Executive summary

Like all ministries, the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) complies with the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR). This regulation established phased-in requirements in the following accessibility standards:

  • customer service
  • information and communications
  • employment
  • transportation
  • design of public spaces

The general requirements are:

  • procurement
  • training

In 2012, the Ontario Public Service (OPS) released its first multi-year accessibility plan (MYAP) entitled Accessibility in the Ontario Public Service: Leading the Way Forward.

MAG’s 2016 Accessibility Report demonstrates how the measures taken in 2016 support the key outcomes and deliverables of the 2012-2016 OPS MYAP.

Highlights of the ministry’s efforts in 2016 include:

  • an accessibility audit of over 145 of the ministry’s older courthouses and offices conducted by the Facilities Management Branch, Corporate Service Management Division
  • coordination of a government-wide review of content on the e-Laws website by MAG’s Policy Division
  • completion of the ministry’s involvement in a multi-year, community based project to develop and provide online training on communicating with people with mental health disabilities for professionals across the justice sector
  • continuation of a pilot project on the use of Support Dogs in serving victims and witnesses who are involved in a criminal matter by the Victims and Vulnerable Persons Division.
  • purchase of additional assistive listening devices and wheelchairs to meet the needs of clients in ministry courthouses

Further information on these activities and on other accessibility efforts in 2016 by the ministry, its divisions and branches can be found in this report.

Section one: report on measures taken by the ministry in 2016

Customer service

MYAP key outcome

People with disabilities who are OPS customers receive quality goods and services in a timely manner.

Measures taken by MAG in 2016

Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office

The ministry continues to engage a team of accessibility professionals in its Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office (DIAO) of the Human Resources Strategic Business Unit, Corporate Services Management Division. The team provides expertise, analysis, advice and assistance in order to improve accessibility across the ministry and to support disability-related accommodations in ministry services. The team also provides coordination and oversight for ministry accessibility planning and compliance. The Accessibility Unit works in cooperation with division legal counsel where legal processes or direction must be considered as part of an accommodation.

Courthouse Accessibility Coordinators and Leads

Courthouse Accessibility Coordinators and Accessibility Leads are the main point of contact on accessibility for the public in the ministry’s over 160 courthouses across the province. Courthouse Accessibility Coordinators and Leads provide a key point of contact for information about accessibility in court-related services and to support requests for disability-related accommodation for ministry services.

The ministry makes the public aware of Courthouse Accessibility Coordinator services through information on the Our Commitment to Accessibility public webpage as well as through permanent signage in each courthouse. Information is also included on many court and ministry initiating forms or documents. Some courthouses are also able to include information on the Courthouse Accessibility Coordinator at their information desks or on their electronic message board.

There were 1, 042 requests for individual disability-related accommodations recorded by Courthouse Accessibility Coordinators and Leads for the period April 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015. This continues the trend of these requests increasing yearly. The majority of requests continues to be for people with hearing disabilities or who are Deaf. Over 55% of requests were for Assistive Listening Devices which are available in each of our courthouses to transmit and amplify sound. About 10% of requests are for sign language interpretation, while 3.6% of the overall requests were for real-time captioning.

There are many accommodations that Courthouse Accessibility Coordinators can respond to directly however requests for disability-related accommodations for a court proceeding usually require a review or decision from a judicial official. It continues to be important for individuals requesting disability-related accommodations to provide as much advance notice as possible of any accommodation needs so there is sufficient time to inform the judiciary and to make any necessary arrangements.

The following are examples of the variety of disability-related accommodations provided in 2016 for services in ministry courthouses:

  • a hospital bed and a nurse were provided for an accused in a five day criminal trial
  • a wheelchair was provided to a member of a jury who had mobility issues but didn’t normally use a wheelchair
  • an individual who had a fear of attending public places was able to bring a support person with them and was provided with front-of-the-line priority assistance so that they could enter and leave the premises quickly
  • a client who was unable to sit on the wooden bench for an extended period of time was provided a chair to accommodate their needs
  • a client who had asthma attacks when exposed to perfume scents and second hand smoke was provided a scent free office location away from the public for lunch and breaks and a mask for moving through the public hallways
  • a lawyer was provided with information about accommodation for a client with a brain injury
  • new technology in the Goderich, Owen Sound and Walkerton courthouses will allow for remote testimony
  • court counter staff in the Central East Region read out information to a client with dyslexia which allowed the client to complete the paperwork

The ministry continued its efforts to prepare in advance for common disability-related accommodation requests in courthouses and offices. While all permanent courthouses have existing assistive listening devices and wheelchairs available onsite, the Court Services Division and the Corporate Services Management Division worked together to purchase an additional 32 assistive listening devices for 22 court locations, and an additional five wheelchairs for five court locations, in order to help ensure customer needs are met.

The Court Services Division continued a pilot project in two court locations to help court staff and court users to better understand the distinction between legal information and legal advice as court staff are not permitted to provide legal advice. The pilot included information on how to address the accommodation needs people with disabilities may have related to filling out forms.

Additional accessible customer service efforts

The Court Services Division, Victim and Vulnerable Persons Division, Criminal Law Division and the Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office are continuing their joint work to update and develop new guidance on accessibility and disability-related accommodations for courthouse Accessibility Coordinators and Leads.

Both the Criminal Law Division and Victims and Vulnerable Persons Division offer accommodation to victims and witnesses at the initial point of contact as part of the customer assessment. As part of onboarding, staffs are trained to help customers self-identify any disability-related needs.

Eligible customers continue to have access to the Vulnerable Victims and Family Fund (VVFF) of the Victims and Vulnerable Persons Division which helps victims of crime and families of homicide victims participate more fully in the criminal court process. The fund can be used to support people with disabilities who are victims of crime or family members by assisting with travel to attend court during key points in a criminal proceeding or ensuring those with disabilities have appropriate supports for participating in the court process.

The Ministry of the Attorney General’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program has continued its Support Dog Pilot Project and evaluation of using Support Dogs while delivering services to vulnerable victims of crime, including child victims and victims of sexual assault. Pilot projects are running in Brampton, Newmarket and Kingston. Trained support dog handlers accompany the animals as they provide emotional support and comfort throughout the court process. Over 150 clients have used the services of Support Dogs since the start of the pilot in 2015.

Information and communications

MYAP key outcome

Information and communications are available in accessible formats or with necessary supports to all OPS staff and customers.

Measures taken by MAG in 2016

Accessibility feedback processes

The ministry encourages and accepts feedback on accessibility through a variety of processes at all levels of the ministry. The feedback that ministry customers and stakeholders provide significantly helps the ministry to plan and make continuous improvements in accessibility. Accessibility feedback can be provided directly to the staff person a ministry customer is dealing with, any other staff person or directly to the ministry by phone, TTY, email or by mail in any format. For example, sign language interpreters can be provided to support an individual who is Deaf in providing feedback. For further information on the ministry’s Accessibility Feedback Process, please see the Our Commitment to Accessibility page and the ministry Contact Us page.

Customer feedback helps lead to ministry accessibility improvements. For example, in response to feedback from a court user with a visual disability, Court Services Division has been developing a guide for court users with visual disabilities. The scope of the guide project has now been expanded to include helpful information about common accommodations and how to make requests in various steps of the court process for court users with a range of disabilities.

In addition to direct accessibility feedback processes, the ministry has also made efforts to include accessibility questions in other processes such as Customer Satisfaction Surveys. For example the annual Court Services Division (CSD) Customer Satisfaction Survey took place between February and March 2016. Surveys are anonymous and include the question: “During your visit today, did you or your customer have any disability-related needs when appearing in court or using court services?” If the customer answers “yes”, they are then asked if they were satisfied with the response to their disability-related needs. The survey is available in an accessible format upon request. Third party service providers of the Court Services Division that support the Family Law Information Centres, Mediation Services and the Mandatory Information Program also include questions in their customer service surveys asking whether disability-related needs were met.

The Victims and Vulnerable Persons Division continues to have formal feedback processes in place which include the Victim/Witness Assistance Program (V/WAP) Customer Satisfaction Survey, the Supervised Access Program Complaint Form and the online intranet feedback or notification form which captures any accessibility related comments for all program areas. The information collected is used to improve service delivery, help remove any accessibility barriers that may exist and track accommodation requests for trends.

In 2016, the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT) conducted the Immediate Family Members and Friends Experience Survey (IFMFES). This was conducted using 3 methods of collection and taking into account the communication needs of clients:

  • in-person: Two summer students conducted the survey in person at the public kiosk
  • telephone: For clients that do not attend in person or have accessibility issues, phone calls were made to obtain their feedback
  • mail: The IFMFES was administered primarily online. Email invitations were sent to clients’ family members and friends with valid email addresses and who had contact with the OPGT on at least two occasions within the last two years
Accessible formats and communication supports

An important part of making ministry information and communications accessible to people with disabilities is to make the public and ministry stakeholders aware that they can ask for disability-related accommodations such as alternate formats or communication supports. To increase awareness, courthouses post permanent signage on the availability of assistive listening devices which can assist people with hearing loss or auditory processing disabilities. Many ministry initiating forms, documents and webpages identify that alternate formats are available upon request. The Ontario Court Forms website also offers information on how to obtain alternate formats of court forms.

Some examples of other measures in place at the division, courthouse and branch level to support the provision of accessible formats and communication supports included:

  • the Victims and Vulnerable Persons Division has a mandatory practice to ensure there is an accessible version, such as accessible Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) or accessible Microsoft Word, of all new brochures, guides, or other public documents
  • new or revised forms of the Victim/Witness Assistance Program are reviewed by a forms and template committee to ensure they meet the plain language criteria
  • the Supervised Access Program’s (SAP) offers a large print format of their brochure and provides other alternate formats upon request
  • accessible versions of forms, documents and the year-end report of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer (OCL) are made available and the office also ensures that accessible versions are created when forms are updated
  • the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Office of the Corporate Services Management Division sends out decision letters and records in accessible formats upon request
  • in 2016, the Sault Ste. Marie courthouse office posted bilingual signs about assistive listening devices at the main entrance and on counsel tables to further increase awareness of the availability of the devices
  • the Chatham and Sarnia courthouses of the Court Services Division notify the public through posters at the front counter that accessible formats are available upon request

As mentioned, requests for assistive listening devices and sign language services continued to be the most frequent individual accommodation requests the ministry receives. Some courts report that assistive listening devices are requested on a near daily basis. A small number of requests for alternate formats were also received. Some examples of individual accommodation requests for communication-related supports reported in 2016 include:

  • a client who has a hearing disability and uses lip reading was allowed to test various courtrooms in advance to identify the best acoustics and lighting for her needs and also used an assistive listening device during the court proceeding
  • in the Southwest Region, arrangements were made for a communications intermediary, a language interpreter and a quiet room, in addition to information being provided both in writing and verbally, for court participants with information processing disabilities
  • court staff provided real time captioning services for a family matter in the Kitchener area
  • the Brampton courthouse provided visual language interpretation services for both court proceedings and for counter services in 2016
  • an accused person with a cognitive disability in Toronto was provided with communication intermediary services to accommodate their needs to communicate and process communications in the court proceeding

The ministry’s communication’s branch continues to offer the main ministry TTY line. Some courthouses also offer direct TTY lines and all ministry contacts can be reached initially by Bell Relay service and if needed, a more efficient communication method can then be arranged such as email.

The ministry’s Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office of the Corporate Services Management Division has added information to its internal website resources for staff to make them aware of the Canada VRS Service launched in the fall of 2016. The Canada VRS is a video relay service that allows people who use sign language to connect with hearing telephone users through the use of internet video and a sign language interpreter relay operator.

The Justice Sector Security Office of the Corporate Services Management Division considers the impacts of mental health illnesses and other disabilities when communicating with ministry clients to resolve potential security situations.

Sign language interpreter services

In an effort to improve the availability of qualified sign language interpreters in court for people who are Deaf, the Interpretation Unit of the Court Services Division posted a Request for Information (RFI) in September 2016 to gather information from marketplace service providers to assist the ministry in determining future options or requirements for providing qualified visual language interpreters in courts. In light of the responses received from the RFI, the ministry is currently in the early stages of identifying its next steps. As part of this approach, the ministry will consider whether to proceed with the development of a Request for Bids (RFB).

Accessible websites and web-based applications

The ministry’s Internet websites (public sites) meet the World Wide Web Consortium, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA (W3C WCAG 2.0 AA) as required by the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation O. Reg., 191/11 under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The ministry continues its work to maintain these Internet sites to ensure all new content is accessible.

Throughout 2016, the ministry worked toward making all its internal intranet websites, web applications and web content accessible by January 1,  2020. The main effort over the past year was to move internal ministry content to a new accessible intranet platform called InsideOPS. As part of this process, all ministry divisions were required to ensure all new intranet pages and content were accessible. InsideOPS was launched.

The Justice Technology Services (JTS) is the main technical partner that currently supports most of the ministry’s websites and web-based applications. Throughout 2016, the Justice Technology Services and the Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office worked collaboratively to develop a ministry strategy maintain ongoing accessibility of all ministry websites.

In 2016, JTS continued to meet quarterly or on-demand with the Accessibility Working Group to identify areas of opportunity to enhance web-based applications. JTS and the ministry have adopted an accessibility testing protocol that includes three-part testing using automated accessibility testing, manual testing and testing with assistive devices. In addition, JTS:

  • provided train the trainer sessions in 2016 on a request by request basis for web developers and on-line training was conducted for the JTS corporate branch
  • encouraged staff to register with the OPS I&IT Accessibility Centre of Excellence (ACOE) for more information on AODA and IASR
  • hosted a ministry-wide learning event for over 100 staff in JTS, MAG and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS) to raise awareness about the needs of people with disabilities in accessing and using technology

Employment

MYAP key outcome

OPS employees with disabilities participate fully and meaningfully in their employment.

Measures taken by MAG in 2016

Employment accommodations

The ministry continues to follow OPS policies on providing disability-related accommodations to employees and applicants with disabilities. There are several internal OPS services to support ministry managers in providing employment accommodations. The OPS Centre for Employee Health, Safety and Wellness provides advice on employment accommodations and manages the OPS Employment Accommodation Fund which reimburses ministry’s the cost of many accommodations. The Information and Information Technology Assistive Technology Support Service assists with procurement and support of computer-based and telephone-related assistive technology. In addition, the ministry online orientation program ensures new employees were informed of policies and processes on employment accommodation of employees with disabilities.

In 2016, the Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office of the Corporate Services Management Division continued to provide sessions on bias and barrier-free recruitment practices to managers and to legal counsel involved with hiring articling students. In 2016, 325 staff were trained.

Following are a sample of some employment related practices in the ministry in 2016:

  • the performance agreements of all ministry managers and executives included inclusion and accessibility as part of their commitments
  • in the Criminal Law Division, information about accessibility including policies and procedures on employment accommodations and return to work was regularly communicated to all branch and regional managers
  • a session on Conducting Bias/Barrier-Free Recruitment was included at the Criminal Law Division 2016 Fall Leadership Meeting
  • the Corporate Services Management Division accommodated interviewees by providing interview materials on a memory stick and allowed the use of a computer with speech output for several candidates in a competition
  • all employee training programs provided by the Civil Law Division provided options for accessibility related accommodations both from a physical venue perspective, as well as providing content to participants in accessible format

Employment accommodations provided by the ministry are based on the individual situation and the needs of the user. Here are some examples of accommodations provided in 2016:

  • there were a range of employment accommodations in place across the Civil Law Division including a fragrance free zone, Text Aloud software, and sit stand desks
  • as part of a return to work plan after surgery, an employee was provided with an accessible parking space for the duration of the recovery
  • in the Halton-Dufferin Region, large print software was provided for a judge who has a vision impairment
  • in the North East Region, an internal stakeholder working within the courthouse was accommodated by modifying an office space, and providing a wheelchair on a temporary basis to move through the building and installing temporary railings in a courtroom
  • in the East Region, a return to work plan was developed in cooperation with an employee returning to work after a mental health issue and their medical doctor. The plan ensured appropriate accommodations and a flexible and transitional return to work schedule
Employee engagement

The ministry continues to look for ways to learn more about the issues or concerns employees and applicants with disabilities have in relation to any aspect of their work, workplace or career development as well as for ways to increase their engagement in the workplace. The Human Resources Strategic Business Unit planned to include additional questions for employees with disabilities in the Employee Engagement Survey in early 2017 however the new survey was unable to accommodate additional questions as planned. As a result, the ministry will explore other methods to gather this further information from ministry employees with disabilities in the coming year.

Mentoring program

The ministry mentoring program called the Mentoring for Career and Inclusion Program (MCIP) continued in 2016. Participants are invited to self-identify as being a member of one of five under-represented groups, including people with disabilities, to participate as mentees in the program and are matched with other staff or management to exchange information on inclusion and career development. The program benefits mentors in learning more about the experience of employees from under-represented groups and assists mentees through learning opportunities and personal advice and assistance in planning and developing their careers. In 2016, 157 employees participated.

OPS Disability Advisory Council

The Ministry of the Attorney General provides a representative to the OPS Disability Advisory Council. This is an employee council which works to provide a voice for employees with disabilities in identifying, preventing and removing barriers in the OPS workplace. The ministry representative also acts as chair of the advisory council.

Design of public spaces

MYAP key outcome

There is greater accessibility into, out of and around OPS facilities and public spaces.

Measures taken by MAG in 2016

The ministry has continued to implement its long-term Accessible Built Environment Strategy. Led by the ministry’s Division Accessible Built Environment Committee, the strategy is designed to support the ministry in meeting, and where needed, exceeding, the legal requirements to improve accessibility in new and renovated building and offices. The ministry’s strategy also addresses improving accessibility in the ministry’s existing buildings to support better and more independent access for ministry customers, stakeholders and staff with disabilities even where renovations are not planned.

As part of the strategy, the ministry developed accessibility design guidelines, including specialized guidelines for courthouses, and developed an implementation policy. The accessibility design guidelines continue to be used as new courthouses are designed and built. The accessibility design features (such as accessible witness and jury boxes) are also used in renovation and upgrade projects as appropriate.

The main focus in 2016 was the accessibility review of over 120 of the ministry’s older courthouses and offices conducted by accessibility consultants on behalf of the ministry. Though these courthouses and offices are accessible according to the Ontario Building Code requirements based on when they were built or renovated, the results of the review identify where additional accessibility improvements might be made over time. The ministry will incorporate the review results to develop a site-specific and multi-year capital plan to improve accessibility in existing buildings. Other operational means can also be used to accommodate the needs of users with disabilities, such as, moving proceedings to an accessible courtroom.

All retrofit or new construction projects initiated by the ministry continue to include accessibility as an important component of design where applicable. Some examples of projects in 2016 include:

  • accessible public counters in Gore Bay (27 Phipps St.), Mississauga (5090 Commerce Blvd), St. Catharines (59 Church St.), Sudbury (155 Elm St.), Walkerton (207 Cayley St.) and Sault Ste. Marie (445 Albert St.)
  • accessible single point of entry in Simcoe (50 Frederick Hobson VC Drive) and Orangeville (10 Louisa St.)
  • accessible public washroom in Ottawa (161 Elgin St.)
  • designs for the new tribunals public areas include accessible main entry, barrier-free hearing rooms, public washrooms, directional signage with braille and high contrast lettering in Toronto (15 Grosvenor)
  • the new courthouse expansion design for the Brampton courthouse (7755 Hurontario St.) and the courthouse design for in the new Toronto courthouse (10 Armoury St.) include an accessible route to the main entrance, courtrooms with barrier-free spectator positions and assistive listening devices, public washrooms signage and directional signage which includes braille and high contrast lettering for easier reading

The ministry continues to welcome feedback from stakeholders and the public through the existing ministry accessibility committees including Ontario Courts Accessibility Committee (OCAC), Accessibility Executive Steering Committee (AESC) and the Accessible Built Environment (ABE) Advisory Committee.

General outcomes

MYAP key outcome

OPS staff are able to identify barriers to accessibility in OPS policies, programs, services and facilities, and to actively seek solutions to prevent or remove them on a continuing basis throughout the organization.

Measures taken by MAG in 2016

Procurement

The ministry follows the OPS Procurement Directive which requires ministries to comply with the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA), AODA and IASR when acquiring goods and services. In addition, the Request for Bids (RFB) document available through Supply Chain Ontario addresses the inclusion of accessibility requirements.

Each division of the ministry continues to be responsible for ensuring accessibility requirements, including those under the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC), are addressed in their procurements. The ministry’s Business and Fiscal Planning Branch of the Corporate Services Management Division includes accessibility requirements as part of their advice and consultation with program areas on their procurements. An advice document and templates provided to clients also helps ensure program areas consider accessibility requirements. The Business and Fiscal Planning Branch also advises program areas to seek advice from the Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office of the Corporate Services Management Division if they need assistance in identifying effective accessibility criteria and measures for their procurement. Examples of common requirements include requiring third party service providers to take accessibility training, ensuring that staff or clients receive communication in a manner that takes into account their disability and requiring that websites or web applications are accessible.

Training and awareness

The ministry met its goal of 90% of all staff trained on the five mandatory accessibility training modules. The mandatory training includes courses related to obligations under the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation and the Ontario Human Rights Code. Managers are also required to take a course on accommodating employees with disabilities. Ministry divisions, with the assistance of the Human Resources Strategic Business Unit of the Corporate Services Management Division, are able to track completion of training to ensure new employees are reminded to take the training. Many public service offices also reported training new staff on the set up and use of assistive listening devices.

The staff of the Facilities Management Branch and the Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office completed an Accessible Built Environment group training in November 2016. Participants learned about the legislative framework including the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation and the requirements of the Ontario Human Rights Code.

In addition to the mandatory training modules, the ministry and its program areas continue to develop or identify job relevant training on disability, accessibility and human rights that is practical for ministry staff. Following are some examples of training developed or provided in 2016:

Through coordination by the Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office, ministry staff provided advice and feedback into a multi-year community based project to develop an online training course: Communicating with People with Mental Health Disabilities: What Justice Sector Professionals Can Do to Remove Barriers. The project, led by the Canadian Mental Health Association – Toronto Branch, and funded by the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario, was completed at the end of 2016 and was launched in early 2017. You can find the free training on the website of Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) at mhjcc.ca.

The Criminal Law Division held educational conferences and meetings that included content specific to vicarious trauma, how trauma affects memory, and the need for a trauma-informed approach to sex assault investigations and prosecutions. These educational conferences and meetings included:

  • 2016 Crown Summer School
  • 2016 Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan (SVHAP) Conferences held in the North, Central East, Toronto, West, and Central West Regions

The Supervised Access Program of the Victims and Vulnerable Persons Division conducted a variety of training sessions for their third party service providers. SafeTALK training sessions were provided to 49 Supervised Access Program Coordinators on April 19, 2016. On April 20, 2016, 45 Supervised Access Program Coordinators received training about the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Policy on ableism and discrimination based on disability from the Ontario Human Rights Commission and about Mental Health in the Workplace from the Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto Branch. The ministry’s corporate staff of the Supervised Access Program completed Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue training on August 25, 2016 and some staff took a course on making their e-learning modules accessible using Articulate E-Learning Software.

Training on Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue was provided to Victim/Witness Assistance Program offices across the province including a session at the Victims and Vulnerable Persons Division Managers’ Meeting on December 16, 2016. This training will continue throughout 2017 until all V/WAP offices have received the training. The Office of the Children’s Lawyer held in house training sessions on mental health awareness.

Training on Accessible Documents and Websites

In 2016, the Diversity Inclusion and Accessibility Office provided the final sessions of its in-person training on accessible documents and websites that was started in 2015. The courses were provided to over 180 staff in 2016 through a consultant who developed the training specific to the ministry needs. The three modules offered were:

  • Module 1: Webmaster
  • Module 2: Web Content Contributor using Microsoft Word
  • Module 3: Understanding Web Accessibility: Strategies for Leaders and Managers

Many ministry offices also took advantage of other OPS training courses and resources on accessible documents and websites including courses offered through the OPS I&IT Accessibility Centre of Excellence and Treasury Board Secretariat. Information on both online resources and in person training are available through the ministry’s Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office website.

Ontario Courts Accessibility Committee

The ministry continues to support, participate on and consult with the Ontario Courts Accessibility Committee (OCAC) which is made up of members from all levels of court, the Ontario Bar, the Ministry of the Attorney General and people with disabilities. The Committee provides ideas, information and advice to help make Ontario courts more accessible to people with disabilities.

Emergency evacuation

In 2016, the Business Continuity and Emergency Management Unit (BCEM) continued its work to review emergency management procedures for people with disabilities across various situations. BCEM:

  • conducted research to inform recommendations for systems (i.e. the identification, signage for and use of Designated Waiting Areas for evacuation assistance) and processes (i.e. communications, resources, training) to aid all persons with disabilities in emergencies in ministry facilities
  • continued to support and promote the MAG Evacuation Assistance Self-Identification Process (for ministry staff)
  • participated in the review and update of the MAG Notice of Service Disruption Protocol for use within ministry facilities, and continued to ensure its inclusion in local and corporate level Continuity of Operations Plans (COOPs)

Work will continue through to March 2018 on the finalization of recommendations, training and support materials.

Municipal Provincial Offences Act Courts

The Provincial Offences Act (POA) sets the procedures for the prosecution of offences created by provincial laws, such as traffic and speeding tickets, and municipal by-laws, such as parking infractions. Almost all of the 1.6 million POA charges laid each year are dealt with in courthouses that are administered by municipalities, not by the Ministry of the Attorney General. In 2016, the Court Services Division of the ministry worked with its municipal partners to ensure that each municipal POA courthouse identified a Municipal Courthouse Accessibility Coordinator and made this contact information available to the public. The Municipal Courthouse Accessibility Coordinator will address accessibility questions and requests for disability-related accommodations in a manner similar to the service in ministry courthouses. You can find information on accessibility coordinators in Municipal Provincial Offences Act Courthouses on the ministry website or through your local municipal courthouse.

Section two: addressing the identification of barriers in legislation and implementation frameworks

Introduction

In 2005, the government introduced the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, with the goal of making Ontario accessible by 2025. In support of this goal, the government subsequently committed to review Ontario legislation to identify and address accessibility barriers, and undertook a coordinated review of 51 statutes considered to have a high impact on persons with disabilities.

As a result of this review, the government made changes to 11 statutes spread across seven ministries to ensure that Ontario laws better reflect accessibility considerations. The changes to the 11 statutes were included in the government’s 2016 Budget bill, which received Royal Assent on April 19, 2016.

Each ministry continues to be responsible for identifying and addressing barriers in their legislation and the policies and programs through which that legislation is implemented, and for reporting on results through its accessibility report.

Measures in place in 2016

MAG remains strongly committed to the goal of ensuring that legislation and implementation frameworks do not create barriers to persons with disabilities.

The ministry uses the Accessibility Legislative Review Tool and the Accessible Legislation and Implementation Frameworks Training Guide to support the identification, removal and prevention of barriers. The article, “Universal Design in Drafting Legislation” by David Lepofsky and Randal Graham is offered as a reference on the ministry intranet.

Actions taken in the past year

In addition to the actions outlined earlier in this report, the Ministry of the Attorney General took the following actions to address barriers in its legislation and implementation frameworks.

In June 2016, as part of the public release of “The Path to 2025: Ontario’s Accessibility Action Plan,” the government committed to introduce legislation addressing barriers to accessibility identified through a government-wide review of high-impact legislation. Two MAG statutes were amended: Compensation for Victims of Crime Act, and Substitute Decisions Act, 1992.

Section 10 of the Compensation for Victims of Crime Act was amended to provide the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board with discretion to extend the 15-day period for requesting a review of a Board decision. In addition, the service provision of the Act was revised to provide for multiple methods of service delivery and to extend the deemed date of service from three to five days.

The Substitute Decisions Act, 1992 was amended with respect to the resignation of statutory guardians of property and attorneys under a continuing power of attorney or a power of attorney for personal care. The resigning guardian or attorney is now required to provide an accessible copy of their notice of resignation to any entitled recipient who requests it in an accessible format, or if the guardian or attorney has reason to believe that the recipient needs an accessible copy. The guardian or attorney is also required to explain their resignation on request or if there is reason to believe that an explanation is necessary.

In 2016, all MAG legislation and regulations were reviewed for any accessibility issues such as form graphics or complex tables.

The Criminal Law Division’s Crown Law Office completed a review of the Crown Policy Manual including the Accessibility Policy specifically as it relates to testimonial aids. Changes to the Crown Policy Manual will be proposed for approval in the coming year. Crown Law Office also continues its efforts to enhance crown awareness of accessibility requirements.

The Facilities Management Branch has created a new space allocation policy and guideline. Together the Space Accommodation and Management Policy (SAM) and the Ministry Accommodation Office Space Allocation Guidelines (MOSAG) ensures the most effective, efficient and appropriate use of ministry space and embody the ministry’s desire to make all work areas accessible.