In This Section |
Accessibility Plan 2004-2005
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| Author: | OMAFRA Staff |
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| Creation Date: | 2004 |
| Last Reviewed: | 2005 |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
In December 2001, the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) was passed into law. Its purpose is to improve opportunities for people with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the province.
One of the requirements under the ODA is that Ontario government ministries, municipalities, hospitals, school boards, colleges, universities and public transportation organizations develop annual accessibility plans to make policies, practices, programs, services and buildings more accessible to people with disabilities. The plans must be made available to the public.
This document is the second annual accessibility plan developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. It highlights achievements of the 2003-04 plan and outlines commitments for 2004-05 so that no new barriers are created and existing ones are removed over time.
Ministries across government are increasing awareness of accessibility and integrating accessibility into daily business practices in a number of areas, including staff training, public information, facilities, and program and service delivery processes.
This ministry intends to build on its achievements by implementing
initiatives that support the government's efforts and commitment to
continue to make Ontario an inclusive and accessible province, where
people of all abilities have a chance to fully participate and achieve
their potential.
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MESSAGE FROM MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD
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On behalf of the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture and Food, I would like to present our
second annual Accessibility Plan.
The 2004-2005 Accessibility Plan reflects our ministry's efforts to make Ontario strong, vital and accessible to people of all abilities. For more than a century, our ministry has fostered longstanding relationships with our agricultural, food and rural communities while becoming an accessible and inclusive employer and service provider that offers its citizens the chance to fully participate in building a stronger province. |
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I am proud that our ministry is delivering real, positive change that will make Ontario strong, healthy and prosperous.
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REPORT ON ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2003-2004 PLANNING COMMITMENTS
The ministry is pleased to report on the achievements for 2003-2004. We have moved forward on our accessibility commitments in many areas. You will note that our commitments are ongoing to ensure that accessibility continues to be considered in the delivery of quality public service.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: The APWG was established with broad participation from across the Ministry. The group assisted in the completion of the Accessibility Quotient Questionnaire, reviewed progress on the commitments for 2003-2004 and identified areas of focus for preventing barriers and addressing new ones during 2004-2005 as part of the Accessibility Plan. Links were also established with the Wellington County Public Sector Consortium, whose members include accessibility planning leaders from a group of broader public sector institutions such as municipalities, school boards, and hospital boards.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: The ministry partnered with the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) in the implementation of the nutrient management legislation. The ministry provided information in accessible format for clients and stakeholders as well as on its websites and in documents available through Publications Ontario.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: The Farm Products Marketing Commission (FPMC), Farm Products Appeals Tribunal (FPAT), Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) and Agricorp all work closely with the ministry.
Consultations took place with these organizations that are working towards improving accessibility in line with the requirements of the ODA. The FPMC, FPAT and ARIO websites are ODA compliant and Agricorp is in the process of achieving this goal. As these organizations are situated at the 1 Stone Road location, a number of the accessibility issues are addressed through the ministry's plan.
The ministry will continue to work with these organizations in 2004-2005 to assist them in achieving compliance.
Status: Deferred, pending the release of the new ORC Barrier-Free Design Guidelines
Action and Timeframe: An inventory of accessibility deficiencies for ministry premises is planned upon the release of the ORC Barrier Free Design Guidelines (please see commitments 2004-2005 for details). In the absence of the guidelines, the ministry continues to address barriers in the workplace. The 1 Stone Road location has undergone some modifications to address accessibility deficiencies (e.g.. For example, automatic door systems for washroom facilities and blue/red light beacons for emergency events and evacuation exercises). The ministry has continually informed ORC of any concerns / infrastructure problems in regional resource centres to remedy or enhance barrier-free access.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: In 2003-2004, the ministry ensured that all public hearings were held in locations accessible to people with physical disabilities. In addition, the Farm Products Appeals Tribunal ensured that all off-site hearings were held in accessible rooms.
Currently, the ministry is in a better position to effectively address accessibility issues in the planning of public meeting and stakeholder consultations. Several ministry offices already identify accessibility as a category in "meeting hall/room" inventories. In addition, mechanisms have been put into place to respond to requests for alternative formats and interpretation services as required.
During 2003-2004 the ministry conducted post evaluations of ministry clients and stakeholders attending ministry- sponsored events held at ministry locations to determine whether or not the event was considered accessible. The results, based on 12 key events/750 completed questionnaires indicated that 86 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that the events were accessible.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: The ministry's Health and Safety Committee at the 1 Stone Road location, promoted awareness of the ministry's Emergency Evacuation Procedures, which includes the safe evacuation of people with disabilities. Red and blue light beacons are located throughout the premises to enhance emergency evacuation. In addition, a buddy system is employed during evacuations and a search of the blue beacon areas takes place to ensure that people with disabilities are safely removed from the premises.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: The ministry Internet website is fully compliant. The ministry continues to monitor the website so that Priority 1 and Priority 2 accessibility standards identified by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) are being met. Division web editors are responsible for the reviewing, monitoring and testing of content to ensure compliance prior to posting. In addition, the ministry's webmaster monitors the entire site and conducts spot checks to identify compliance deficiencies, if any. All known at fault pages are immediately updated to ensure ODA compliance.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: The ministry has identified a staff member to respond to requests for publications in accessible formats for people with disabilities.
Status: In Progress
Action and Timeframe: Ongoing
Rationale: As a general practice, ministry staff consider accessibility issues when obtaining goods and services for the ministry. With the Government's recent release of formal procurement guidelines, ministry processes will be formalized in 2004-05 and communicated to staff to ensure compliance and consistency.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: All open competitions were posted on line. Human Resources staff with responsibility for recruitment activities were available to respond to questions as well as requests for accommodation from applicants to ministry job competitions. In addition, Human Resources staff were available to support candidates through the competition process.
A more complete review of employment practices and processes is scheduled in the 2004-2005 Plan.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: Staff requests relating to visual, hearing or other desktop associated aids made during 2003-2004 were addressed. The ministry will address new requests, on an ongoing basis, when staff members identify them.
Status: In progress
Action and Timeframe: The ministry is working with the Land and Resources cluster to complete this project. New database websites will be online as part of the overall redesign of the internal Intranet website within the 2004-2005 year.
To Date: ODA related issues have been flagged as content is developed; approval checkpoints in the workflow processes has been established to ensure that content is accessible; and manual processes have been developed to ensure that pages are updated and tested before posting takes place.
The ministry will review and re-engineer its employee Intranet sites to ensure that any new requirements of the ODA or MBS are met, once specified.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: Eight group information sessions on employee accommodation were conducted during the 2003-2004 year. In addition, Human Resources staff responded to questions and requests related to accommodation from candidates involved in a competitive process and reviewed 75 workstations of individual staff members who requested accommodation. Fifteen accommodations were made possible through the assistance of external support. The ministry will continue to respond to requests for accommodation as received.
Status: In progress
Action and Timeframe: An individual has been identified to coordinate the training for the ministry. Work is underway to develop the project plan, schedule and content of the training. Training sessions will be conducted during the 2004-2005 year and continue on an ongoing basis after that.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: The ministry's 1 Stone Road location and a number of field locations are fully compliant in this area. A complete review of ministry locations outside the Guelph area will be completed in 2004-2005 year.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: Over the 2003-2004 year, the ministry regularly reminded existing and alerted new management staff of the requirement to complete the ODA electronic training program. Statistical information from the SSB was reviewed on a regular basis to ensure the 100 percent compliance of the ODA requirement. The ministry will continue to monitor the participation rate on an ongoing basis and follow up with managers as appropriate.
Status: Deferred to 2004-2005
Action and Timeframe: The ministry was unable to initiate this project during the 2003-2004 year. It has been identified as a year two priority for the APWG.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: No ODA issues were identified in the review requests for the funding of transfer payment organizations or of capital programs.
Status: Ongoing
Action and Timeframe: The ministry reviewed its publications
and information and amended it to include the appropriate TTY
numbers. In addition, the Ministry's Agricultural Information
Contact Centre processed requests for information from clients
through the Bell Canada's TTY service.
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COMMITMENTS AND STRATEGIES FOR 2004-2005
Action: The ministry plans to expand the number of participants on the APWG to include staff with disabilities and those who have an expertise in disability issues. The Group will develop their terms of reference; identify accessibility issues; structure planning processes to include consideration for ODA related issues; develop processes, tools, and plans to remove existing barriers and prevent new ones; monitor/track the ministry's progress against its commitments in the 2004-2005 plan and assist in the development of the 2005-2006 plan.
Timeframe: September 2004-March 2005 and ongoing.
Action: The ministry's Facilities Management Unit, Service Management Branch and the ORC to undertake a review of physical accessibility in its facilities outside the 1 Stone Road location. In addition, the ministry will prepare a report on; the barriers identified, the methods required, and timeframe specified to make the appropriate adjustments. The report will also include a review of emergency evacuation provisions and signage at these locations.
The ministry will review the guidelines from the Ontario Realty Corporation, once they are released, to ensure that all work carried out meets at ministry locations meet the standards as defined.
Timeframe: September 2004-March 2005.
Action: The implementation of cross ministry programs has expanded the number and variety of collaborations across ministries. The ministry intends to continue to expand its work with other ministries. It commits to consider accessibility issues in all of its collaborations. To that end, a ministry lead will be assigned for each initiative and will be responsible for ensuring that accessibility issues are addressed.
Timeframe: September 2004-March 2005 and ongoing
Action: The ministry will meet with each organization at least once during the 2004-2005 timeframe to determine the level of compliance of each organization, and provide advice and support as required, to assist the organizations to achieve compliance with the ODA.
Timeframe: September 2004 - March 2005 and ongoing.
Action: The ministry, through the APWG, commits to developing a guideline to support the planning of ministry-sponsored public meetings and stakeholder consultations that proactively considers and defines related actions to effectively address accessibility issues and respond to accommodation requests from people with disabilities. The ministry will continue to conduct and monitor client satisfaction evaluations of public meetings held in 2004-2005 to ensure that full consideration is given to accessibility issues. Accessibility issues identified in these evaluations will be considered and addressed for future events.
Timeframe: September 2004-March 2005.
Action: The ministry has identified a member of staff to co-ordinate the response to requests for publications in alternate formats for staff and people with disabilities.
Timeframe: September 2004 - March 2005 and ongoing.
Commitment: The ministry commits to providing advice and direction to staff related to considering accessibility issues when procuring goods and services.
Action: The ministry will ensure that managers receive the Guidelines for Implementing the Procurement Procedures of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Training and support materials will be provided to managers to facilitate the effective use of the guidelines.
Timeframe: 2004-05
Action: The ministry will continue to train staff in the use of TTY equipment and systems. The ministry will identify TTY numbers on new and reprinted materials, publications, advertisements, etc.
Timeframe: September 2004- March 2005 and ongoing.
Action: The ministry will continue its practice of monitoring the reviewing all new content to ensure that it is compliant prior to posting. In addition, the Internet websites will continue to be monitored and spot-checked to ensure ongoing compliance. Work will continue on the ministry's Intranet site during the 2004-2005 year to improve accessibility. Should ODA related guidelines be issued during this timeframe, the ministry will review and adjust the Intranet websites to ensure compliance with the established standards.
Timeframe: September 2004- March 2005
Action: The ministry's Human Resources staff will undertake a review of employment policies, processes, practices and tools to identify potential barriers to accessibility. A report inventorying the barriers identified, as well as the methods recommended to remove them, will be prepared and will include an action plan with defined timelines. Current practices of advertising on line, and providing support to applicants requesting accommodation will be continued.
Timeframe: September 2004-March 2005.
Action: The ministry through the APWG will develop a process and multi-year schedule to facilitate the review of all existing and new legislation, regulations, policies, and programs. A report will be prepared to identify the changes required.
Timeframe: September 2004-March 2005 and ongoing.
Action: The ministry, through the APWG, will develop a procedural guideline to assist staff to consider accessibility issues in the review/approval of funding requests. At this time no ODA related issues have been identified with respect to funding initiatives. The ministry however will continue to monitor all funding requests to identify and take action to remedy any accessibility issues.
Timeframe: September 2004-March 2005 and ongoing.
Action: The ministry will increase awareness levels and skills in identifying, considering and remedying ODA related issues by continuing and building on its practices of providing; ODA related training to staff, accommodation to staff members and applicants involved in a competitive process.
Timeframe: September 2004-March 2005 and ongoing.
General inquiry number: (519) 826-3100
TTY number: (519) 826-7402
Toll Free: 1 888 466-2372
Ministry website address: www.omaf.gov.on.ca
Visit the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration's Accessibility Ontario web portal at: www.gov.on.ca/citizenship/accessibility. The site promotes accessibility and provides information and resources on how to make Ontario a barrier-free province.
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ISSN 1710-291X Accessibility Plan. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (Online)
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