2007-08 Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs

Introduction

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.

Five key areas have been identified for the first accessibility standards: customer service, transportation, information and communications, the built environment, and employment.

The accessible customer service regulations were approved by the Lieutenant-Governor and will come into force on January 1, 2008.

An initial proposed standard on accessible transportation has been developed by the Transportation Standards Development Committee. It was posted for public review on June 27, and will be available for public comment until September 28, 2007.

The Standards Development Committee that will draft the proposed information and communications standard was established and began meeting in April, 2007. The committees developing the accessible built environment and accessible employment standards have been selected and will begin meeting in the fall of 2007.

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 These obligations will remain in effect until they are repealed and replaced by standards under the new act.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. Accessibility planning efforts to date have developed a strong foundation for the development of accessibility standards that will mean real and effective change.

This document is the fifth annual accessibility plan developed by the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs. It highlights the achievements of the 2006-07 plan and outlines the commitments for 2007-08 so that no new barriers are created and, over time, existing ones are removed.

This ministry 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.

Message from Minister

The Honourable Dr. Marie Bountrogianni
This year marks the second anniversary of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), which I had the privilege of introducing as the former Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. This landmark legislation will require the development, implementation and enforcement of accessibility standards in key areas of daily living across the province.

A number of initiatives are already moving forward. Accessibility standards in five important areas – customer service, transportation, information and communications, the built environment, and employment – are either going through the public review process or being developed this year. These are enormous steps toward making Ontario a barrier-free province.

It is in this spirit of progress that I present the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs’ (MIA) 2007-08 Accessibility Plan. All public sector and broader public sector organizations are required by the Ontarians with Disabilities Act of 2001 to produce an annual accessibility plan and make it available to the public. This is the fifth year in which plans have been developed by organizations such as ours.

MIA remains committed to improving accessibility through identifying, removing and preventing barriers. We are also continuing our efforts to better educate our staff. For example, our in-house information session on accessibility issues was attended by over half of the ministry staff. More accomplishments are described on the pages that follow.

If you have any comments or concerns, I encourage you to submit them using the contact information located at the end of this document.

Sincerely,

The Honourable Dr. Marie Bountrogianni
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Democratic Renewal Secretariat

Report on Achievements

2006 - 2007 Accessibility Improvement Initiatives
The Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs (MIA) is pleased to report on new and specific initiatives it has taken during the past year to make its services, products, events and facilities more accessible to people with disabilities.

In 2006-2007, MIA ensured that people with disabilities could access it activities and information. It provided an accessible workplace for employees, and continued to raise awareness of accessibility issues among ministry staff.

This section reports on the ministry’s 2006-2007 commitments and achievements.

Commitment
A component on accommodating the needs of customers with disabilities will be posted on MIA’s intranet to increase “accessibility awareness” among ministry staff and provide them with the information they require to provide accessible services.

Status
Complete.

Action
MIA’s Accessibility Team, working in cooperation with the ministry’s communications staff and staff from Accessibility Directorate of Ontario, developed and posted an “Accessibility at MIA” section for the ministry’s intranet. The section includes information and web links regarding a variety of accessibility issues.

Timeframe
July 2006.

Commitment
The ministry will identify a ministry contact or “go to” person who staff can meet with to discuss accessibility issues.

Status
Complete.

Action
The ministry’s Corporate Projects Coordinator was designated as the contact person for accessibility issues. This information was announced to staff and posted on the ministry’s intranet.

Timeframe
November 2006.

Commitment
The ministry’s communications branch will ensure that the list of Consular Corps contacts maintained by the ministry’s Office of International Relations and Protocol is available in an accessible format.

Status
Complete.

Action
An updated version of the list of Consular Corps contacts was posted on the ministry’s Internet in an accessible format. The list is updated regularly.

Timeframe
December 2006.

Commitment
As part of its ongoing review of physical barriers in the workplace, the ministry planned to install easier-to-use, lever-type door handles in place of older door knobs in the individual offices at its main location at 77 Wellesley Street West.

Status
Complete

Action
The ministry installed the easier-to-use, lever-type door handles on all office doors. The ministry also installed an additional power-assisted door in the north-east corner of the building.

Timeframe
March 2007.

Ongoing Accessibility Improvement Initiatives
The Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs (MIA) established an accessibility planning team in 2003. Its mandate is to identify, remove and prevent barriers within the ministry to people with disabilities. To help achieve its mandate, the team has established several ongoing accessibility improvement initiatives which it reports on annually.

Commitment
In order to increase awareness of MIA staff regarding barriers that could affect accessibility for people with disabilities, the ministry will continue to organize employee learning sessions.