Examining the Effectiveness of Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committees in Ontario

Abstract

Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committees (MAACs) have been established in major cities across Ontario to increase accountability during policy-making and advocate for accessibility measures that not only meet, but exceed the guidelines set by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Recent resignations from members of multiple MAACs and repeated instances of MAAC recommendations being omitted from policy outcomes have raised concerns around whether MAACs are being appropriately represented in the policy-making process in cities across Ontario or if their role has been reduced to a checkbox compliance measure. This project aims to explore the practical decision-making outcomes of MAACs, in order to determine their effectiveness as an accountability measure for improving accessibility in Ontario municipalities.