REPORT ON ACHIEVEMENTS
2006 – 2007 ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES
In 2006–07 the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs (hereafter named the Ministries) implemented a number of measures to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. The focus in 2006–07 has been on meeting legislated requirements for accessibility under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) and raising awareness within the Ministries of the new Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), which received Royal Assent on June 13, 2005. At present, new standards are being developed within the public sector.
The following lists the achievements of the Ministries towards the 2006–07 planning commitments. While both ministries are proud of these efforts, they recognize that there is more work to be done. The Ministries remain strongly committed to improving accessibility for people with disabilities in all aspects of our work.
Ongoing Accessibility Improvement Initiatives include:
Section 4 – Built Environment
Commitment: The Ministries will meet the Standards for Barrier–Free Design of Ontario Government Facilities in their facility acquisition, construction or significant renovation to existing or leased facilities.
Action and Timeframe: The Ministries, through Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC) facility planning, adhere to the government–adopted standards for barrier–free design in their annual facility plans.
Status: Standards for barrier–free design of Ontario government facilities have been communicated widely within ministries. Provisions for buildings, structures and premises that the government leases, purchases, constructs, or significantly renovates, comply with mandatory requirements where applicable. This is continuous and ongoing.
Section 5 – Procurement of goods and services
Commitment: The Ministries will ensure managers and supervisors receive guidance on accessibility in procurement of goods and services. The Ministries will continue to implement the government–wide guidelines for accessibility in their procurement processes.
Action and Timeframe: The Ministries will continue to adhere to Ministry of Government Services (MGS) procurement accessibility guidelines, will communicate these to relevant staff, and will incorporate them in ministry procurement procedures.
Status: As part of their procurement process and guidelines, Ontario Shared Service (OSS) has incorporated requirements of the ODA in their documents used when issuing ministry procurements. The MYOPS web site contains an ODA Requirements Checklist and other procurement tools. This is an ongoing commitment.
Rationale: OSS will continue to improve its procurement procedure to further increase accessibility for Ontarians with a disability. The Ministries will request that OSS ensure the E–module training tool, “May I Help You – Welcoming Customers with Disabilities”, becomes available to all staff. And that the tools and checklists available on the MYOPS web site are updated based on the 2005 Act.
Section 6 – Government Internet sites
Commitment: The Ministries will ensure that internet sites are accessible, including testing of all new content.
Action and Timeframe: The Ministries will ensure that accessibility provisions are met within the work currently underway to redesign the general web site.
Status: The Ministries monitor all sites and materials for compliance with ODA accessibility requirements. Redesign of the ministries' web site is underway and will meet ODA accessibility requirements. The new sites will be launched in January 2008; therefore this item is deferred until next year.
Section 8 – Government employee accommodation
Commitment: The Ministries identify employee accommodation needs to accommodate staff with a disability. Requests for funding from Employment Accommodation Fund are made when appropriate.
Action and Timeframe: Ministry procedures incorporating these actions were followed in 2006–07.
Status: The Ministries identified employee accommodation needs and accessed the Employment Accommodation Fund to make provision for staff with disabilities. This is an ongoing commitment.
Acts and Regulations
Commitment: The Ministries will work cooperatively with other ministries in assessing current provisions for people with disabilities for fees, permits and services.
Action and Timeframe: The Ministries will complete discussions with other relevant ministries and will respond to need for refinements and improvements in accessibility provisions. Discussions and implementation of results are an ongoing commitment.
Status: In progress. Initial discussions have not been completed. Efforts are being made to include accessibility considerations in legislative reviews being undertaken.
Rationale: Further work is required to prepare for discussions with other ministries. This commitment is a continuing and ongoing responsibility as assessment of legislation is undertaken.
Commitment: The Ministries will continue to consider acts or regulations for a barrier review analysis as part of the regular planning cycle.
Action and Timeframe: Specific reviews of legislation will include assessment of how the legislation addresses accessibility requirements and guidelines and implementation of appropriate provisions. Accessibility considerations will be incorporated in reviews undertaken during the 2006–07 period.
Status: Efforts are being made to include accessibility considerations in legislative reviews being undertaken. This is an ongoing commitment.
Rationale: This commitment is a continuing responsibility as assessment of legislation is undertaken. This commitment is ongoing.
Policies
Commitment: Guidance will be provided to staff undertaking policy and program development on how to identify needs and include accessibility provisions in policy and program proposals.
Action and Timeframe: Develop and implement guidelines for incorporating accessibility considerations in policy and program development. Finalize guidelines by March 2007. Implementation of the guidelines targeted for March 2008.
Status: Will be completed by March 2008.
Commitment: The Ministries will advance their diversity objectives by examining employment systems, processes, tools and documents. Accessibility issues will be an area of focus for this assessment.
Action and Timeframe: Review of employment systems and processes, tools and documents, including attention to accessibility issues, will be undertaken following the establishment and implementation of changes expected in human resource services for the Ontario Public Service. The Ministries will commence this review in 2006–07 following implementation of changes in human resource services and delivery currently in progress.
Status: This review is ongoing.
Programs and Services
Commitment: The Ministries will work cooperatively with their partner agencies in encouraging and implementing accessibility provisions.
Action and Timeframe: Discussions and co–operative action were initiated in 2006–07 to identify key partner agencies and initiate discussions regarding accessibility provisions and improvements.
Status: Discussions have not begun since agencies are not included under the ODA.
Rationale: The Ministries will ensure relevant agencies are made aware of their obligations under the AODA in advance of the new regulations currently being developed. This commitment is ongoing.
Commitment: In ministry offices and public use facilities, the operating lead will have plans in place to assist with the evacuation of staff and visitors with a disability, and will ensure the plans are incorporated in the Emergency Procedures handbook distributed to employees. The Ministries will work with property management to incorporate provisions for people with disabilities within the parameters established for these provisions.
Action and Timeframe: Ensure needs of people with disabilities continue to be provided for within the parameters established, as new evacuation plans are developed or existing plans and procedures are reviewed and updated in 2006–07.
Status: A building evacuation plan and booklet has been developed for use in buildings operated or occupied by the Ministries. The plan and booklet was presented and reviewed by a standing committee on Ministry Health and Safety.
Rationale: A communication plan for the Emergency Procedures Handbook has been developed and will be released to all staff.
Practices
Commitment: Communicate to ministry employees the provisions of the ODA, available guidelines and best practices for accommodating needs of people with disabilities.
Action and Timeframe: Complete communications strategy and begin implementation by March 2006.
Status: The Ministries have communicated the provisions of the act and will continue to do so throughout the next year with the new AODA. Senior management in the ministries have access to resources within the Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Program (WDHP) for accommodation guidance for people with disabilities.
Commitment: The Ministries will provide opportunities for input from staff in identifying accessibility barriers and will include this input in planning for improvements
Action and Timeframe: The Ministries will develop and implement an accessibility communications strategy to include provisions for input from staff by March 2006.
Status: Communication was sent out to staff requesting input. This is an ongoing exercise.
Commitment: Planned accessibility audits will be initiated in several representative ministry sites and program areas to assess accessibility provisions and needs, and identify priorities for addressing needs. These audits will help establish measures and approaches to be adopted in the ministries. They will also help raise awareness of staff and managers regarding accessibility needs.
Action and Timeframe: During 2006–07, develop an audit program and test audit in pilot sites.
Status: The Ministry of Natural Resources has audited the Provincial Parks and will be auditing districts by March 2008. Also, staff of the Outdoors Card Centre will be receiving training in 2007–08, which will include a component on accessibility issues as they apply to call centre services. This commitment is ongoing.
Commitment: Customer service training planned for ministry staff (for example, training provided to parks staff and customer service workshops periodically offered to district staff) will include a component on awareness of accessibility barriers, including attitudes, needs and appropriate responses.
Action and Timeframe: Continue to address accessibility issues in customer service training during 2006–07. Review and include in customer service training the new Customer Service Training Package, “May I Help you – Welcoming Customers with Disabilities”, to be made available this year.
Status: Customer Service training was delivered to all Ontario Parks staff (an annual commitment), but not to district staff last year. Customer Service workshops are delivered every two years to district staff, and this is scheduled for 2007–08. Several ministry employees have already taken the online course.
Rationale: The primary focus for customer service is ServiceOntario/Government Information Centre staff since they now provide the majority of direct services to the citizens of Ontario. The Ministries’ employees and agents continue to provide direct services to customers at Ontario Parks, where customer service training remains a priority, and includes raising awareness of serving persons with special needs. This commitment is ongoing.
Commitment: The Ministries will provide information on accessibility requirements, provisions and initiatives on their internet site as well as on their internal web site.
Action and Timeframe: Implement provision of accessibility information on web sites following site redesign and development of a communications strategy.
Status: Redesign of the Ministries' web sites has not been completed pending the procurement of a new content management system and implementation of the new design standards for Ontario government web sites. As a result, further information on accessibility requirements, provisions and initiatives has not been provided on ministry web sites.
Rationale: Information on accessibility requirements/provisions/initiatives will be included as part of the web site redesign when completed in 2007–08. This commitment is ongoing.
