Multi-Year Accessibility Plan: 2012 Annual Status Report

A message from the Chief Officer, Diversity and Accessibility

In Premier Wynne’s 2013 Throne Speech, she said:

“…every individual part of our being informs who we are, but it does not define who we are…if we believe in our own abilities, our potential has no limits.” – Premier Wynne

Her words resonated with me. In the Ontario Public Service (OPS), we have long recognized that when everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential in the workplace - the potential for benefit has no limits. Men and women with disabilities deserve a level playing field and when they have the supports they need to fully participate, their ideas, insights and perspective benefit the entire organization and all Ontarians.

In January 2012, I was pleased to introduce the OPS first publically available multi-year accessibility plan. This plan describes our long-term vision to be an accessible organization by 2025 and the steps necessary to achieve our goals. Although we are at the early stages of this journey, we have made progress and I am pleased to introduce our first annual status report for 2012.

This report outlines two main focus areas in our first year implementing our multi-year plan. First, we have invested our time and energy ensuring that as an organization we are meeting the legal requirements that have been coming into effect since January 2012. These requirements have had an impact on our policies, human resource practices, websites, communications, and training we provide to our employees, as well as the services we provide.

Second we have begun a campaign to ensure our employees consider barriers to accessibility first, in all the work we do. We call this “Accessibility at Source”. It’s a simple concept however; it will take time to take root in our 60,000 plus employees and to be embedded in our service offerings to 13 million Ontarians.

We have set ambitious goals and are making steady progress. While we have passed many milestones over the past year, many more challenges lie ahead. I look forward to taking this journey together and to working collaboratively with all our many great partners, colleagues, and stakeholders as we strive to be a leader in Ontario for accessibility.

Shamira Madhany, Chief Officer
Diversity and Accessibility, OPS

The OPS commitment to persons with disabilities

The OPS commitment to persons with disabilities statement was published in January 2012 and reflects our vision to become an accessible organization:
The OPS endeavours to demonstrate leadership for accessibility in Ontario. Our goal is to ensure accessibility for our employees and the public we serve in our services, products and facilities.

Accessibility in the Ontario Public Service

Our goal is to make Ontario Public Service (OPS) workplaces and customer service centres accessible and welcoming environments – places where both employees and customers are accommodated according to their needs. Employees need to be able to function effectively, and all customers need to receive timely and high-quality services.

Our vision of an accessible OPS is one where:

• persons with disabilities receive quality goods and services in a timely manner.
• persons with disabilities participate fully and meaningfully as OPS employees in service delivery and employment.
• information and communications are available in accessible formats to all OPS staff and customers.
• OPS staff are able to identify barriers to accessibility and actively seek solutions to prevent or remove them on a continuing basis throughout the organization.
• there is greater accessibility into, out of and around OPS facilities and public spaces.

While we are encouraged by the work that has been done in 2012, we remain aware that there is much more we can accomplish. Our strategies go beyond merely complying with accessibility laws and regulations; we’re taking responsibility for modelling compliance and leading by example.

We are committed to implementing the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and to creating an accessible OPS by 2025. With the support and input of our leaders, stakeholders, and partners, we are confident that we will achieve our goal.

About this report

Improving accessibility for persons with disabilities is not new in the OPS. Since the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) was passed in 2001, each ministry has been creating and reporting annually on its accessibility plans.

In 2012, the OPS raised the bar on its leadership role in accessibility with the release of the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan (MYAP) Accessibility in the OPS: Leading the Way Forward. This 2012 MYAP Annual Status Report provides a summary of our progress for the OPS against our MYAP and highlights some of the key compliance initiatives that were undertaken in the 2012 calendar year.

In keeping with the format of our multi-year plan, this status report outlines OPS progress on commitments in two sections:

• (AODA): Leadership and modelling compliance: Highlights some of our key achievements related to the AODA and compliance with the Accessible Customer Service Standard Regulation and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation.
• achieving organizational change: Our approach to organizational change leverages four key focus areas that are targeted to achieve immediate results and lead to long-lasting system change: i.e. OPS Inclusion Lens, Accessibility at Source, Accessibility as an Organizational Priority, and Accessible Facilities

To learn more about the OPS Multi-Year Accessibility Plan visit: /government/accessibility

Individual ministry progress: Each ministry is also doing its part to identify, prevent and remove barriers to accessibility. Ministries’ Annual Accessibility Plans complement the MYAP 2012 Annual Status Report and provide concrete examples of how the OPS is becoming even more accessible and removing barriers for persons with disabilities.

To learn more about what each ministry is doing visit: /government/accessibility-plans-20122013

AODA: Demonstrating leadership by modelling compliance

In the OPS we are working with all ministries and approximately 60,000 employees who serve over 13 million Ontario customers. Making changes in an organization of this size and scope can be a daunting task. It’s not as simple as just changing the rules for I&IT, procurement, websites, customer service, and human resources. Change takes time, training, and ongoing diligence before it becomes a common part of daily business. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) has been a catalyst for positive improvements in accessibility across Ontario and we are doing our part to model compliance and lead by example.

Ontario passed the AODA in 2005, requiring that accessibility standards be developed for Ontario’s businesses and organizations to make Ontario an accessible province by 2025. The OPS has been proud to lead the way by being the first organization in Ontario to comply with the AODA.

• the accessibility standards for customer service regulation came into force in 2008 with requirements for every ministry in the OPS taking effect on January 1, 2010.
• the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR), the second AODA regulation, incorporates standards for information and communications, employment, transportation, public spaces, and other general requirements. In the OPS, many of the requirements came into effect as of January 2012 and 2013. The remaining compliance deadlines will be phased in over the next few years.

To support and coordinate accessibility and compliance activities, all OPS ministries have assigned Accessibility Leads, who meet in partnership with the OPS Diversity Office, as the Accessibility Leads Forum. In 2012, comprehensive training was provided to these Leads on topics ranging from procurement, web accessibility and employee accommodation to supporting the establishment of renewed and revitalized ministry accessibility plans and the new obligations under the IASR.

With these and other support programs, all OPS ministries met, and many exceeded, their 2012 obligations under the IASR. As a result of OPS efforts to ensure compliance, each ministry was able to report compliance with the AODA enabling the OPS to become the first organization in Ontario to comply and report compliance with its 2012 IASR obligations.

The following pages provide an overview and key highlights illustrating progress on the different standards under the two AODA regulations in 2012.

Customer Service

ServiceOntario maintained momentum on improving the accessible customer service experience in all of the ServiceOntario centres. Since the Accessible Customer Service standard came into force for the OPS in 2010, all ministries have worked, often in partnership with ServiceOntario and stakeholders, to ensure customer services are accessible. In addition to new employees being trained on accessible customer service, ServiceOntario carried out spot checks at service counters to make sure their centres complied with the AODA customer service standards.

The Citizens First Survey, measuring Canadians’ experiences of public services and identifying opportunities to improve service, indicated that the OPS has made significant strides toward improving services to persons with disabilities since 2008. The survey also reported that Ontario scores are higher than the national average.

The Citizens First Survey, measuring Canadians’ experiences of public services and identifying opportunities to improve service, indicated that the OPS has made significant strides toward improving services to persons with disabilities since 2008. The survey also reported that Ontario scores are higher than the national average.

Information and Communications

In 2012, the OPS undertook the necessary steps to address accessibility of internal and public-facing websites. Additionally, the OPS has taken a measured approach to improving telephone communication for the deaf and the hard of hearing. Through leveraging internal partnerships and expertise, the OPS has developed and provided tools and a testing methodology to support website accessibility and to ensure OPS websites align to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 level AA. New awareness and training activities were implemented that provide direct support to OPS staff on creating accessible documents.

Employment

The OPS is working on several fronts to support inclusion – through policy, practices and workplace culture. The new Policy on Preventing Barriers in Employment replaces the Equal Opportunity Operating Policy, reinforcing the OPS’ commitment to identifying, preventing and removing systemic employment barriers. The new policy establishes a set of principles and requirements for identifying, removing, mitigating or preventing systemic employment barriers that may arise from HR management directives and policies or practices. This policy, along with the Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy, Employment Policy, and Employment Accommodation and Return to Work Operating Policy sets out an inclusive workplace policy framework.

Policy implementation is enabled by initiatives such as those relating to fair hiring practices, the OPS inclusion strategy and ministry inclusion plans and accessibility plans. For example, in 2012, the OPS improved awareness of accessible employment practices through the provision of IASR and workplace discrimination and harassment prevention training. A toolkit has been developed to assist managers to support employees with mental health disabilities. A management review of OPS programs and practices relating to injury/illness prevention, employment accommodation and return to work supports was completed in November 2012. A disability support strategy is under development to improve service and outcomes for employees with disabilities.

“I have to say that the support I have received from my managers and director as well as my colleagues in my unit and branch has been nothing short of spectacular. This ranges from the big stuff – my managers supporting me completely in adapting my work arrangements and providing me with the assistive devices I need at work to the small things like my colleagues helping me out when my computer decides to misbehave and I can’t see what the nature of the problem is.” – David Garkut, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment

Procurement

As a major purchaser of goods and services, the OPS works to ensure that procurement processes are accessible and all vendors are aware of accessibility requirements. In addition to updates to the OPS Procurement Directive, resource materials - assisting ministries to take accessibility into consideration in the procurement of goods, and services - were developed prior to January 2012. Throughout 2012, a focus has been to leverage these tools to ensure accessibility is considered in all procurements.

Procurement best practices: To meet AODA requirements, vendor of record proposals were revised and some ministries have developed procurement assessment practices to ensure that accessibility is addressed in procurement initiatives.

Transportation

The Government of Ontario is committed to improving the availability of accessible transportation services to all Ontarians and has taken steps to ensure that accessible transportation services are available for people with disabilities such as improvements to the MV Jiimaan ferry. The elevator was replaced with one built for the marine environment that is better able to transport people in wheelchairs, and signage was enhanced for passengers with hearing disabilities to advise that, when an alarm sounds, visual indicators will be activated as well.

Procurement best practices: To meet AODA requirements, vendor of record proposals were revised and some ministries have developed procurement assessment practices to ensure that accessibility is addressed in procurement initiatives.

Achieving Organizational Change

Our approach to organizational change leverages four key focus areas that are targeted to achieve immediate results that lead to long lasting system change. The chart on the following page taken from the OPS Multi-Year Accessibility Plan outlines our organizational commitments and what results will look like. Information and communications are available in accessible formats to all OPS staff and customers.

OPS staff are able to identify barriers to accessibility and actively seek solutions to prevent or remove them on a continuing basis throughout the organization.

There is greater accessibility into, out of and around OPS facilities and public spaces.

Key Outcomes

People with disabilities who are OPS customers receive quality goods and services in a timely manner. People with disabilities who are OPS employees participate fully and meaningfully in services and employment. Information and communications are available in accessible formats to all OPS staff and customers. OPS staff are able to identify barriers to accessibility and actively seek solutions to prevent or remove them on a continuing basis throughout the organization. There is greater accessibility into, out of and around OPS facilities and public spaces.

Overview of accessibility in the OPS: Our 2012 results

The four operational approaches listed in the previous chart, and related commitments in 2012, are foundations that will support long-lasting systemic change.

• OPS inclusion lens is leveraged in key processes to build accessibility into new and refreshed policies, programs and legislation.
• Accessibility at source focuses on individuals’ behaviours, learning, and awareness such that accessibility is considered first in the delivery of all core OPS business.
• Accessibility as an organizational priority is advanced by strong leadership, corporate communications, partnerships and consulting persons with disabilities.
• Accessible facilities are achieved through new builds, major retrofits and future lease agreements.

On the pages that follow, more specific achievements illustrates how 2012 commitments have brought the organization closer to its vision of an accessible OPS.

1. OPS Inclusion Lens

What is it? The OPS Inclusion Lens is an innovative online tool, designed to help OPS staff identify existing or potential barriers within OPS workplaces and service centres. By reviewing and embedding inclusive concepts into key business processes, accessibility is considered as part of OPS decision making.

The OPS Inclusion Lens was recently enhanced through the addition of a new OPS Executive Recruitment Inclusion Lens and a section on Accessibility in Procurement. The Executive Recruitment Lens was created and launched to ensure that accessibility and diversity principles are applied and embedded into executive recruitment and the procurement section now helps OPS staff make informed decisions in the procurement of our goods, services, and facilities.

Why is it important? It is critical that staff understand and are able to respond to all dimensions of diversity, including the impact of barriers on persons with disabilities. The Lens helps staff make informed decisions to reduce and remove these barriers.

What we did. In 2012, the OPS Inclusion Lens was further embedded into core government decision-making processes such as the annual budgeting process and the introduction of new initiatives and policies. It was also adapted for the review of legislation with a high impact on persons with disabilities and on the public. The OPS Inclusion Lens was also applied to ministries’ accessibility planning processes to help them identify barriers and determine appropriate solutions and actions into their annual accessibility plans.

On the ground: Accessibility in action

In 2011-2012, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) used the Inclusion Lens tool to inform policy development and implementation of the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative. MMAH staff, through applying the Inclusion Lens, gained a better understanding of accessibility legislation and new strategies for identifying potential barriers and solutions. French Language, Persons with a Disability, Socioeconomic Status and Regional Location were some of the diversity dimensions that were thoroughly considered as part of the policy development process.

At the communications review stage of the Inclusion Lens, MMAH explored potential barriers such as highly technical communication products, which might fail to effectively communicate the benefits of the initiative. To address this barrier, MMAH worked closely with colleagues in the communications branch to ensure all products (outreach and educational materials) for stakeholders and the public were written in plain language and are accessible for persons using accessibility devices.

Working with the OPS Diversity Office resulted in a more thorough and inclusive final product and better prepared staff to address questions raised by various groups and decision-makers.

The OPS Inclusion Lens was recently enhanced through the addition of a new OPS Executive Recruitment Inclusion Lens and a section on Accessibility in Procurement. The Executive Recruitment Lens was created and launched to ensure that accessibility and diversity principles are applied and embedded into executive recruitment and the procurement section now helps OPS staff make informed decisions in the procurement of our goods, services, and facilities.

Why is it important? It is critical that staff understand and are able to respond to all dimensions of diversity, including the impact of barriers on persons with disabilities. The Lens helps staff make informed decisions to reduce and remove these barriers.

What we did. In 2012, the OPS Inclusion Lens was further embedded into core government decision-making processes such as the annual budgeting process and the introduction of new initiatives and policies. It was also adapted for the review of legislation with a high impact on persons with disabilities and on the public. The OPS Inclusion Lens was also applied to ministries’ accessibility planning processes to help them identify barriers and determine appropriate solutions and actions into their annual accessibility plans.

On the ground: Accessibility in action

In 2011-2012, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) used the Inclusion Lens tool to inform policy development and implementation of the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative. MMAH staff, through applying the Inclusion Lens, gained a better understanding of accessibility legislation and new strategies for identifying potential barriers and solutions. French Language, Persons with a Disability, Socioeconomic Status and Regional Location were some of the diversity dimensions that were thoroughly considered as part of the policy development process.

At the communications review stage of the Inclusion Lens, MMAH explored potential barriers such as highly technical communication products, which might fail to effectively communicate the benefits of the initiative. To address this barrier, MMAH worked closely with colleagues in the communications branch to ensure all products (outreach and educational materials) for stakeholders and the public were written in plain language and are accessible for persons using accessibility devices.

Working with the OPS Diversity Office resulted in a more thorough and inclusive final product and better prepared staff to address questions raised by various groups and decision-makers.

2. Accessibility at source

What is it? Accessibility at source is an awareness initiative designed to promote the role all OPS employees play in ensuring accessibility is considered first in all OPS business. The focus is to provide tools and resources to ensure that OPS employees consider accessibility for persons with disabilities in their day-to-day work, and not as an afterthought.

Why is it important? Similar to the OPS Inclusion Lens, Accessibility at Source focuses on changing the behaviours and attitudes of our employees so that our workplace and services are accessible, accommodating, and free from discrimination. While the Inclusion Lens asks people to consider accessibility and inclusion, Accessibility at Source gives employees the practical tools to apply to their everyday work. As such, the Accessibility at Source (A@S) campaign plays a vital role impacting our organizational culture.

What we did. In 2012, Accessibility at source had a productive year developing and distributing the range of courses, workshOPS, information and tools that OPS staff and managers need to build accessibility into their work.

Our broad-based awareness campaign focused on two topics: Accessibility in procurement and accessible Documents. This campaign included practical “how to” advice that not only introduced our legal obligations but also provided solutions for staff on how to incorporate accessibility into their daily activities.

Through Accessibility at Source, and with the help of ministry Accessibility Leads, we communicated through emails, formal training, presentations, blogs, posters, websites and events to keep our employees informed on accessibility and share new and innovative resources materials such as our “Introduction to Accessible Formats and Communications Supports Guide”.

We also provided formal training through the release of two electronic training modules: one on the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation IASR and the other on the Ontario Human Rights Code as it relates to persons with disabilities. This training was made mandatory for all OPS staff.

On the ground: Annual Accessibility Expo

Accessibility Expos are held as education and outreach events to increase accessibility awareness. In November 2012, the OPS co-partnered with the Ontario Job Opportunities Information Network (JOIN) under the theme ‘Dropping the Label’. The November event attracted 325 on-site participants and was also available online to OPS staff via webcast. Speakers included Randy Lewis, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Logistics for Walgreens and Cyndi Desjardins, a quadruple amputee.

Ministries also participated in creating awareness for OPS employees. In February, a regional Accessibility Expo also took place in Guelph in February 2012, under the theme “Including an Accessibility Perspective”. This event was also available via webcast, had open exhibits covering key AODA accessibility standards, and was well attended in person and on-line. The related blog posts received more than 1,600 page views.

3. Accessibility as an organizational priority

What is it? We strive to demonstrate leadership for accessibility, and our leaders, managers, and employees all need to play a role. For accessibility to be an organizational priority, our leaders need to be invested and committed. Our partners, including persons with disabilities, need to be included and engaged while working with us in collaboration toward a mutual goal.

Why is it important? For any strategy to be successful, it must be a priority. The OPS Inclusion Lens targets our processes, and the Accessibility at Source campaign focuses on people. Maintaining accessibility as a critical organizational priority will ensure we achieve our goals.

What we did. To promote accessibility as an organizational priority, the OPS and ministries continued to collaborate with corporate partners in procurement, I&IT, human resources and senior executive tables. Collectively we worked to ensure compliance with new legal obligations, to find new solutions for accessibility and to create new ways of doing business that would achieve our goals.

We also responded to feedback from persons with disabilities. One way was through consultation and dialogue with our Disability Advisory Council which provides a voice for persons with disabilities in the OPS. Input from the Council enabled us to ensure our feedback processes were accessible to our customers and to advise them on the availability of alternative formats and communications supports on our Ontario.ca website.

In 2012, Deputy Ministers were required to report their ministries’ annual progress toward identifying, preventing and removing barriers to accessibility. This year marked Ontario’s 10^th year of publishing ministries’ accessibility plans. These plans are part of the public accountability process overseeing OPS progress in accessibility and commitment to persons with disabilities. An overview of each ministry’s past successes was included in the report on last year’s accessibility achievements and future plans to identify and remove barriers to accessibility.

On the ground: Accessibility in Action

Listening to the people we serve provides a perspective that can support and inform future actions. This is why the OPS is committed to continuing a productive dialogue with persons with disabilities and why it has invited representatives from a number of stakeholder groups to provide input at key leadership tables in the OPS. As a result, OPS leaders are more informed on the impacts of their decisions for persons with disabilities and can learn about practical solutions to remove barriers to accessibility.

4. Accessible facilities

What is it? This priority relates to our physical environment and focuses on removing barriers which may exist in our buildings and facilities, while ensuring that new buildings, leases, and renovations do not create any new barriers.

Why is it important? For the OPS to become a leader in accessibility for our customers and employees, it is imperative that everyone is able to move freely, unrestricted by barriers, in all OPS interior and exterior spaces.

What we did. Accessibility improvements are being incorporated by OPS ministries across the province, and accessibility is considered whenever the OPS undertakes new renovations or construction.

Our guidelines for barrier-free facilities were reviewed, updated and posted on Infrastructure Ontario’s website, under the new title, Guidelines for Barrier-Free Design of Ontario Government Facilities, providing clearer intent and content. Vendors who are involved in new builds and/or major renovations are instructed to comply with these guidelines.

Our standard leasing template used to acquire space to house government services and programs was updated in 2011. This template outlines requirements necessary to consider before signing a new lease.

A guide is also being created to assist ministries in ensuring their office spaces are accessible and barrier-free to persons with disabilities in moves and small renovations. This information will help employees, who make decisions related to the selection of office furniture, as well as those who design workspaces and décor ensure that staff, customers and visitors with disabilities are accommodated.

On the ground: Accessibility in Action

Accessibility improvements have been completed in several Ontario heritage facilities. Some examples include barrier-free ramps being installed in parking facilities serving Macdonald Block, Hearst Block and Hepburn Block in Toronto, the Pembroke Ontario Government Building being retrofitted for the Ontario Disability Support Program, public washrooms being renovated to meet the barrier-free guidelines at the Travel Information Centre in Pigeon River.

Moving forward, we’d like to hear from you

We are still at the early stages of our transformation journey. To support our success in meeting the needs of our customers and employees we would be pleased to hear from you. We also look forward to reporting our 2013 progress and improvements a year from now.

Do you have any thoughts or feedback on what has been accomplished so far? Ideas on how plans or projects could be improved? Do you need any other information to move forward with your own plans?

Please contact us with your questions and ideas.

Phone general inquiry: 416-326-8555
Toll free: 1-800-268-1142
TTY 416-326-8566
Mail Ministry of Government Services
Room 4320, Whitney Block
99 Wellesley Street West
Toronto, ON M7A 1W3
E-mail InfoMGS@mgs.gov.on.ca
This document is available online (www.ontario.ca) in the following formats:

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Alternate formats of this document are available at no charge from:
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Website www.ServiceOntario.ca/publications
To learn more about accessibility in the Ontario Public Service, and to access the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan: Leading the Way Forward, all progress reports, and annual ministry accessibility plans go to www.ontario.ca/government/accessibility