Executive summary

Like all ministries, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) 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.

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

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 MOHLTC in 2016

  • Continue to increase staff awareness of accessibility best practices for customer service and workplace accommodation.
  • Analyze ministry responses to the OPS Employee Survey to identify and assess potential barriers to employees with disabilities.
  • New staff to be trained on accessibility and encouraged to incorporate the OPS Inclusion lens into planning processes.
  • Accessibility leads remain available to provide guidance regarding tools, resources and requirements for ensuring accessibility.

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 MOHLTC in 2016

  • Ministry to continue to encourage delegate participation at future OPS Accessibility Expo events.
  • Ensure that communications, websites, technology solutions and documents employ accessibility best practices.

Employment

MYAP key outcome

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

Measures taken by MOHLTC in 2016

  • Continue to follow return-to-work protocols and meet accommodation requirements.
  • Management to regularly promote accessibility training for all employees and encourage the inclusion of that training in the annual PDPs of all ministry staff, including management.
  • Encourage ministry staff to assess potential barriers to accessibility across all areas of work, and continue to increase staff awareness of accessibility best practices in customer service and the workplace.

Design of public spaces

MYAP key outcome

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

Measures taken by MOHLTC in 2016

  • Continue to work to improve the accessibility of the ministry’s built environment.
  • Management will work closely with facilities management to ensure that all public space in the new workspace and retrofits comply with IASR requirements.
  • Support continued manager awareness of built environment requirements in the AODA/IASR, Building Code Act and OPS barrier-free requirements for government facilities.

General outcomes

MYAP key outcome

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

Measures taken by MOHLTC in 2016

  • Ensure internal policies, procedures and practices comply with accessibility requirements whenever OPS business is conducted, particularly when introducing new or amending existing processes.
  • Continue to ensure that all ministry staff are trained on accessibility.
  • Continue to implement appropriate accommodations as needed, and, led by the management team, continue to support accessibility in the workplace through regular communication, monitoring compliance and resolution of issues.

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.

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

Measures in place in 2016

  • OPS Inclusion Lens, Employee Surveys, AODA Training, OPS Accessibility Expo.
  • Accessibility considerations included in PDPs, staff and customer feedback sought on accessibility innovations and improvements, return-to-work protocols.
  • The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care encouraged new and existing staff to take the OPS inclusions lens training, as well as other training modules. The ministry also analyzed responses to the OPS Employee Survey to identify and assess potential barriers to employees with disabilities. Accessibility was taken into consideration when designing websites, publishing documents for public access, and undergoing building renovations.

Actions taken in the past year

In 2016, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care identified barriers in the following Acts, regulations, policies, programs, practices and services:

Following the accessibility review of the statues, amendments to the following pieces of legislation are proposed by MOHLTC:

Bill 173, Jobs for Today and Tomorrow Act (Budget Measure), 2016, included accessibility review amendments, including changes to the Homemakers and Nurses Services Act and the Public Hospitals Act.