Statement to the Ontario Legislature (December 1, 2005)

(CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY)

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to talk about a program that helps hundreds of thousands of people in Ontario who live with a disability.

I am announcing important changes to the Disabled Person Parking Permit program. As of January 16, 2006, it will be known as the Accessible Parking Permit program.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to making Ontario accessible for those living with a disability. And we're proud of that fact. We issue an average of 130,000 permits every year.

This past year, my ministry received nearly 30,000 calls about this program. Most of them were about how long the process takes. The changes I'm announcing today cut the processing and production time in half.

We're also doing what we can to make sure that disabled parking spots are available for people who really need them. Mr. Speaker, in the GTA last year alone, more than 1,500 permits were seized for misuse.

The new permits are more secure and tamper resistant. They use embedded watermarks, ultraviolet ink and microprint technology. They spell out whether the permit was issued to a driver or a passenger. And there's an identification code so that enforcement officers can easily see whether the permit is valid and belongs to the person who is using it.

These security enhancements will help police and municipalities enforce the permits.

Our new colour coded permit system will also help with security. Permanent Disability permits are blue … temporary permits red … company permits green … and our new Traveller Permits are purple.

Mr. Speaker, I'm especially proud to introduce Traveller Permits.

Until now, people living with a disability who travel had to leave their permit behind in order to park close to their departure point at Ontario airports. That means they don't have access to an accessible parking permit on the other end of their journey when travelling in Ontario.

Now, they will be able to leave a Traveller Permit on the windshield of the car parked at the airport and take their regular permit with them.

Traveller Permits are valid at Ontario airports only. However, once they are in use, Transport Canada has expressed interest in using our system as a model for the rest of the country.

The improvements I am announcing today come after extensive talks with stakeholders representing people with disabilities and the medical and enforcement communities.

Mr. Speaker, this Saturday is the International Day of Disabled Persons. Nearly one and a half million people in Ontario live with a disability. That's more than 13 per cent of our population.

Earlier this year our government passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It marks a new era of accessibility in Ontario.

The changes to the "Accessible Parking Permit" program move us closer to our government's goal of an accessible province for those living with a disability by the year 2025.

Mr. Speaker, a safe and efficient transportation network is key to our prosperity and our quality of life. I urge all members to support our efforts to ensure a modern and reliable transportation system accessible to all Ontarians.

Thank you.