Proactive Approaches to Accessibility
The linked websites below describe the proactive initiatives that many large organizations are making to ensure that their goods, services, and job opportunities are equally accessible by people with all abilities. We welcome your suggestions of other examples of organizations doing innovative and interesting things to improve accessibility.
• Air Canada – Travel info for people with disabilities flying Air Canada.
www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/before/specialneeds.html
• Bell Canada – Telephone services for people with disabilities.
www.bell.ca/specialneeds/PrsSN_ContactUs.page
• Hewlett Packard – Accessibility products services and information to people with disabilities or age-related limitations. www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/accessibility/index.html
• Rogers Communications – Accessibility services for visually impaired and blind customers.
www.rogers.com
• St. Augustine’s Seminary of Toronto – Accessibility policy of the Seminary.
www.staugustines.on.ca/community/accessibility.htm
• TD Canada Trust – Customer service descriptions of how people with disabilities can access their offerings.
www.tdcanadatrust.com/accessibility/documents.jsp
• The healthline.ca – Web service showing accessibility services of many businesses across Canada (e.g. Bell Canada).
www.thehealthline.ca
• The Ontario Trillium Foundation – Current accessibility services and support.
www.trilliumfoundation.org/cms/en/accessibility_aodo.aspx?menuid=327
Universities/Colleges – Proactive Examples
• Durham College – Courses offered on accessibility issues.
www.corporatetraining.durhamcollege.ca/EN/main/programs/accessibility.php
• George Brown College – Disability services for students and faculty.
www.georgebrown.ca/saffairs/disabilities/disabilities.aspx
• University of Ottawa – Guide to access services for students.
www.sass.uottawa.ca/access/students/index.php
• Ryerson University – Description of accessibility services for students and accommodations.
www.ryerson.ca/accessibility
• University of Toronto – Accessibility services facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities into all aspects of university life (e.g. Faculty of Physical Education and Health).
www.accessibility.utoronto.ca
• University of Waterloo – Library services for Persons with Disabilities.
www.lib.uwaterloo.ca
• York University – Library accessibility services.
www.library.yorku.ca
• The Bronx Zoo
With 265 acres of parkland home to more than 4,000 animals, there’s plenty for all our guests to experience and enjoy. The Accessibility Map is meant to help facilitate your visit by providing general information on the accessibility of zoo grounds and exhibits.
http://www.bronxzoo.com/plan-your-trip/accessibility.aspx
USEFUL LINKS to organizations creating an accessible Ontario
Provides links to organizations actively involved in creating an accessible Ontario.
• Access Guide Canada – Guide to accessible places in Canada by community.
www.abilities.ca
• Access on Main Street – covers mainstream products that, by chance or design, make life easier for an elder or a person with a disability. www.accessonmainstreet.net/
• Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability – the focal point for this organization is active living for Canadians with a disability. The alliance partners with national organizations in Canada such as Canadian Paralympic Committee, Canadian Amputee Sports Association, Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association and many more.
www.ala.ca/content/home.asp
• Adaptech Research Network – Research on adaptive technologies in universities & colleges.
www.Adaptech.dawsoncollege.qc.ca
• Adaptive Technology Resource Centre – (now the Inclusive Design Research Centre) developed tools to assist organizations with publishing accessible web contact. AChecker tool assesses the accessibility of web content based on a variety of international accessibility standards.
www.idrc.ocad.ca
• Coalition for Persons with Disabilities – is a non-profit community based partnership of persons with disabilities, groups, agencies, employers, educators, labour, government representatives and others interested in working collaboratively to effect positive changes for persons with disabilities.
www.disabilityaccess.org
• Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) – is a national human rights organization of people with disabilities working for an inclusive and accessible Canada. www.ccdonline.ca
• Dis-IT Disability & Information Technologies Research Alliance – Research into how businesses utilize /create technology for accessible workplaces.
www.dis-it.ca
• DiversityBusiness.com is the America’s primary resource portal for business connections.
It is a membership-based exchange platform that facilitates contacts and communication, supplier diversity tools, streamlines business processes and provides vital business news and information. This link is to an article describing the Business Case for Diversity (http://www.diversitybusiness.com/news/diversity.magazine/99200847.asp), or why making your products and services accessible makes good business sense.
• Government of Canada – provides access to services and information for persons with disabilities, family members, caregivers and all Canadians.
www.pwd-online.gc.ca/[email protected]?lang=eng
• Ideal Conference – Develops and uses advanced technology in support of educatability, and employability of persons with disabilities. www.onlineconferencingsystems.com
• Industry Canada – Tracking of Canadian assistive technology and assistive devices.
www.at-links.gc.ca
• Independent Living Institute – Consumer controlled organization promoting people with disabilities to make choices and take responsibility for the development & management of personal & community resources.
www.independentliving.org
• Municipal Accessibility Working Group – the site has been established by AMCTO – the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks & Treasurers of Ontario – with financial support from the Ministry of Community & Social Services to help the municipal sector meet its responsibilities under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.
www.accessiblemunicipalities.ca
• Excellence Canada – People Access is a division of the Excellence Canada, formerly the National Quality Institute. Excellence Canada assists organizations to improve excellence, increase productivity and build healthy workplaces through the use of quality principles, practices and certification. The Excellence Canada web site offers healthy workplace criteria and guidelines, courses, resources, training and recognition. The newest award for 2011 is the Excellence Canada Community Accessibility Awards Program.
www.excellence.ca
• Project: Possibility – Non-profit community service organization that is trying to make a difference in the lives of persons with disabilities.
www.projectpossibility.org
• Realising Potential – a U.K. website with everything needed to put together a compelling business case for action on accessibility.
www.realising-potential.org
• Rick Hansen Foundation – The Foundation is dedicated to finding the cure for spinal cord injury and making communities fully accessible and inclusive. www.rickhansen.com
http://www.hicksmorley.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=961
LEGISLATION
Provides resources of information to support a business for accessibility.
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005
www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_05a11_e.htm
• AODA Customer Service Standards
www.accesson.ca/en/mcss/programs/accessibility/OntarioAccessibilityLaws/index.aspx
• PALS reports (Participation Activity Limitation Surveys) StatsCan
www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3251&lang+en&db+IMDB&dbg=f&adm=8&dis=2
