Access is focus of 13 new Montreal projects

Funding for several accessibility projects was approved by Montreal’s executive committee Wednesday.

The 13 projects from four organizations share $128,360 to focus on issues such as improving physical and digital infrastructure and evaluating city buildings.

Recreational areas will be getting some special attention. A team will use a portion of the money to improve conditions at Montreal’s pools by developing specialized programs and providing information about accessibility.

They will also be working on the city’s new beach projects by ensuring that specialized equipment and materials are used during construction so the beaches are fully accessible. Parks and fields will also be given a once-over, with accessibility-focused team members sitting on the appropriate committees and visiting sites with workers.

As the city reworks its digital presence, the accessibility of city-run websites will be improved so that everyone who visits a site can navigate it easily, no matter their level of ability or method of accessing the Internet, according to Quebec government guidelines on web accessibility.

Alternative text presented alongside an image is an example of an accessibility solution for those with visual impairments.

Other projects include creating systems to assist with voting, identifying snowremoval priorities, evaluating the accessibility for some municipal buildings in Rivière-des-Prairies— Pointes-aux-Trembles and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and evaluating municipal events.

A set of characteristics will be developed in collaboration with the city’s human resources department to define what makes an accessible workplace.