Dorothy Macnaughton Accessibility and Diversity Training

 To comply with legislation which upholds the rights of people with disabilities to access goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises ◦Human Rights Codes and Acts in every province and territory ◦In Ontario, the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the Accessibility for Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service

 To meet the requirements of the Federal Government Initiative for Equitable Library Access  Library and Archives Canada Accessible Library Service Guidelines - online resource

 To allow for equitable access to information, resources and services in the library or outside the library by outreach programs or by electronic access ◦“3. (2) 2. The provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities and others must be integrated unless an alternate measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the goods or services.” Final Draft, Ontario’s Accessible Information and Communications Standard

 To provide effective communication with people who have difficulty communicating  To be able to communicate effectively with people with disabilities during emergency and evacuation situations  To ensure the library’s policies, procedures and practices allow for equitable access to information and resources and for ways to communicate with people with disabilities

 Final Draft, Ontario’s Accessible Information and Communications Standard “ 7.3 Public Libraries  Public libraries shall have the means to provide accessible materials.”

 Final Draft, Ontario’s Information and Communications Standard ◦“The proposed standard specifies requirements to prevent and remove barriers to persons with disabilities when creating, procuring, conveying, receiving, or distributing information and communications to and from persons with disabilities in the province of Ontario.”

 Policies  Accessible Information Policy  Accessible Communication Policy  Procurement of Accessible Goods and Services

 Policies will explain: ◦how your library will deal with requests for information in alternate formats and communication by alternate means ◦how your library will deal with requests for communication supports and services ◦how your library’s procurement policies will address accessibility ◦what information and communications will be made available in plain language

X Library will:  Provide integrated information services, or alternate measures, which will enable a person with disabilities to have equitable access to information and resources  Provide information to people with disabilities in a manner which respects the person’s disability

 Make information documents available in plain language  Not charge a person with a disability more for alternate types of information than a person who does not have a disability would pay  Give people with a disability at least the same time to review, respond or use information as is given to those who do not have a disability

 Meet the information needs of people with disabilities in a timely fashion, recognizing the urgency of the situation  Develop and implement policies, practices and procedures which will enable a person with disabilities to have equitable access to information and resources

 Upon request, provide all documents required by law in alternate formats and provide supports and services required by law  Ensure there is adequate funding allocated for the provision of alternate format materials

 Appendix to Policies ◦definitions  Appendix to Accessible Information Policy ◦Specific alternate measures which will enable a person with disabilities to have equitable access to information and resources  (e.g. – your library’s outreach policy, practices or procedures)

X Library will:  Upon request, provide communication assistance to people with disabilities  Develop and implement practices which will enable a person with disabilities to have access to the same communication as those who do not have a disability

 Provide integrated communication services, or alternate measures, which will enable a person with disabilities to have access to the same communication as those who do not have a disability  Inform people with disabilities about the availability of accessible communication technology, equipment or devices and/or methods of communication available

 Provide communication to people with disabilities in a manner which respects the person’s disability  Make communications available in plain language  Give people with disabilities at least the same time to review, respond or use communications as that given to those who do not have a disability

 Meet the communication needs of people with disabilities in a timely fashion, that recognizes the urgency of the situation

 Appendix to Policies ◦definitions  Appendix to Accessible Communication Policy ◦Specific alternate measures which will enable a person with disabilities to be able to communicate  (e.g. – how staff will communicate with a person who is deaf)

 Procurement ◦Universal design principles  Take into account equitable access for people with disabilities, as well as everyone else. ◦Staff members with procurement responsibilities need to understand that technology, goods, materials and services purchased must be directly accessible to people with disabilities. ◦Gain a knowledge of whether goods and services will be accessible

 Ensure staff have an ongoing dialogue with library users with disabilities about whether goods, technology and services are accessible  Customer Feedback  Buy the most accessible product available at the time.  Some goods and services can be made accessible by the use of assistive technology.

 When hiring service providers, hire those who are knowledgeable about accessibility and trained in accessible customer service.  Add requirements to a contractual document (e.g. a request for proposal) to ensure that purchases will be as accessible as possible.  Questions need to be asked of a vendor or manufacturer to ensure the products you are buying will be useable by your consumers or employees with disabilities.

 The Accessible Procurement Toolkit (APT) and in French,

 Customer Service Training  Documents available in alternate formats  Alternate format materials  Assistive Technology  Accessible Web sites and Web content

Customer Service Training ◦Staff training on Accessible Information Policy, Procedures and Practices ◦Training about information barriers and the needs of people with disabilities ◦Assistive devices used by people with disabilities ◦Assistive devices and technology available at the library

Documents available in alternate format s ◦Forms identified in Standards ◦Customer Feedback forms ◦Notification to the public regarding accessibility documents which are available to the public ◦Upon request, library pamphlets or brochures ◦Documents available in plain language

 CNIB’s Clear Print Guidelines  ty/text/clearprint/Default.aspx ty/text/clearprint/Default.aspx  Plain Language  dex.cfm dex.cfm

Alternate Format Materials  Development of Collections ◦Philosophy of inclusion ◦Ensuring adequate content Large Print Books DAISY books and magazines Electronic books Braille books Printbraille and Tactile books Descriptive videos and DVDs

Assistive Technology ◦Assistive Technology Policy ◦Under the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, people with disabilities can bring assistive devices into the library with them. ◦If your library offers assistive devices or technology, staff must be trained to understand how the assistive technology works and how to assist people with disabilities who will be using it.

 Critical to access the Internet, library catalogues, online databases

Assistive Technology  Policy, procedures and practices (Accessibility Standards for Customer Service)  People with Vision Loss  People with Learning Disabilities  People with Physical Disabilities

Accessible Web sites and web content  Accessible web pages / websites (user interfaces, navigation)  Web sites and web content should be compliant with W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0), level A.  New web authoring tools procured by an organization should support the authoring of accessible web sites and enable authoring by people with disabilities by following the current version of ATAG or equivalent guidelines.

Accessible Databases Accessible Catalogues

If one form or method of communication cannot be used by a person with a disability, they may be able to use another form or method, or a combination. A form of communication could be writing, speaking or the use of pictures. A method of communication could be in person, over the phone or online.

 Customer Service Training  Alternate Format Materials  Assistive Devices and Technology  Communicating in an Emergency or Evacuation

Customer Service Training ◦Staff training on Accessible Communication Policy, Procedures and Practices ◦Training regarding assistive devices and technology used by people with disabilities ◦Communication supports, technology and devices ◦(e.g. – American Sign Language interpreter) ◦Communication barriers and the needs of people with disabilities

Customer Service Training Communicating with people with disabilities ◦Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing ◦People with speech impediments ◦People who use augmentative speech devices ◦People with intellectual disabilities

 Alternate Format Materials ◦Close Captioned Videos and DVDs

 Assistive Devices and Technology ◦TTYs ◦FM Assistive Listening Systems ◦Visual Fire Alarms

Communicating in an emergency situation ◦Review your library’s emergency and evacuation plan ◦Ensure the needs of people with disabilities who may be in the library at the time of an emergency situation are taken into account in the library’s emergency and evacuation plan ◦Establish procedures for communicating with people with disabilities during an emergency or evacuation

 Emergency and Evacuation Plans must be explained to people with disabilities in the library who may be employees or volunteers.  Anyone who uses the library should be able to ask questions about the library’s emergency and evacuation plan and to be provided with a copy of the plan.

 When a person with a disability requests a copy of the evacuation plan in alternate format, it will be provided in the format requested in a timely manner.  Communication supports and services about emergency and evacuation planning must be provided to the public, employees and volunteers.

Resources:  Sample Emergency Evacuation Plan. Access Board.  Access Board Emergency Evacuation Procedures.  Americans with Disabilities Act. An ADA Guide for Local Governments. Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities.

 University of California, Berkeley. Evacuation Policy for People with Disabilities. April, d_people/documents/EvacPolDisab.pdf

 Library users with disabilities should enjoy the same access to goods, services and the same ability to communicate as any other library user.  Providing alternate format materials, assistive technologies, and communication tools will enable people with disabilities to have equitable access to your library’s goods and services.  It makes sense to ensure your library is a leader in ensuring accessible information and communications for everyone.

Dorothy Macnaughton Accessibility and Diversity Training 67 Amber St. Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 6N6 (705) Cell phone (705)