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Location: Home → What We Do → Publications → 2006-2007 Accessibility Plan |
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2006-2007 Accessibility Plan![]() Table of Contents
IntroductionIn June 2005, the Ontario government took a strong stand on accessibility when it passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) into law. The AODA lays out a comprehensive road map to make Ontario accessible to all people through the development, implementation and enforcement of new, mandatory accessibility standards for some of the most important aspects of people's lives. The first two standards that are currently being developed cover the areas of transportation and customer service. On June 13, the first anniversary of the passage of the AODA, the government announced the development of three new standards that will address information and communications, the built environment, and employment. While the government is moving forward to implement the AODA, there will be a transition period where government and the broader public sector will continue to meet their obligations under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA). These obligations will remain in effect until they are repealed and replaced by standards under the new act. Under the ODA, Ontario government ministries, municipalities, hospitals, school boards, colleges, universities and public transportation organizations are required to develop annual accessibility plans to make policies, practices, programs, services and buildings more accessible to people with disabilities. These plans must be made available to the public. Accessibility planning efforts to date have developed a strong foundation for the development of accessibility standards that will mean real and effective change. This document is the fourth annual accessibility plan developed by the Ministry of the Attorney General. It highlights the achievements of the 2005-06 plan and outlines the commitments for 2006-07 so that no new barriers are created and, over time, existing ones are removed. This ministry intends to build on its achievements by implementing initiatives that support the government's commitment to continue to make Ontario an inclusive and accessible province where people of all abilities have a chance to fully achieve their potential. Message from the Minister
This year marks the first anniversary of the landmark Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, (AODA) – legislation that will foster the development, implementation and enforcement of accessibility standards in key areas of daily living. To commemorate this milestone, three new accessibility standards to be developed in the areas of communications and information, the built environment, and employment were recently announced. This is in addition to two standards already being developed, which deal with customer service and transportation. My ministry is committed to improving accessibility through identifying, removing and preventing barriers, working together within our ministry, across government and with our stakeholders in key areas of customer service, employment, communications and information, and the built environment. Here at the Ministry of the Attorney General, we are building on the success of our previous three plans and continuing to look for ways to better meet the needs of people with disabilities who come into contact with this ministry, regardless of whether they are staff, members of the general public or ministry stakeholders. This ministry continues to work to make its facilities more accessible by incorporating accessibility requirements through capital investments across the province. For example, the newest courtroom constructed in Timmins includes accessibility components such as enlarged doorways, a public seating gallery that accommodates wheelchairs, a fully accessible judge's dais, and wireless transmission of court proceedings for the hearing impaired. The ministry will use this courtroom as a model to further develop the standard for accessible courtrooms in future projects. The ministry is also in the process of developing an asset management plan containing the basic inventory and facility condition ratings for all courthouses in the ministry's portfolio. This plan will provide information about the age and condition of our facilities in a way that will help us prioritize the work we can do to improve access and service delivery. More examples are provided in the pages that follow. The Ministry of the Attorney General is committed to improving accessibility for employees and members of the public with disabilities. If you have any comments or concerns, I encourage you to send them using the contact information located at the end of this document.
The Honourable Michael Bryant Report on Achievements2005 - 2006 Accessibility Improvement Initiatives
The Ministry of the Attorney General was successful in achieving commitments outlined in its Customer serviceCommitmentCourt Services Division will provide a Disabilities Office contact number on jury summons forms as well as on the Ministry's Internet site. This will be accompanied by questions and answers for persons that may not be able to serve due to a disability, and a contact number for assistance in completing any related questionnaires. StatusComplete. Action and TimeframeThe Jury Summons Form contains a contact number for persons with disabilities to call for information on access to Ontario's courts. The frequently asked questions page in the Jury Duty section of the Ministry's Internet site contains information for persons that may not be able to serve due a disability. CommitmentCourt Services Division will provide sign language interpretation services for all criminal matters and select civil/family matters. StatusComplete. Action and TimeframeCSD provides visual language interpretation services, if required, for:
CommitmentOne site manager per region will take the lead in responding to requests from persons with disabilities who access the court system. StatusIn progress. Action and TimeframeThe Court Services Division has commenced planning for a pilot project to designate a Site Accommodation Coordinator in seven court locations across the province. The Coordinator will be responsible for:
Signage will be posted at each pilot site location to notify the public that persons with disabilities can contact a court representative to get assistance accessing court services. The Division has established an internal committee to consult on this pilot project and an implementation plan for the pilot project is currently being developed. The Division is working towards implementation in the pilot sites by Fall 2006. RationaleThe commitment was not completed during 2005/06 given operational demands within the Division. CommitmentThe current Common Service Standards (these standards apply to telephone, correspondence, in-person services and customer feedback/complaint resolution) as employed by the Ministry will adhere to the ODA requirements, and any changes made to these standards incorporate these requirements. These standards apply to all Ministry employees. StatusComplete. Action and TimeframeA plan was devised to promote and monitor compliance with the Common Service Standards, and was successfully implemented, revealing positive results. A telephone audit, completed in March 2006, showed an overall standard compliance rate of over 80%. Correspondence turnaround times were monitored and there was a 77% compliance rate achieved for the average 15-day turnaround standard for Minister's and Deputy's correspondence. CommitmentMinistry program managers and supervisors will be given guidance on accessibility in all procurement activities, as required under Section 5 of the ODA. StatusComplete. ActionThe following activities were undertaken on behalf of the Ministry of the Attorney General:
EmploymentCommitmentThe Ministry will continue to promote the accessibility of the workplace for people with disabilities by providing relevant tools and supports for managers and supervisors in accommodating their staff. StatusIn progress. Action and TimeframeContinued support on employment accommodation issues is provided by trained ministry Human Resources staff. Ministry-specific employment accommodation tools for managers are in the final stage of development. RationaleTools to be made available in 2006-07. Communications and informationCommitmentAccessibility requirements will be considered as part of the 2006-07 Results-Based Planning (RBP) process. StatusComplete. Action and TimeframeTraining materials were updated for the 2006-07 Results-Based Plan. During RBP training, Ministry staff were advised that any potential impact on people with disabilities should be noted in the impact section of each submission. CommitmentThe Ontario Human Rights Commission will prepare an Accessibility Plan that will ensure the services and materials provided by the Commission are in a form that is accessible to the citizens of Ontario. StatusIn progress. Action and TimeframeAn internal working committee has been formed and a work plan has been developed to commence preparing the Accessibility Plan in 2006-07. The committee will be responsible for reviewing current services and materials, consulting with the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario and its stakeholders. RationaleAlthough agencies are not required to prepare an Accessibility Plan, the Commission believes that it should lead by example, supporting the principles of the Ontario Human Rights Code regarding accessibility. Built environmentCommitmentThe Ministry will add a reference to the Province of Ontario Architectural Design Standards for Courthouses indicating that these standards must always be consulted in conjunction with the Ontario Realty Corporation's Standards for Barrier-Free Design of Ontario Government Facilities. StatusComplete. Action and TimeframeThe reference was added to the design standards in 2005. The Ontario Realty Corporation's Standards for Barrier-Free Design of Ontario Government Facilities is constantly reviewed in conjunction with the Design Standards for Courthouses for any project. This has become a standard practice for the Ministry's Facilities Management Branch. CommitmentThe Ministry will continue to incorporate accessibility as a component of its annual Infrastructure Plan requests and planning process for accommodation and capital projects. StatusComplete. Action and TimeframePlanning for ODA infrastructure requirements is now included in the annual Infrastructure Plan training provided to program areas, as well as in the Infrastructure & Accommodation Planning Toolkit. The Ministry will continue to review all Infrastructure Plan requests to ensure that ODA requirements have been considered and/or addressed. Acts and regulationsCommitmentIn assessing its emergency evacuation plans the Ministry will:
StatusIn progress. Action and TimeframeIn the Fall 2005, the Ministry's Emergency Management Unit conducted 22 Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) workshops across the Province to over 200 managers and staff to assist them in completing their individual HIRA Reports. RationaleThe Ministry's inaugural HIRA Report for 2005/06 has been completed and forms the foundation of the Ministry's emergency planning and preparedness. Local Business Continuity templates and Emergency Planning Guide templates, including Evacuation Plan guides, have been provided to each Ministry location for local review and updating with the varied needs of people with disabilities taken into account. Ongoing Accessibility Improvement InitiativesThe Ministry of the Attorney General was successful in achieving its commitments described in accessibility plans issued before 2005 - 2006. This section highlights specific achievements. Customer serviceCommitmentAll new material posted to the Ministry Internet sites will continue to be accessible by people with disabilities, as required under section 6 of the ODA. StatusCompleted and ongoing. Action and TimeframeThe Ministry will continue to comply with the internationally recognized Priority One and Two accessibility standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and their Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). The websites will continue to incorporate compatibility with text reader technology, ease of navigation for people who rely on alternative pointing devices, graphics supported by alternate text, high-contrast colours and colour schemes to accommodate people with a visual impairment or who are colour-blind and a fully-proportional site that allows users to enlarge or shrink font sizes. Ministry staff responsible for website development and maintenance are aware of changes and advances in technologies that support this commitment. EmploymentCommitmentThe Ministry will continue to accommodate the accessibility needs of employees and job applicants by providing manager and supervisor training regarding employment accommodation. StatusIn progress. Action and TimeframeNew managers and supervisors continue to have access to the on-line Employment Accommodation tool through the OPS Intranet, and confer with Human Resources Consultants for further advice and support. Requests are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Communications and informationN/A Built environmentCommitmentEach time a lease renewal is reviewed, accessibility requirements will be considered and communicated to the Ontario Realty Corporation. StatusCompleted and ongoing. Action and TimeframeThis is an ongoing practice for Ontario Realty Corporation. Accessibility requirements are reviewed for each lease renewal and are continually being updated. The Facilities Management Branch will further improve the process through lease renewal templates. CommitmentAs part of the implementation of all capital or accommodation projects, the Ministry’s Facilities Management Branch will complete its Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) Review Chart against the scope of the project. StatusCompleted and ongoing. Action and TimeframeThis is a current practice for the Facilities Management Branch. By using the chart, projects are reviewed to ensure compliance with the ORC Standards for Barrier-Free Design of Ontario Government Facilities. All appropriate projects are reviewed against ODA standards for barrier-free design, and are assessed on a project-by-project basis. CommitmentThe Facilities Management Branch will complete its Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) Review Chart for all building condition assessments for government-owned and third party leased facilities. StatusIn progress. Action and TimeframeAs part of the Ministry’s Asset Management Plan (AMP), the Ministry is completing building condition assessments and feasibility studies for appropriate Ministry facilities. As part of these assessments, the Ministry has assessed critical ODA compliance measures. Through these assessments, the Facilities Management Branch is able to measure the facility’s ability to comply with the new ODA standards for barrier-free design. Acts and regulationsCommitmentActs or regulations currently under review or going forward will have issues of accessibility and barrier removal included in the review process. StatusCompleted and ongoing. Action and TimeframeAs acts or regulations were drafted or reviewed, counsel reviewed them for accessibility and barrier issues. Acts or regulations are reviewed for accessibility and barrier issues as part of the ongoing legislative/regulatory and policy development process. Commitments — Measures to Prevent New BarriersThe Ministry intends to build on its achievements in the coming year by increasing awareness of accessibility and integrating accessibility into its business practices in priority areas including customer service, employment, communications and information, the built environment, and acts and regulations. This section summarizes these commitments. Customer service
Employment
Communications and information
Built environment
Acts and regulations
Other barriers
Commitments — Barriers to be addressedThe Ministry of Attorney General commits to identify, remove and prevent barriers to persons with disabilities in the coming year. This section summarizes these commitments: Customer serviceCommitment
ResponsibilityManagement Timeline2006-07 CommitmentThe Ministry will ensure that the Emergency Management Unit will communicate emergency preparedness planning parameters, including the necessity of taking into account persons with disabilities, to Ministry emergency management building leads as they review and update their localized business continuity plans and emergency evacuation plans. ResponsibilityEmergency Management Unit TimelineOngoing. CommitmentTo continue to promote and educate Ministry employees on the Common Service Standards and review any areas of concern particularly where communications systems and individual circumstances prevent full adherence to ODA requirements. The Quality Service Project Team will work within the Ministry, as requested, to deliver awareness information sessions concerning the increased obligations of meeting the needs of persons with disabilities under the new legislation. ResponsibilityQuality Service Project Team TimelineInformation sessions to be held in 2006/2007 Employment accommodationCommitmentIn order to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities through information sharing and skill development of Ministry employees, the Ministry will:
ResponsibilityManagement Timeline2006-07 Communications and informationCommitment
ResponsibilityManagement TimelineIn progress. Built environmentCommitmentThe Facilities Management Branch will engage in developing a best practice bulletin for barrier-free dais requirements for courthouse facilities. ResponsibilityFacilities Management TimelineOne year. Acts and regulationsN/A For more informationQuestions or comments about the ministry's accessibility plan are always welcome.
Visit the Ministry of Community and Social Services Accessibility Ontario web site at: www.mcss.gov.on.ca/accessibility. The site promotes accessibility and provides information and resources on how to make Ontario a barrier-free province. Alternate formats of this document are available free upon request from: Publications Ontario
880 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M7A 1N8. Tel: (416) 326-5300
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