2011-2012 ODA Accessibility Plan

ISSN # 1708-5071

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Section One:  Report on Measures to Identify, Remove and Prevent Barriers in 2010-11
  
  • Customer Service
  • Information and Communications
  • Employment
  • Built Environment
  • Procurement
• Section Two:  Measures Planned for 2011-12 and Beyond
  
  • Customer Service
  • Employment
  • Information and Communications
  • Built Environment
  • Other
• Section Three:  Review of Acts, Regulations and Policies
  
  • Glossary of Terms/Acronyms
  • For More Information

Introduction

Each year, the Government of Ontario sets a course to identify, remove and prevent barriers for persons with disabilities. Every ministry participates through its annual accessibility plans, as required under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA). 

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is Ontario's roadmap to becoming barrier-free by 2025.  It includes accessibility standards in:

• Customer Service;
• Information and Communications;
• Employment;
• Transportation; and
• Built Environment.

This year, the Accessibility Plan will help to inform planning requirements under the new Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) enacted last summer under the AODA. The IASR requires the Government of Ontario to develop a multi-year plan to prevent and remove barriers for persons with disabilities.

The Ministry of Natural Resources' (MNR) annual Accessibility Plan outlines the specific steps the government is taking to improve opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Building on last year's plan, our 2011-12 Accessibility Plan will continue to move the MNR toward the goal of an accessible province for all Ontarians.

To view other ministries' Accessibility Plans, visit Ontario.ca.

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Section One:  Report on Measures to Identify, Remove and Prevent Barriers in 2010-11

The Government of Ontario is working to achieve an accessible province by 2025.

In 2010-11, the government continued to comply with the Accessibility Standards for  Customer Service Regulation and continued to implement initiatives to enhance accessibility in other areas such as employment, information and communication, transportation, the built environment and procurement.

This document includes a summary of the initiatives the Ministry of Natural Resources implemented in 2010-11. During this year, the ministry remained in compliance with the Accessible Customer Service Standard (ACSS).

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Customer Service

In 2010-11 our ministry…

• ensured all new classified and fixed-term staff and third-party service providers completed the necessary training to meet and exceed the requirements specified in the ACSS.  This training included staff in the far north and remote locations throughout the province;
• updated the MNR Corporate Contact Us internet page to enhance responsiveness to feedback on accessibility-related matters;
• provided response to feedback provided by the public on accessibility-related matters, which were primarily in the broader areas of fishing opportunities and Ontario Parks.  The Natural Resource Information Centre (NRIC) and MNR program areas responded in a timely and appropriate manner to all feedback received;
• implemented a service disruption protocol to fully meet the requirements of the ACSS.  The ministry's Emergency Management Section led the development of a public service disruption notification that was responsive to the needs of ministry clients with a disability;
• implemented the OPS Accessible Customer Service Policy, as well as associated practices and procedures, in accordance with the requirements of the ACSS; and
• applied the OPS Inclusion Lens to identify areas for improvement in accessibility with regard to service delivery in MNR.

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Information and Communications

In 2010-11 our ministry…

• identified areas for improvement in accessibility within current MNR communication and information products, including products associated with MNR public recreational activities (e.g., Ontario Parks Guide and Fishing Regulations);
• worked with I & IT enterprise areas to plan for the conformity of new internet and intranet websites and web content with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA, which excludes live captions and audio descriptions;
• created an accessibility section on the MNR intranet site to enable staff to easily locate guidelines for accessible documents and other resources;
• promoted the use of OPS e-learning videos on creating accessible PDF and Word documents and other subjects related to IASR;
• encouraged staff to incorporate accessibility considerations into the preparation of communication materials;
• complied with the guidelines and procedures for meeting public requests for publications in accessible formats; and
• ensured that the Ontario Parks Internet Reservation website was compliant to the WCAG 2.0 level AA Standards.

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Employment

In 2010-11 our ministry…

• advised the public that accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request (e.g., accessibility considerations for job interviews);
• identified and eliminated barriers to accessibility in employment practices, processes and tools; and
• reviewed job advertisements to identify and remove barriers to accessibility.

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Built Environment

In 2010-11 our ministry…

• ensured that facility alterations and improvement projects were designed and implemented in compliance with the Ontario Building Code barrier-free standards;
• completed a significant number of Ontario Parks facility and infrastructure related projects specifically to upgrade access for persons with a disability (e.g., increasing door width and installing handrails inside comfort stations), which included:
  • Rushing River — Barrier-Free Access to Museum
  • Lake Superior — Composting Toilet
  • Bay — Barrier-Free Campsite
  • Greenwater — Barrier-Free Laundry Facilities
  • Algonquin — Composting Toilets (3)
  • Algonquin — Comfort Station Replacement
  • Wasaga Beach — Comfort Station Replacement (3)
  • Wasaga Beach — Nancy Island Welcome Centre Replacement - Phase 1
  • Killbear — Comfort Station Replacement
  • Mara — Registration Office
  • Restoule — Comfort Station Replacement
  • Earl Rowe — Comfort Station Replacement
  • Sandbanks — Comfort Station, Sewage Treatment and Water System Replacement
  • Fitzroy - Day Use Mini and Sewage Connection
  • Charleston Lake — Comfort Station and Sewage Upgrade
  • Ferris — Barrier-Free Campsites
  • Presqu'ile — Barrier-Free Campsites;
• completed a significant number of Ontario Parks Federal Infrastructure Stimulus Funded Projects:  (50% Federal 50% Provincial Funding) specifically to upgrade access for persons with a disability, which included:
  • Awenda — Enhanced Trail Viewing Platform and Staircases
  • Pinery — New and Enhanced Trails
  • Pinery — Comfort Stations (7)
  • Pinery — Office
  • Pinery — Visitor Centre Renewal
  • Sandbanks — New Trail
  • Sandbanks — Picnic Shelter
  • Rondeau — Picnic Shelter
  • Presqu'ile — Picnic Shelter
  • Sibbald Point — Picnic Shelter
  • Killbear — Picnic Shelter
  • Bon Echo - Park Shelters (4 Yurts)
  • Charleston Lake — Park Shelters (4 Yurts)
  • MacGregor Point — Park Shelters (4 Yurts)
  • Silent Lake — Park Shelters (4 Yurts)
  • Windy Lake — Park Shelters (4 Yurts)
  • Lake on the Mountain — Vault Toilet
  • Neys — Visitor Centre
  • Port Burwell — Comfort Station
  • Rock Point — Comfort Station
  • Voyageur — Comfort Station
  • Point Farms — Comfort Station
  • Samuel de Champlain — Museum and Information; and
• completed facility planning and improvement projects across the province that were in compliance with the Ontario Building Code barrier-free standards.  These included alterations at Robinson Place (Peterborough), Bondar Place, Ontario Forest Research Institute (both Sault Ste. Marie), Sudbury District Office, the replacement of facilities at four Ontario Ranger Program Residential Camps, as well as the planning for new facilities for the North Bay and Kemptville District Offices.

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Procurement

In 2010-11 our ministry's practices—

• were consistent with the MGS Supply Chain Management/Procurement Tools & Template policy and considered accessibility for persons with disabilities to goods or services purchased through the procurement process for the use of the ministry, its employees or the public.

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Section Two:  Measures Planned for 2011-12 and Beyond

This year, the Ministry of Natural Resources Accessibility Plan focuses on three areas.  These initiatives will support compliance with the existing Accessibility Standards for Customer Service.  They will also help us enhance accessibility in other areas: 

• Employment
• Information & Communications
• Built Environment

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Customer Service

The Ministry of Natural Resources is committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities receive accessible goods and services.  This means they will receive goods and services of the same high quality and within the same timelines as others.

For 2011-12 our ministry intends to…

• remain in compliance with the Accessible Customer Service Standard (ACSS);
• continue to ensure all new classified and fixed-term staff and third-party service providers complete the necessary training to meet or exceed the requirements specified in the ACSS.  This training will include staff in the far north and remote locations throughout the province;
• continue to provide timely and appropriate response to feedback provided by the public on accessibility-related matters;
• continue to implement the service disruption protocol to fully meet the requirements of the ACSS.  The ministry's Emergency Management Section will continue to ensure that MNR staff are responsive to the public service disruption notification process and protocols established to date;
• continue to implement the OPS Accessible Customer Service Policy, as well as associated practices and procedures, in accordance with the requirements of the ACSS;
• enhance efforts to organize and host accessible meetings;
• apply the OPS Inclusion Lens as a means to identify ways in which we can improve accessibility to our services; and
• continue to support the Ontario Parks admission fee policies and practices for people providing support for a person with a disability.

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Employment

The Ministry of Natural Resources is committed to fair and accessible employment practices that attract and retain talented employees with disabilities.

For 2011-12 our ministry intends to…

• continue to identify and eliminate barriers in employment policies, processes, practices and tools for persons with disabilities;
• comply with the requirements specified in the IASR; and
• uphold the OPS commitment to provide individualized workplace emergency information to persons with disabilities.

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Information and Communications

The Ministry of Natural Resources is committed to making government information and communications accessible to persons with disabilities.  The information we provide and the ways we communicate are key to delivering our programs and services to the public.

For 2011-12 our ministry intends to…

• continue to encourage staff to incorporate accessibility considerations into the preparation of communication materials to ensure that communication products are accessible to everyone;
• expand on the existing ministry intranet site to further enable staff to easily locate guidelines for accessible documents and other resources;
• provide customers with publications and documents in alternate accessible formats when requested, as per the requirements of the IASR;
• incorporate accessibility features into new self-service kiosks that we may procure, design or acquire;
• be consistent with the broader OPS requirement to provide available OPS emergency procedures, plans and public safety information in accessible formats upon request; and
• ensure new internet and intranet websites and web content conforms with WCAG 2.0 Level AA, which excludes live captions and audio descriptions.

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Built Environment

The Ministry of Natural Resources is committed to enable greater accessibility within, and around the buildings it occupies.

For 2011-12 our ministry intends to…

• consider and include accessibility in all new accommodation projects;
• ensure that facility alterations and improvement projects are designed and implemented in compliance with the Ontario Building Code barrier-free standards;
• complete a number of Ontario Parks facility projects specifically to upgrade access for persons with a disability; and

continue to contribute to the OPS inter-ministerial committee associated with the Built Environment Standards.

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Other

For 2011-12 our ministry will also…

• ensure staff receive the required training as specified under the General Standards, IASR;
• continue to incorporate accessibility criteria and features into the procurement process;
• ensure that the nomination process for the Most Valuable Resource Program (the MNR formal staff recognition program), will take into account diversity and accessibility workplace initiatives when determining the successful award recipients for all categories;
• fully support the broader OPS public facing multi-year accessibility plan to 2025, which outlines the vision and plans for removing and preventing barriers to accessibility; and
• support the broader OPS development and adoption of a statement of commitment, as well as documented policies and a public document that describes the policies.

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