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Location: About the OFA > Plans and Reports > 2006-2007 Accessibility Plan
Office of Francophone Affairs
2006-2007 Accessibility Plan
ISSN # 1708-4407
Table of Contents
In 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 These obligations will remain in effect until they are repealed and replaced by standards under the new act.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.
This document is the fourth annual accessibility plan developed by the Office of Francophone Affairs. 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.
The Office of Francophone Affairs 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.
Madeleine Meilleur
All public sector and broader public sector organizations are required by law to have an annual accessibility plan and to make it available to the public. This is the fourth year in which plans have been written and are being implemented by organizations such as ours across the province.
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.
The Office of Francophone Affairs is committed to improving accessibility through identifying, removing and preventing barriers, working together within our Office, across government and with our stakeholders in key areas of customer service, employment, communications and information, and the built environment.
Here at the Office of Francophone Affairs, 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 Office, regardless of whether they are staff, members of the general public or the Office of Francophone Affairs stakeholders.
The Office continues to work to better educate staff on accessibility. Examples of this work in the past year include the development of tools that provide guidance to other ministries on how to ensure that Francophones with disabilities have access to quality and timely information in accessible format and fully participate to community events in French. More examples are provided in the pages that follow.
If you have any comments or concerns, I encourage you to send them using the contact information located at the end of this document.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Madeleine Meilleur
Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs
Report on Achievements
2005 - 2006 Accessibility Improvement Initiatives
The Office was successful in achieving its planned commitments outlined in its 2005-06 accessibility plan. The following section provides a status report of the Office of Francophone Affairs' achievements in helping the government achieve its goal of a more accessible Ontario.
Commitment: Improve awareness of the ODA to people with disabilities within the Francophone community.
Status: Completed
Action taken: The Office, through its website, informed the Francophone community of its rights under the ODA.
Timeframe: A section on the rights of the Francophone
community under the ODA was posted on the OFA's website in August 2006.
Commitment: Improve services targeted to those who are deaf, deafened and hard of hearing within the Francophone community.
Status: Completed
Action taken: The Office has a TTY (text telephone) available for people who are deaf, and staff working at the reception area, have been trained to use it. As business cards of new employees and letterheads were ordered, the Office published its TTY number on the business cards and letterhead.
Timeframe: Throughout 2005-06, as business cards and letterheads were being reordered, the Office published its TTY number on the business cards and letterheads.
Commitment: The Office will ensure the new Ministry of Government Services E-module (on-line) training tool for the procurement provisions of the ODA is reviewed by all staff with procurement responsibilities in order to ensure that accessibility has been considered in the procurement of accessible goods and services, both for use of employees and the general public
Status: Completed
Action taken: The Office's new staff with procurement responsibilities completed the on-line training for the procurement provisions of the ODA.
Timeframe: New staff with procurement
responsibilities reviewed the E-module training tool for the procurement
provisions of the ODA in August 2006.
Commitment: Accessibility awareness training will be provided to all the Office's staff, including recently hired staff, to fulfill section 8 requirements (re: employment accommodation).
Status: In progress
Action: The Office will develop an accessibility awareness training program by the end of March 2007 based on an assessment of its staff needs.
Timeframe: The accessibility awareness training program will be provided to the Office's staff once the training program has been developed.
Rationale: The accessibility awareness training will be tailored to the Office's staff needs and will cover accommodation for employees, job applicants and members of the public who have disabilities.
Commitment: The Office will review its French Language Services Guidelines to include information on meeting the needs of Francophones with disabilities.
Status: Completed
Action taken: A section on services for Francophones with disabilities has been added to the French Language Services Guidelines.
Timeframe: The French Language Services Guidelines were revised in February 2006 to include provisions on services to Francophones with disabilities.
Commitment: The Office will disseminate useful information on how to make community events, meetings and conferences accessible to Francophones with disabilities.
Status: Completed
Action taken: The guide "Planification de réunions accessibles" has been translated and distributed to French-language services coordinators and made available to Ontario public service staff through its intranet site.
Timeframe: The guide has been translated, distributed to French-language coordinators and posted on the OFA website in the Summer of 2006.
Commitment: All updates to the Office's internet and intranet sites will take into account the requirements of the ODA.
Status: Completed
Action: All new materials posted on the Office's website and intranet sites in 2005-06 were designed for usability by people with disabilities, reflecting the broad definition of "disability" under the ODA.
Timeframe: New materials posted on the Office's internet and intranet sites in 2005-06 were designed for usability by people with disabilities.
Commitment: The Office will continue to ensure that its publications are available in alternate formats, upon request.
Status: Completed
Action: All new publications were designed to allow for the provision of alternate formats, upon request.
Timeframe: New publications were available in alternate format upon request throughout 2005-06.
Commitment: The Office will complete a review of its office space to implement the Ontario Realty Corporation Standards for Barrier-Free Design of Ontario Government Facilities.
Status: In progress
Action: The review of the facility will be completed once the Office has moved to its new location using Ontario Realty Corporation Standards for a barrier-free environment.
Timeframe: The review of the Office's facility to implement the standards for a barrier-free environment will be completed in 2006-07.
Rationale: The Office is moving to a new location by the end of the summer of 2006.
Commitment: The Office will review proposed changes, if any, to the French Language Services Act and regulations in the coming year to ensure that ODA requirements are met.
Status: Pending upon changes brought to the FLSA and its regulations.
Action: Any changes to the French Language Services Act or to its regulations will be developed and examined with a view to meet the requirements of the ODA.
Timeframe: Requirements under the ODA will be considered and complied with prior to any changes being made to the FLSA and its regulations.
Rationale: No changes were made to the FLSA and its regulations in 2005-06.
In the coming year, the Office of Francophone Affairs commits to assess its acts, regulations, policies, programs, and services to determine their effect on accessibility for persons with disabilities. This section summarizes these commitments.
Customer service
Commitment: Continue to provide quality services to those who are deaf, deafened and hard of hearing within the Francophone community.
Action: The Office has a TTY (text telephone) available for people who are deaf, deafened and hard of hearing and will continue to ensure that staff working at the reception, are trained to use it. TTY number will be published on the Office's new letterhead and staff business cards.
Timeframe: Immediate and ongoing.
Employment
Commitment: The Office will develop an accessibility awareness training program tailored to its staff needs and will cover accommodation for employees, job applicants and members of the public who have disabilities.
Action: Based on an assessment of staff needs, the Office will develop an accessibility awareness training program for its staff.
Timeframe: The Office will develop the accessibility awareness training program tailored to the Office's staff needs in 2006-07 which will cover accommodation for employees, job applicants and members of the public who have disabilities.
Communications and information
Commitment: All updates to the Office's internet and intranet sites will take into account the requirements of the ODA.
Action: The Office will continue to ensure that all new materials posted on its website and intranet sites are designed for usability by people with disabilities.
Timeframe: New materials will be designed for usability by people with disabilities prior to be posted on the Office's internet and intranet.
Commitment: The Office's new location will be designed according to the guidelines set in the Ontario Realty Standards for Barrier-Free Design of Ontario Facilities.
Action: Consultants selected for designing and furnishing the Office's new location are required to follow the guidelines set in the Ontario Realty Standards for Barrier-Free Design of Ontario Facilities
Timeframe: A systematic review of the Office's facility will be conducted to identify any remaining physical barriers once the Office has moved to its new location.
Acts and regulations
Commitment: The Office will review proposed changes, if any, to the French Language Services Act and regulations in the coming year to ensure that ODA requirements are met.
Action: Any changes to the French Language Services Act or to its regulations will be developed and examined with a view to meet the requirements of the ODA.
Timeframe: Ongoing.
Commitments — Barriers to be Addressed
The Office of Francophone Affairs commits to identify, remove and prevent barriers to persons with disabilities in the coming year. This section summarizes these commitments.
Employment
Commitment: The Office's accessibility planning working group will continue to review and update the plan, monitor its implementation and provide regular reports to the Office's senior management and updates to all of the Office's staff.
Action: The working group will monitor the implementation of the Office's 2006-07 accessibility plan and updated senior management and Office staff.
Timeframe: Monitoring is ongoing while updates will be provided on a regular basis throughout 2006-07. A particular focus will be given to the Office's space and the development of an awareness training program tailored to the Office's staff needs.
Built environment
Commitment: Ensure the Office's new location is a barrier-free facility.
Action: Once the Office has moved to its new location, a systematic review of the facility will be conducted to identify any remaining physical barriers that need to be addressed.
Timeframe: The review of the Office's facility to implement the standards for a barrier-free environment will be completed in 2006-07.
Questions or comments about the ministry's accessibility plan are always welcome.
Please phone: 416 325-4943
General inquiry number: 416 325-4949
TTY number: 416 325-0017
1-800 number: 1-800-268-7507
E-mail: ofa@ontario.ca
Ministry website address: www.ofa.gov.on.ca
Visit the Ministry of Community and Social Services Accessibility Ontario web portal at: www.mcss.gov.on.ca/accessibility/index.html. 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
Out of town customers, except Ottawa, call: 1-800-668-9938
In Ottawa, call 613 238-3630 or toll-free: 1-800-268-8758
TTY Service: 1-800-268-7095
Queen's Printer for Ontario
ISSN 1708-4407
Ce document est disponible en français.
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