1. Getting Ready to Report What Career Colleges Need to Know
Career Colleges Ontario 2017 Conference
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
Getting Ready to Report
What Career Colleges Need to Know
June 15, 2017

2. Accessibility Compliance Reporting Getting Started
Accessibility compliance reports are due by December 31, 2017
New accessibility compliance report form now available at ontario.ca/AccessibilityReport
Download the form
Save it
Fill in the required information
Submit
No log-in needed at any point in the process
This is an important year. In 2017, organizations from all sectors across Ontario - including for-profit and non-profit career colleges with 20 or more employees – must submit accessibility compliance reports.
A new accessibility compliance report form is now available at ontario.ca/AccessibilityReport. You will get started by downloading the form and saving it to your computer.
The form is an accessible PDF. For best results when downloading the form, right-click on "save as" and then use Adobe Reader to open it.
Then fill in the required information – and remember to save it as you go through the report.
Then, when it’s complete and certified, submit your report.
You will not need to log-in at any point in the process

3. Accessibility Compliance Reporting The Form
Before completing the report, make sure you have your:
Organization category (e.g. business/non-profit)
Business number
Legal name
Report questions will be tailored to the type and size of your organization
[read slide]
This is a screen shot of what the form looks like and where you need to fill in your organization’s information
The questions will be generated based on how you answer the “category” and “number of employees range” fields
Note that before you get started, you can review your requirements at ontario.ca/accessibility

4. Accessibility Compliance Reporting How to Complete Your Report
Accessible form includes links to resources and features to help you to understand and report on your compliance requirements
Here’s another screen shot of what one of the questions looks like.
When going through the report, click Yes (if you are in compliance) or No (if you are not in compliance) for each question.
You may add comments in the comment box below each question.
Please note that the Directorate will not respond to questions asked in the comments section. If you need additional assistance, us or call us using the contact information at the end of this presentation.
A “Yes” response for some questions may require you to complete additional related questions.
If anything changes about your report after you have submitted it, you can re-submit the form.

5. Summary of Requirements in Effect As of January 1, 2017
1-19
20-49
50+
Provide accessible customer service 
Provide emergency and public safety information in accessible formats
Provide staff with accessible and customized emergency information
Create accessibility policies
Consider accessibility when purchasing or designing self-service kiosks
Train your staff on Ontario’s accessibility laws
Make it easy to provide feedback, when asked
Make public information accessible, when asked
Make employment practices accessible
Create a multiyear accessibility plan
Make new websites accessible
Make new or redeveloped public spaces accessible
Now let’s talk about what you will report on this year by going over this summary of the requirements that are currently in place for private and non- profit organizations as of January 1, 2017.
This slide is a general summary and doesn’t include the requirements that are specific to educational institutions. I’ll go over those later.
In the interest of time, we’ll only go through a recap of some of these requirements to refresh your memory. We’ll focus on specific requirements and some sample questions from the compliance report so you’ll know what to expect. They won’t necessarily follow this order.

6. Provide Accessible Customer Service Sample Questions
Q. Does your organization permit people with disabilities who are accompanied by a guide dog or service animal to keep the animal with them, unless otherwise excluded by law? Q. If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, does your organization ensure that the persons are permitted to enter the premises together and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person while on your premises? Q. Does your organization ensure that the required persons receive training on the accessibility standards for customer service?
Here are some sample questions from the report that relate to providing accessible customer service. I’ll go through what you need to do to be in compliance on the next slide.
Read out questions:
Does your organization permit people with disabilities who are accompanied by a guide dog or service animal to keep the animal with them, unless otherwise excluded by law?
Q. If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, does your organization ensure that the persons are permitted to enter the premises together and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person while on your premises?
Q. Does your organization ensure that the required persons receive training on the accessibility standards for customer service?

7. Provide Accessible Customer Service How to Comply
Create policies that include how you will:
Welcome service animals and support persons
Allow assistive devices
Consider a person’s disability when communicating with them
Inform customers when accessible services are temporarily unavailable
Invite customers to provide feedback
Train all staff and volunteers on accessible customer service and how to interact with people with different disabilities
Document your policies and training (50 or more employees) and make them available to people who request it.
Here’s what you need to do to comply with requirements for accessible customer service.
Your existing customer service policies should:
Welcome service animals and support persons into public areas of your workplace
Allow the use of assistive devices
Consider a person’s disability when in communication with them. Ensure your employees are prepared to communicate with customers who have various types of disabilities in a way that takes into account their disability.
Provide a notice of interruption to accessible services when they are unavailable, but remember, not everyone is able to read written notices. Consider other ways to provide notice, such as having staff tell customers about service disruptions.
Provide a way for your customers who have disabilities to comment on how you provide accessible customer service. Let them know how to provide that feedback and how you will act on complaints.
Train your staff on accessible customer service. This means that you need to train all members of your organization, including:
all employees and volunteers (paid and unpaid, full-time, part-time and contract positions)
anyone involved in developing  your organization’s policies  ( including managers, senior leaders, directors, board members and owners)
anyone who provides goods, services or facilities to customers on your organization’s behalf (such as external contact centres or facilities management companies)
If you have 50 or more employees, you must also put your accessible customer service policies and training in writing and make them available to people who request it.
Let customers know how to find your policies. For example, by posting a notice on your website or in a high-traffic area.
Provide your policies in an accessible format or with a communication support, when requested.

8. Provide Staff with Accessible and Customized Emergency Information
Q. Does your organization prepare individualized workplace emergency response information for employees with disabilities?
How you comply:
Provide individualized emergency response information
Share information, with consent
Review when:
employee changes work locations
you review the employee’s overall
accommodation needs
you review your organization’s
emergency response policies
Here’s another sample question from the report:
Does your organization prepare individualized workplace emergency response information for employees with disabilities?
To comply:
You have to have a plan in place to help an employee with a disability during an emergency, or emergency information that’s formatted so an employee with a disability can understand it.
If you know an employee with a disability might need help in an emergency:
Give them individualized emergency response information.
Get their consent, then share this information with anyone designated to help them in an emergency.
You also need to review the emergency response information when:
the employee changes work locations
you review the employees overall accommodation needs and when
you review your organizations emergency response policies.
Remember that disabilities can be temporary or permanent, and “employee” includes paid staff, but not volunteers or unpaid staff – but you might want to include them as a good practice.

9. Make Employment Practices Accessible Sample Question & How You Comply
Q. Does your organization notify its employees and the public about the availability of accommodations during the recruitment process?
How you comply:
Notify employees and the public that you will accommodate the needs of people with disabilities in your hiring process.
You can do this by posting the information on your website or including it in job postings.
Now we’ll get into some sample questions and the requirements relating to accessible employment practices.
This question is:
Does your organization notify its employees and the public about the availability of accommodations during the recruitment process?
To comply with this requirement, you need to make sure you are notifying employees and the public that you will accommodate the needs of people with disabilities in your hiring process.
You can do this by posting the information on your website or including it in job postings.

10. Make Employment Practices Accessible Sample Question & How You Comply
Q. Does your organization provide employees with updated information about its policies to support employees with disabilities?
How you comply:
Tell your employees about your policies to support employees with disabilities, including policies related to workplace accommodation
Tell new employees when they are hired, and tell all your employees if you change the policies.
To get this information out, you can use newsletters, s, memos, websites, bulletin boards, staff meetings or one-on-one conversations.
Does your organization provide employees with updated information about its policies to support employees with disabilities?
You must tell your employees about your policies to support people with disabilities.
Tell new employees when they are hired, and tell all your employees if you change the policies.
To get this information out, you can use newsletters, s, memos, websites, bulletin boards, staff meetings or one-on-one conversations.

11. Make Employment Practices Accessible Sample Question & How You Comply
Q. When requested, does your organization provide employees with disabilities information in an accessible format or with communication supports?
How you comply:
Provide workplace information in an accessible format if an employee asks for it.
This includes:
any information employees need to perform their jobs (e.g. job descriptions and manuals), and
general information that is available to all employees at work (e.g. company newsletters, bulletins about company policies and health and safety information)
Talk to your employees with disabilities about how they need to receive information.
When requested, does your organization provide employees with disabilities information in an accessible format or with communication supports?
You must provide workplace information in an accessible format if an employee asks for it.
This includes any information employees need to perform their jobs (e.g. job descriptions and manuals) and general information that is available to all employees at work (e.g. company newsletters, bulletins about company policies and health and safety information).
Talk to your employees with disabilities about how they need to receive information.

12. Make New or Redeveloped Public Spaces Accessible Sample Questions
Q. Since January 1, 2017, has your organization constructed new or redeveloped existing public use eating areas that you intend to maintain?
If “Yes” – example of additional question:
Does your organization ensure that where they construct or redevelop outdoor public use eating areas that they meet the requirements as outlined in s.80(17) of the IASR?
How you comply
Determine how many new tables must be accessible
if you buy 1 to 9 new tables, make at least 1 accessible
if buy 10 or more new tables, make at least 20% of them accessible
Ensure the ground leading to and under the accessible tables is level, firm and stable
Provide enough clear space around and under the tables
Now I’m going to touch on some questions related to the accessible design of public spaces.
[Read the question]
This is the only example of a design of public spaces requirement that I’m going over today that ONLY applies if you have 50 or more employees.
The ones on the slides that will follow came into effect for large organizations this year, and small ones will have to comply beginning January 1, 2018.
If you are building new public outdoor eating areas with tables and planning to maintain them, or making major changes to existing areas with tables and planning to maintain them.
You do not have to change your organization’s existing tables to comply with the law.
Public outdoor eating areas are places located outside where members of the public can sit at a table and eat, like outdoor food courts at amusement parks and picnic tables in parks.
How you comply
Determine how many new tables must be accessible
if you buy 1 to 9 new tables, you need to make at least 1 accessible
if buy 10 or more new tables, you need to make at least 20% of them accessible
Ensure the ground leading to and under the accessible tables is level, firm and stable
Provide enough clear space around and under the tables so that people using a wheelchair or other mobility aid can easily access the tables

13. Make New or Redeveloped Public Spaces Accessible Sample Questions
Q. Since January 1, 2017, has your organization constructed new or redeveloped existing recreational trails that you intend to maintain?
If “Yes” – example of additional question:
Did your organization consult with the public and persons with disabilities prior to constructing new or redeveloping existing recreational trails?
How you comply
Consult on:
Slope
Need for, and location of, ramps
Need for, location and design of rest areas, passing areas, viewing areas, amenities and any other pertinent feature
Meet the technical requirements for recreational trails (e.g. clear width and height specifications, firm and stable surface, entrance opening, etc.)
This slide has a question about recreational trails.
[Read the question]
A recreational trail is a public pedestrian trail that’s intended for recreational and leisure purposes.
The requirement doesn’t apply to certain types of recreational trails like wilderness trails, backcountry trails and portage routes.
Some trails are multi-use: they’re used for different purposes at different times.
For example, a trail that’s used by pedestrians in the summer might become a snowmobile trail in the winter. Or, a pedestrian trail might also be used as a biking trail.
These types of multi-use trails are covered by the standard.
However, when a trail is solely intended for snowmobiling, biking or cross-country skiing – for example – it is not covered by the standard.
If your organization has not constructed new recreational trails or redeveloped existing ones that you intend to maintain, you will answer No.
If you have constructed new trails or redeveloped your existing ones, then you will answer “Yes” and there will be follow-up questions such as the one on the slide.
Before constructing a recreational trail or redeveloping an existing trail, organizations must consult with the public, including people with disabilities.
Consultations have to address design elements that might be part of the trail, like the slope, any ramps that might be needed, rest areas, passing areas, viewing areas, amenities and any other relevant feature.
You also have technical requirements to meet, such as specifications for clear width and height, firm and stable surface, the opening of the trail entrance, etc.

14. Make New or Redeveloped Public Spaces Accessible Sample Questions
Q. Since January 1, 2017, has your organization constructed new or redeveloped existing off-street parking facilities that you intend to maintain?
If “Yes” – example of additional question:
When constructing new or redeveloping off-street parking facilities that you intend to maintain, do you ensure that the off-street parking facilities meet the accessibility requirements as outlined in s.80(32) – 80(37) of the IASR?
How you comply
Include a minimum number of each of type of accessible parking space:
wider spaces for people who use mobility aids
standard-width spaces for people who use mobility-assistive devices
Include access aisles between parking spaces
Clearly mark all accessible spaces with the required signage
[Read the question]
This requirement covers parking areas created for public use, such as a parking lot for a college or a shopping centre’s parking garage.
To meet the requirement, you must include a minimum number of each of type of accessible parking space. Types of parking spaces include:
wider spaces for people who use mobility aids, such as wheelchairs
standard-width spaces for people who use mobility-assistive devices, such as canes, crutches and walkers
Include extra spaces, called access aisles, between parking spaces. The access aisles must be wide enough for people with disabilities to get in and out of their vehicles, and
Clearly mark all accessible spaces with the required signage
There are certain exceptions to off-street parking requirements
You do not have to meet the requirement if:
parking areas are not intended for public use
extra parking areas are not designed for people with disabilities because accessible parking is already available on the same site
parking areas are not located on a barrier-free path of travel (as defined under Ontario’s Building Code
areas are used exclusively for parking buses, delivery vehicles, law enforcement vehicles, ambulances, or impounded vehicles
If you are limited by physical constraints on the site, you must work within these constraints to comply with the requirements, as much as possible.  This may mean providing fewer accessible parking spaces than required.

15. Make New or Redeveloped Public Spaces Accessible Sample Questions
Q. Since January 1, 2017, has your organization constructed new or redeveloped existing waiting areas?
If “Yes” – example of additional question:
Does your organization ensure that new or redeveloped fixed seating waiting areas meet the technical requirements as outlined in s.80(43) of the IASR?
How you comply
Make at least 3% of all seats accessible
When creating new fixed seating areas, always provide at least one accessible seat.
And the last question I’ll go over regarding the design of public spaces is this one:
[Read question]
If you answer “yes”, then you’ll get the following follow-up question [read question]
In many waiting areas, the seating is fixed to the floor.
To meet the accessibility requirements for these areas, you must make at least 3% of all seats accessible.
When creating new fixed seating areas, always provide at least one accessible seat.
For example:
A new waiting room with 6 built-in fixed seats will have to have at least 1 accessible seat
A large waiting area with 100 seats would have to have at least 3 accessible seats

16. Confirm your Compliance with All Accessibility Requirements Currently in Effect
Q. Other than the requirements cited in the above questions, is your organization complying with all other requirements in effect under the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation?
So, we just went over some sample questions from the report. We didn’t cover all of the questions that will appear on the report and the report itself does not include questions on every single requirement that has come into effect since 2012.
However, you must still be in compliance with those requirements, and you must confirm that you are meeting them by answering this question [read question].

17. Make New Websites Accessible (50 or more employees)
Conform with WCAG 2.0, Level A
Including web content posted after January 1, 2012
Created On or After
January 1, 2014
“New” means a site:
with a new domain name
undergoing a significant refresh
Although there won’t be a question specific to websites on this year’s report, I’ll just quickly go over this, since it’s a common topic.
Organizations with 50 or more employees need to make new and significantly refreshed websites accessible.
Beginning January 1, 2014: new public websites and significantly refreshed websites and any web content posted on those sites after January 1, must meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level A
Beginning January 1, 2021: all public websites and web content posted after January 1, 2012 must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA other than live captions and pre-recorded audio descriptions
“New Website” means the site has a new web address, or a significantly new look and feel. A website is not considered new if you are simply adding a new page or a new link.
“Significantly Refreshed” means you are keeping the same web address, but you are making changes such as:
a new look and feel to the website
how users navigate around it
a major update and change to the content of the website
WCAG 2.0 is an internationally accepted standard for web accessibility developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an international team of experts.
Following these guidelines should make it easier for everyone to access your website and content.
You can go to the website at

18. Requirements Specific to Educational Institutions Already in Effect
Provide accessibility awareness training to educators
train educators on how to create and teach accessible programs
keep records of the training
Provide accessible educational information
includes program information, educational resources and student records
Provide accessible school library resources when asked
Provide accessible textbooks when asked
This slide, and the next one, cover some requirements that are specific to educational institutions and they apply to organizations of all sizes.
Provide accessibility awareness training to educators
train educators on how to create and teach accessible programs
keep records of the training
Provide accessible educational information - this includes program information, educational resources and student records.
provide them in an accessible format such as large print or digital copies like accessible Microsoft Word files.
Provide accessible school library resources when asked
If available, provide accessible versions of print resources and materials, such as large print, electronic or audio versions.
Provide accessible textbooks when asked
If you produce textbooks, make them accessible or easy to convert into other formats such as accessible Microsoft Word files

19. Requirements Specific to Educational Institutions Coming Up
By January 1, 2020:
Provide accessible school library resources when asked
e.g. large print, electronic or audio versions
Make printed learning materials accessible
These requirements will come into effect on January 1, 2020:
By that date, you need to:
Provide accessible school library resources when asked
If available, provide accessible versions of print resources and materials such as large print, electronic or audio versions.
Make printed learning materials accessible
If you produce other printed learning materials, make them accessible or easy to convert into other formats like accessible Microsoft Word files.

20. Tools to Help You Accessibility Training
AccessForward.ca
Free online training portal (English and French)
One-stop shop for training that covers all accessibility standards
Modules in multiple formats
Before we wrap up, I’ll want to tell you about some free tools that can help you meet some of the requirements we’ve talked about today. Links to all of these resources can be found on our website.
AccessForward is a one-stop shop for your accessibility training needs and has modules in multiple formats to suit your training methods.

21. Tools to Help You Accessible Employment Practices
These two guides will help you meet the accessible employment standard requirements.
The Employers’ Toolkit is a longer, more comprehensive resource, while the Handbook on the right is ideal for smaller organizations.
Conference Board of Canada
Employers’ Toolkit
Handbook for Accessible Employment

22. Tools to Help You Accessible Design of Public Spaces
Technical guidance on how to implement the accessible design of public spaces standard.
And finally, this illustrated technical guide is a great resource for implementing the accessible design of public spaces standard.
It includes technical drawings and practical advice on each requirement.

23. ontario.ca/accessibility
Accessibility Compliance Reporting Has your organization’s information changed?
Complete and organization profile update form to notify us of any changes to your business or non-profit, such as:
address
primary contact information
number of employees
ontario.ca/accessibility
I also want to remind you to let us know if any information about your organization has changed, such as your address, your primary contact information or the number of employees you have.
You may want to let us know of changes to your organization before you’re ready to report, so go to our website and complete an organization profile update.
If you are ready to report, you can update your information in the accessibility compliance report form. You don’t have to complete a separate profile update.
If your information changes AFTER you've reported you can also submit an organization profile update.

24. Your to-do list
Review your accessibility requirements at ontario.ca/accessibility
Make sure you are meeting every requirement that is currently in effect for your organization, as of
January 1, 2017
File your accessibility compliance report at ontario.ca/AccessibilityReport
And finally, here is your to-do list:
Read bullets...

25. Questions? We’re here to help!
ontario.ca\accessibility
Toll-Free:
TTY: /
@ONAccessibility
Facebook.com/AccessON
Here is how you can get in touch if you have any further questions. Our website is your starting point, as well as the AODA contact centre if you have questions. Please sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on updates on accessibility in Ontario and the AODA. And follow us on social media.
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