.

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Composition:

Voting Members - A maximum of nine (9) members representing the different types of disabilities as referenced in the Ontarians with Disability Act 2001. This includes persons with visual, speech, hearing, deaf, brain injury, cognitive, perceptual, mental health disabilities and those requiring the use of wheelchairs and/or other mobility assisted devices.

Non Voting Members - A maximum of four (4) members consisting of agencies supporting the disabled community and service providers.

Staff Support Group - Staff support as may be required from time to time from the various areas of the Commission’s conventional and specialized services. The principal administrator working with the committee will be the Director of Finance & Administration. Secretarial responsibilities will be provided by the General Manager’s office.

Term of Appointment: The term of office for APTSAC members will coincide with the term of office of the Commission making the appointment.

The Commission when selecting members to serve on APTSAC will consider, among other things, the issue of committee continuity and appropriate representation of the various disabilities.

The APTSAC members serve at the pleasure of the Commission and the Commission may, at its discretion, rescind the appointment of an advisory committee member prior to the expiration of the assigned term.

APTSAC members are eligible for re-appointment, noting such re-appointment is subject to approval of the Commission.

Qualifications: Each voting member of APTSAC is an independent representative to APTSAC and is to consider the needs of all disabilities not just the concerns of a single disability or group.

The members of APTSAC shall work together for the purpose of developing a common approach, which is reasonable and practical in the circumstance.

Members shall be chosen for their special expertise, experience, dedication and commitment to the mandate of the Committee in promoting and supporting the development and delivery of accessible public transit services in London for citizens of all disabilities.

Non voting members shall be members or employees of the organization they represent.

Appointment Process: Vacancies for the positions on APTSAC will be publicly advertised with such advertisements being tailored to the specific needs of APTSAC.

Application forms shall be available from the Commission Secretary and in alternative formats upon request.

The Commission will review all applications, noting such review may include a personal interview.

Attendance at Meetings: APTSAC voting members may be required to tender their resignation from the committee if they are absent from three consecutive regular advisory committee meetings without prior confirmation by the Commission or unless they are absent for confirmed health reasons.

The Committee Secretary will advise the Commission of voting members who have been absent for three consecutive meetings. The affected member shall have the opportunity to provide a written explanation to the Commission for the absences. The Commission will consider the explanation prior to rendering its final decision on the continued appointment.

All absences will be recorded in the minutes and reports of APTSAC.

Remuneration: APTSAC members shall serve without remuneration, save and except bus tickets or parking passes for attendance at meetings.

Election of Chair and Vice Chair: APTSAC voting members will elect from their voting members, on an annual basis, a Chair and Vice Chair in a manner consistent with that employed by the Commission.

Quorum at Meetings: A quorum for a meeting shall be a simple majority of the voting positions filled at the time of the meeting. In light of the above, in the event of a tie vote, the motion is defeated.

Meetings – Date, Time and Place: On average, there will be 6 to 8 APTSAC meetings per year, with the average meeting lasting approximately 60 minutes to 90 minutes. The meetings when scheduled will be held at least 14 calendar days before a scheduled Commission meeting. Scheduled Commission meetings are currently held the last Wednesday of each month.

The meetings will be held at the London Transit Commission boardroom located at 450 Highbury Avenue, North.

The date and time of subsequent meetings will set at the end of each meeting.

Meeting Agendas: Standard agenda items will be set, for the most part, by the Director of Finance and Administration in consultation with the Chair. Individual APTSAC members can table reports as communications which will be included on the APTSAC agenda from time to time. The agendas and related reports, etc. will be distributed at least two business days in advance of the meeting.

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Specialized Transit Services Appeals Committee

Mandate: The Specialized Transit Services Appeals Committee is to hear and recommend on appeals from individuals who want reconsideration of a decision with respect to service qualification. The appeals are to be conducted consistent with the guidelines set out in the Appeals Committee’s terms of reference.

The Appeals Committee is appointed by the Commission and is responsible and reporting to the Commission.

Duties: The Appeals Committee’s principal responsibility is to ensure the appropriate matching of service delivery options with the nature of the disability, for those that have appealed the decision of the LTC Administration. The Appeals Committee in hearing appeals will base its decision upon either new information provided by the appellant and/or a claim of misinterpretation of previously submitted information. Appeals based simply on compassionate grounds are not to be considered.

The Appeals Committee’s decisions are reported to the Commission, from time to time on the appeals heard and decision rendered. The Appeals Committee may, from time to time, recommend amendments to the application, assessment and appeals process.

Minutes of the appeals meeting will indicate the decision regarding the appeal as well as the rationale for same. The supporting documents and discussion will not be made public, and will remain confidential.

With respect to the appeal assessment, the Appeals Committee operates independently of the Accessible Public Transit Services Advisory Committee (APTSAC) and the Administration.

Composition:

Voting Members - A maximum of five (5) members representative of the health care community that have the expertise and experience in working with the disabled community.

Staff Support Group - London Transit staff support will provide secretarial service.

Other members of the Administration will serve to present the initial evaluation results and the basis for same.

(Note: The Appeals Committee will not direct the activity of the LTC Administration)

Qualifications: As a collective the Appeals Committee will possess an understanding of different types of disabilities and the functional capabilities/characteristics of each. Generally, the members of this committee could include, but not be restricted to, licensed physicians, licensed physical therapists, registered occupational therapists, certified psychologists/psychiatrists, and licensed optometrists.

Knowledge of the following would be useful, however, is not a requirement (background documentation can be provided upon appointment to the committee):

an awareness and understanding of the governing principles supporting the development and delivery of accessible public transit services
an understanding of the various service delivery options
an understanding of the eligibility criteria for the respective delivery options and the assessment process
an understanding of the appeal process including the basis for appeals

Term of Appointment: The term of office for Appeals Committee members will coincide with the term of office of the Commission making the appointment.

The Commission when selecting members to serve on Appeals Committee will consider, among other things, the individual’s knowledge and expertise in dealing with the various disabilities.

The Appeals Committee members serve at the pleasure of the Commission and the Commission may, at its discretion, rescind the appointment of an Appeals Committee member prior to the expiration of the assigned term.

Appeals Committee members are eligible for re-appointment, noting such re-appointment is subject to approval of the Commission.

Appointment Process: Vacancies for the positions on the Appeals Committee will be solicited from the health care community specific to the needs of the Committee.

The Commission will review all applications, noting such review may include a personal interview.

Remuneration: Appeals Committee members shall be provided an honorarium of $50 per hearing attended, as well as be provided with bus tickets or parking passes for meetings attended.

Election of Chair and Vice Chair: Voting members of the Appeals Committee will elect from their voting members, on an annual basis, a Chair and Vice Chair in a manner consistent with that employed by the Commission.

Quorum at Meetings and Voting: A quorum for a meeting shall be a simple majority of the voting positions filled at the time of the meeting. In light of the above, in the event of a tie vote, the motion is defeated.

Meetings – Date, Time and Place: The day and time of the meetings will be fixed by the Committee members. The meetings will be held on an as required basis.

The meetings are expected to last anywhere from 60 minutes to 90 minutes. The meetings when scheduled will be held at least 14 calendar days before a scheduled Commission meeting. Scheduled Commission meetings are held the last Wednesday of each month.

The meetings will, for the most part, be held at the London Transit Commission boardroom located at 450 Highbury Avenue, North. The committee may determine an alternate location for meetings.

Attendance at Meetings: Appeals Committee voting members may be required to tender their resignation from the committee if they are absent from three consecutive committee meetings without prior confirmation by the Commission or unless they are absent for confirmed health reasons.

The Committee’s Secretary will advise the Commission of voting members who have been absent for three consecutive meetings. The affected member shall have the opportunity to provide a written explanation to the Commission for the absences. The Commission will consider the explanation prior to rendering its final decision on the continued appointment.

All absences will be recorded in the minutes and reports of the Appeals Committee

Meeting Agendas: Agenda will be set by the Committee Secretary, based upon appeal request. The agenda and related background reports will be distributed at least two-business days in advance of the meeting.

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