Minutes of the Board of Directors’ special meeting – January 28, 2020
Attendees
Members of the Board of Directors (the Board)
- Me Paul-Claude Bérubé, Chairperson (in person)
- Mary Reid, Vice-Chair (in person)
- William Adair, Director
- Kory Earle, Director (in person)
- Maureen Haan, Director
- Penny Hartin, Director
- Rabia Khedr, Director
- Brad McCannell, Director
- Dr. Joe McLaughlin, Director
- Laurie Ringaert, Director
Accessibility Standards Canada staff members
- Philip Rizcallah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Kevin Whitehouse, Director General
- Michelle Demery, Chief Operating Officer
- Christina Richard, Communications Manager
- Mathieu Gorley, Communications Advisor
- Maggie Saunders, Acting Manager, Governance and Reporting
- Lorraine Trudel, Coordinator, Governance and Reporting
Minutes
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
1. Roll call and welcoming remarks
The meeting opened at 2:00 p.m. with a roll call and words of welcome from the Chairperson.
2. Approval of the agenda
05-1 Motion for the approval of the Agenda as presented.
Carried by all.
3. Annual public meeting
Mr. Bérubé presented a brief summary of the proposed concept for the first Annual Public Meeting of Accessibility Standards Canada to be held in April 2020. All documents pertaining to this meeting were distributed one week prior to the meeting.
05-2 Motion to approve the concept for this year’s Annual Public Meeting as presented at this meeting. Discussion on this motion is open to all Board members.
The Chair of External Relations Committee stated that the Governance Policy mandates that the organization is to hold a public meeting, and this would be the first event for this organization to engage with the disability community and other stakeholders. The event would be organized in 3 sessions: A plenary session with a presentation by all Board members and the Chief Executive Officer, followed by a “Question and Answer” segment; 3 break-out workshops for the participants, followed by a plenary session to gather feedback from the workshops sessions; and a reception to launch the organization from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The proposed title for the event is “Communicate, Collaborate, Celebrate” / “Communiquer, Collaborer, Célébrer”.
This event would represent a model of accessibility for all, with social media coverage during the event for those who cannot attend. If the Board approves the concept of the Annual Public Meeting as presented, 60 days notice is required to publish this event on the website and the External Relations Committee and staff will proceed immediately with the planning process. The External Relations Committee will also provide an update at the next February 10 to 12, 2020 Board meeting.
05-3 Motion that the Board of Directors approves holding Accessibility Standards Canada’s first Annual Public Meeting in the city of Toronto, Ontario, on Monday April 6, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., followed by a public reception from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for the launch of the organization. It is also moved that the Chief Executive Officer issue an official public notice of the Annual Public Meeting by February 6, 2020, in order to provide the required 60-days notice of the meeting, and that the Chief Executive Officer, along with his staff team, begin the technical preparations for the Annual Public Meeting.
Carried by all.
There was discussion about applying the new name “Accessibility Standards Canada”, or at least to provide reference to it, in all publications including on the website. The External Committee will review and proceed with every step of the planning as outlined in detail in the document and will assess outcomes as preparations unfold. The event is open for all to attend and information will be shared with the public on the website and with organizations that are known in the disability community.
05-4 Motion to approve the concept for the planning of the Annual Public Meeting as presented.
Carried by all.
4. Concluding remarks
The Chairperson stated that the experience of the April 2020 Annual Public Meeting will help the organization to plan for such future events. Further discussion on the preparation of this event will be shared at the February 2020 Board meeting.
05-5 Motion to adjourn the meeting at 3:10 p.m.
Carried by all.