OTTAWA-GATINEAU CHAPTER

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ABOUT US:

If you live in the Ottawa-Gatineau area, consider joining as a member and connecting with our Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter! The Chapter is led on a rotating basis, with members serving as chair on a meeting-by-meeting basis.

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This group is actively involved in advocacy work in areas such as healthcare and transportation. Past activities have included meetings with the Coordinator of Accessibility for the Ottawa hospital regarding campus design and advocacy relating to opposition to e-scooters. Members have spoken to the media, attended and made deputations at council meetings, and participated in technical demonstrations. Their steadfast advocacy resulted in a complete turn-around of the members of the City of Ottawa's Accessibility Advisory Committee, so that they finally expressed public opposition to the continuation of the e-scooter pilot. While this advocacy did not lead to a ban on these devices, it helped ensure that accessibility concerns were included in the pilot’s technical requirements for the first time. Under the pilot, e-scooters must be prevented from being ridden on sidewalks, must be parked only in designated parking zones, and must emit a sound so that people can hear them approaching. These requirements are not yet being met consistently, and the Chapter is continuing to monitor the situation carefully. In past years, Chapter members participated in a Byward Market accessibility audit organized by the City.

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These are just some of the examples of the work we do and we can always use more voices!