Accessibility Plan 2006 - 2007

Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee September 2005

September 2006

Glossary of Acronyms

Executive Summary

1. Commentary/Introduction
2. Objectives and Structure of the Accessibility Plan
3. The Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee 2005 - 2006
1. 3.1 Working Group Memberships
4. Accessibility Initiatives 2005 - 2006
5. Accessibility Plan for 2006 - 2007
6. Measures to Assess By-Laws, Policies, Programs, Practices and Services to Determine Their Effect on Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities at the University of Guelph

Appendices

Ongoing Accessibility Initiatives
Accessible Design Considerations in Student Affairs
Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee Mandate
Principles of Universal Design
Principles of Universal Instructional Design
Consolidated List of Websites

Glossary of Acronyms

AO Awareness and Outreach Working Group (APDAC)
AODA Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
APDAC Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee
BGS Board of Graduate Studies
BUGS Board of Undergraduate Studies
CAC Campus Accessibility Committee
CCS Computing and Communications Services
COU Council of Ontario Universities
CSA Canadian Standards Association
CSD Centre for Students with Disabilities
HREO Human Rights and Equity Office
IRAT Information Resources and Adaptive Technology Working Group (APDAC)
ISC Information Services Committee
ISG Information Services Group, Sub-Committee of the Portal Management Group
IT Information Technology
LCSD Library Centre for Students with Disabilities
LD/ADHD Learning Disabilities/Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
ODA Ontarians with Disabilities Act
OOL Office of Open Learning
PA Physical Accessibility Working Group (APDAC)
PDA Personal Digital Assistant
PPPS Policies, Programs, Practices and Services
SCI Spinal Cord Injuries
SSS Student Support Services Working Group (APDAC)
TSS Teaching Support Services
UD Universal Design
UID Universal Instructional Design
WCSI Women’s Campus Safety Initiatives
W3C World Wide Web Consortium

Executive Summary

The University faces significant challenges in the next three to five years as the province's accessibility standards, developed under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), come into force. Many of the anticipated regulations will relate to procedure, process, attitude and awareness rather than physical structure, and in these regards the University is well-positioned. However, meeting physical structure standards will be difficult. As the accomplishments in this report illustrate, the University is committed to accessibility, but it will require capital funding to make the physical changes needed given the fact that its buildings are the oldest in the University system. Without capital funding, the University will be forced to choose how to allocate already scarce resources for capital improvements. There will not be funds available for quality improvements and enhancement for our community. The University, through the Council of Ontario Universities, should therefore advocate for increased capital funding to address the upcoming accessibility standards.

The high level of activity directed toward identifying and eliminating barriers and increasing awareness of disabilities commented upon in last year's report has continued throughout the 2005/2006 academic year and many new initiatives are under way. There is a great deal of activity in the area of information resources and adaptive technology, and we are seeing the explicit adoption of universal design approaches across the University, including intense promotion of universal instructional design in teaching and program development. A new system of navigating main campus, called wayfinding, is being explored. This system allows campus users to determine the best route to safely and independently reach his or her destination. Numerous organizational units, including the University's Office of Open Learning, Centre for Students with Disabilities, Library Centre for Students with Disabilities, Student Affairs and Student Housing continue to show innovation and leadership in promoting the elimination of barriers. In addition, the University President assigned responsibility for several key action items from last year’s accessibility plan to specific members of the President’s Executive Council.

Against this background of achievement there remain areas of concern. Despite the elimination every year of barriers, there is much work to do to enhance the physical accessibility of University facilities, with issues ranging from provision of ramps and elevators to lighting in stairwells and upgrading of alarm systems. Legacy structures remain an ongoing problem as do infrastructure budget constraints. Progress is slow in ensuring that all of the University's mechanisms for communicating with its community, whether administrative or academic, electronic or hardcopy, are barrier-free. Finally, it is essential that we continue to expend a great deal of effort to increase awareness of the spectrum of disabilities encountered in the community and of the need to promote equality. The University as an institution is thoroughly committed to these goals; while we celebrate our achievements we must continue to ensure that this commitment is endorsed and acted upon to the greatest extent possible, at all levels and in all divisions, and at every opportunity.

1. Commentary/Introduction

This report is prepared, in the first instance, in response to the requirements of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) 2001, which requires institutions within the broad public sector to review their policies, programs and services as they impact on persons with disabilities, and develop accessibility plans to address existing barriers and prevent new barriers from being established. While a new accessibility act, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was passed in 2005, the ODA has not been repealed and remains in effect.

This is the University's fourth annual report, and describes both progress made in the last year in accessibility planning and elimination of barriers and the University's plans for the coming year. The report is prepared in compliance with the ODA and for the University President by the University's Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee (APDAC), a broad-based committee with representation from all divisions, including the Regional Campuses. This report is an account of activity from October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006.

The report is designed in such a way that readers can easily trace activity from year-to-year and evaluate the outcome of all initiatives and actions. In this way, the University community is able to clearly identify not only the University's commitment to the identification and elimination of barriers, but also where it is succeeding most effectively and where the greatest additional effort needs to be applied. APDAC is sensitive to the accessibility needs of the University community, and actively encourages users of the University's facilities and programs to provide input into the process of identifying and eliminating barriers by contacting the committee directly. The contents of this report are meant to reflect the concerns and needs of the community, as per the spirit of the ODA.

2. Objectives and Structure of the Accessibility Plan

The AODA came into effect in June 2005. This new legislation will set provincial accessibility standards in the near future. Eventually, the University will report annually on its compliance with these new standards. However, until these standards are defined, the University continues to report on its progress under ODA requirements. The ODA requires universities to prepare an accessibility plan that addresses the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to persons with disabilities in their policies, programs, practices and services. These plans must report on:

accessibility initiatives that have occurred in the past year;
accessibility initiatives planned for the coming year;
measures taken to ensure proposals for policies, programs, practices and services are assessed to determine their effect on accessibility for persons with disabilities;
policies, programs, practices and services that will be reviewed in the coming year to identify barriers to persons with disabilities.

This plan addresses the following seven areas as they pertain to the above reporting requirements. These are the areas of particular concern identified by the 2002 Council of Ontario Universities (COU) Report of the Working Group on the Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2001 :

publications and information resources;
equipment and adaptive technology;
physical facilities;
human resources issues;
awareness issues for faculty and staff;
academic services and policies for students with disabilities;
non-academic student support services.

The central reporting mechanism of this report is contained in sections 4, 5 and 6 as follows:

Section 4. Accessibility Initiatives 2005-2006. This section details the University’s accessibility initiatives in this last reporting year. It includes measures already instituted and in place and those that are in place but under ongoing development.

Section 5. Accessibility Plan for 2006-2007. This section details the University’s accessibility plans for 2006-2007. It describes initiatives that are ongoing, initiatives that are under development but not yet instituted, and initiatives that have been recommended by APDAC and are under consideration.

Section 6. Measures to Assess By-Laws, Policies, Programs, Practices and Services to Determine their Effect on Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities at the University of Guelph. This section describes how the University intends to address the review of policies, programs, practices and services to ensure all of its activities are barrier free.

3. The Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee

2005-2006 (alternate members are noted in parentheses)

Laurie Arnott Human Rights Advisor, Human Rights and Equity Office
Melissa Beacom Advisor, Centre for Students with Disabilities
Patrick Case Director, Human Rights and Equity Office
Renee Geluk Liaison Officer, Ridgetown College
Athol Gow Coordinator, Library Centre for Students with Disabilities
Ruth Gillespie Classroom Technical Support Manager, Teaching Support Services
James Gowdy Student
Paula Hearn Student
Isobel Heathcote Dean, Graduate Studies
Michelle Kean Graduate Student
Cyndy McLean Director, Health and Performance Centre
Gisele MacNeil Manager, Health and Wellbeing, Dept. of Occupational Health Services (Cathy Kannenberg, Occupational Health Nurse)
Bruno Mancini Director, Counselling and Student Development Centre
Jeff Morrison Multimedia Coordinator, Office of Open Learning
Kim Neale Central StudentsAssociation Academic Commissioner
Barbara O’Neill Registrar, Ridgetown College
Peter Physick-Sheard (Chair) Faculty, Department of Population Medicine, OVC
Chris Pickard Director, Planning, Engineering and Construction Services,
Physical Resources
Rachel St. Jean Registrar, College d’Alfred
Heather Stewart Senior Lecturer (Communications), Kemptville College
Bill Teesdale Manager, Microprobe Facility, Physics Department
Brenda Whiteside Associate Vice-President (Student Affairs)

3.1 Working Group Memberships

The committee has struck four working groups to address the seven areas of emphasis outlined in the COU Guidelines (see page 2). Each working group is responsible for identifying barriers and advising the committee on the removal and prevention of barriers in one or more of the key areas. These areas are not mutually exclusive and therefore some of the work that the working groups perform overlaps. The working groups are composed of the committee’s members and members of the University community co-opted to the group to provide input and to assist the group in identifying and addressing issues in their area of particular expertise.

Student Support Services Working Group (SSS)

Isobel Heathcote
Brenda Whiteside
Jeff Morrison
Peter Physick-Sheard (Leader) (ex officio)
Bruno Mancini
James Gowdy
Renee Geluk
Kim Neale
Michelle Kean
Barbara O’Neill*

Awareness and Outreach Working Group (AO)

Laurie Arnott (Leader)
Cyndy McLean
Melissa Beacom
Gisele MacNeil
Bill Teesdale
Peter Physick-Sheard (ex officio)
Leo Song*
Jennifer Gordon*

Information Resources and Adaptive Technology Working Group (IRAT)

Athol Gow (Leader)
Kyle Mackie*
Ruth Gillespie
Paula Hearn
Stuart Robertson*
Peter Physick-Sheard (ex officio)

Physical Accessibility Working Group (PA)

Chris Pickard (Leader)
Laurie Arnott
Joseph Varamo*
Steve Borho*
Peter Physick-Sheard (ex-officio)

*Ad hoc members

4. Accessibility Initiatives 2005 - 2006

The following initiatives are comprised of actions and recommendations identified by APDAC in the 2005-2006 accessibility plan as well as additional accessibility initiatives that occurred during this reporting period. To maintain accountability for APDAC’s actions and recommendations, the status of each initiative is displayed after each item using the code below.

C - refers to initiatives identified in the 2005-2006 accessibility plan that are one-time undertakings and are now complete. No further action is required and/or identified.

CFU - refers to initiatives identified in the 2005-2006 accessibility plan that have been completed and for which a follow-up step and/or additional activity has been identified.

O - refers to initiatives identified in the 2005-2006 accessibility plan that will continue in 2006-2007. These initiatives are ongoing but not yet completed.

NAT - refers to initiatives identified in the 2005-2006 accessibility plan where no action has been taken.

N - refers to additional initiatives not identified in the 2005-2006 accessibility plan that have been completed.

4.1 Physical Facilities

This section of the accessibility plan focuses on initiatives undertaken at the University to address physical barriers faced by persons with disabilities and the community as a whole. The following initiatives occurred in 2005/2006:

As part of its strategy to address long-term physical accessibility planning, Physical Resources (Planning, Engineering & Construction) has adopted the standards contained in the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) document Accessible Design for the Built Environment as the minimum standards for physical accessibility for all new University construction and retrofit projects, and to the greatest extent possible, as guiding principles in assessing physical accessibility of existing structures while recognizing that there are likely to be some standards that cannot realistically be applied with some of our legacy physical structures. Adoption of these standards recognizes that:

there are omissions in these standards when compared to the range of needs present on campus;
the absence of an applicable standard in the CSA accessibility standards does not mean that no standard will be applied, but rather that the standards applied will be in addition to the CSA standards;
the University will additionally need to adopt standards, as required, according to the following:
- meet and/or exceed the Ontario Building Code standards, where these exceed CSA standards;
- City of Guelph standards, where appropriate; and
- University standards, where these exceed CSA standards or meet needs not addressed in those standards (e.g., labs). (C)

The Campus Accessibility Committee (CAC) continues to be responsible for the analysis of all major construction/ renovation projects for accessibility features and for review of proposed smaller accessibility projects (retrofits) on the Guelph campus. The CAC submitted a call to the University community for accessibility-related construction projects. It assessed and prioritized the requests according to importance and fiscal possibility. The CAC then recommended to the Vice-President (Finance & Administration) that specific projects be funded from the University's facility renewal funds ($125,000) or other resources. The CAC has representation from the Centre for Students with Disabilities (CSD), Physical Resources, Student Housing, students, and faculty. Classroom Technical Support will be represented on the committee beginning in Summer 2006. The CSD was consulted on construction of all new buildings. (O)
The CAC, CSD and Teaching Support Services (TSS) facilitated the installation of Gentner systems in 12 classrooms to enhance accessibility for students with hearing impairments. (N)
An audit for physical accessibility of the McLaughlin Library was completed. A report has been drafted, reviewed and accepted by the University. (C)
As part of an ongoing program addressing issues of physical accessibility on the main campus, the following modifications to physical plant have been made in 2005/2006:

a complete replacement of the large exterior concrete ramp on Winegard Walk in front of the Library;
repairs to the ramp at the south entrance to the Occupational Health Services building;
installation of hold open devices on the first floor corridor doors in the foyer of Family and Consumer Studies building;
repairs to various areas of Reynolds Walk between Branion Plaza and South Ring Road;
removal of a deteriorated and redundant ramp at northwest corner of Crop Science and the repair of an adjacent ramp;
resurfacing of Branion Plaza;
installation of power door operators for a barrier free entrance to the Arboretum Centre;
retrofit of elevator controls to barrier free standards on elevators 9 and 10 in the MacKinnon Building;
installation of several power door operators in a number of East Village Townhouse units and the Town Hall;
rework of some lab benching in Zoology Annex I to accommodate a student;
one complete replacement and one resurfacing of exterior concrete ramps adjacent to MacDonald and Lambton Halls;
creation of a wayfinding line for the visually impaired, leading from the lobby of the Library to the Library Centre for Students with Disabilities (LCSD), using textured and colour-contrasted carpet;
replacement of the Library “detect” system, a security and book monitoring system, with another that does not employ turnstiles. Patrons in scooters and wheelchairs can now travel unobstructed through any of the entrance portals.
consolidation of the LCSD's study space into one area. (C)

4.2 Awareness and Outreach

This section of the accessibility plan focuses on initiatives taken to address attitudinal barriers as they impact on people with disabilities and the community as a whole. The following are primarily new initiatives and significant enhancements of core programs. Details of core activities for the 2005/2006 reporting year are provided in Appendix IV of this report. The following new initiatives took place in 2005/2006:

A more extensive Accessibility Awareness Week was held this year. This event was organised by the student-led Accessibility Awareness Week Committee (including a CSD-hired peer helper) and supported by the CSD staff and resources with involvement of TSS, OPIRG, Central Student Association and APDAC. Events included:

a presentation of the film “Murderball” which documents the lives of wheelchair rugby athletes;
a resource fair;
a mental health day entitled “Living with Mental Health Issues” which featured local speakers;
a wheelchair simulation experience where student leaders were asked to spend a day in a wheelchair followed by a round table discussion on participants’ experiences;
a workshop on universal instructional design for faculty;
a workshop on learning disability issues and adaptive technology where the LCSD coordinator demonstrated Dragon Naturally Speaking, Kurzweil 3000, Inspiration and Cmap Tools;
an ableism and anti-oppression workshop;
a guest speaker, Stephanie McClellan, who spoke on overcoming adversity. (O)

The “Diverse Abilities Infinite Possibilities” disability awareness poster campaign which is administered by the Human Rights and Equity Office (HREO) continued this year. A second run of posters was ordered, enlarged posters were placed in display cases in key spots on main campus and the poster series appeared in the University’s At Guelph newspaper. (C)
The CSD hosted weekly “Learning Lunches”. Topic titles included: “Taming The Chaos”, “Effective Lecture Notes”, “Text Reading”, “Multiple Choice Exams”, “Fight Forgetting”, “Putting a Stop to Putting It Off”, “Writing Kick Start”, “Dealing with Stress and Anxiety”, “Preparing For Finals”, and “Exam Strategies”. The LCSD Coordinator offered a workshop on adaptive software. (C)
The HREO met with the department of Communications and Public Affairs to discuss increasing internal media coverage of accessibility and disabilities as an awareness strategy. The University newspaper, At Guelph, has printed several articles that focused on persons with disabilities or various other aspects of access and disability as well as featuring the “Diverse Abilities, Infinite Possibilities” disability awareness campaign. (N)
The University’s accessibility website now has links on a number of major University websites including the following units: Human Resources, Faculty Recruitment, Student Affairs, Student Housing, HREO, Graduate Student’s Association, Physical Resources, Student Health Services, Athletics, Health and Performance Centre, Library, LCSD, Environmental Health and Safety, Parking Services, Fire Prevention, CSD, Counselling Services, and TSS. (O)
APDAC’s Outreach and Awareness Working Group (AO) continued to explore establishing an accessibility award to recognise those individuals on the University’s campuses who help create an accessible community. (O)
The University hosted the 3rd Annual Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion event for the Guelph area. This event involved participants who wheeled, biked, skated, walked or ran a two or five kilometre route through the University of Guelph campus. Half of the net proceeds from the event were returned to the area through the local chapter of the Canadian Paraplegic Association to assist individuals with equipment needs, recreation and other initiatives that enhance the quality of life of those with spinal cord injuries (SCI). The other half has been committed to spinal cord research. A University employee is the Chair for the Guelph event. (O)
A group called “Forward Minds” was established by students who are interested in increasing mental health awareness on campus. The idea for this initiative originated from the Forward Minds mental health awareness group at York University. The mandate and objectives of this group include:
1. disseminating mental health information and resources across campus;
2. promoting the Wellness Centre, Student Support Network, Raithby House, Counselling Services and CSD as safe spaces to retrieve such information;
3. raising awareness of mental health issues through the use of information boards and displays.

As a part of increasing awareness of the debilitating effects of mental illness, Forward Minds had a display board in the University Centre during Accessibility Awareness Week and put on a forum called “Mental Health Matters” which included speakers Ian Chovil, Kim Muller, and Bruno Mancini. Follow up discussion focused on the need to create accessibility for individuals with mental illness and promote the many resources the University has to offer for students with this type of disability. (N)

The CSD was involved with the Orientation Week Advisory Committee. The unit also held a program during Orientation Week specifically for students who identified themselves as having a psychological disability. (O)
The CSD provided representation at the Ontario Universities’ Fair. (N)
The CSD now administers three scholarships/awards for students with disabilities or those involved with CSD activities: (N)
1. Tara Lynn Guiliani Memorial Award: The family of this student has set up an award in memory of their daughter Tara Lynn. The award of $500.00 is made annually, and preference is given to a student with a visual impairment.
2. The Gonder Family Volunteer Scholarship is a $900.00 award for a volunteer who has worked directly with a student with a learning disability.
3. The Gonder Family Student Scholarship is a $900.00 award for a student in the B.Comm program who has a learning disability, a minimum average of 70%, and has 10 to 15 course credits.
The Office of Open Learning (OOL) conducted a session for Continuing Education program managers to raise awareness of UID principles and of how they can encourage continuing education instructors to implement these in their courses. (O)
Last year, APDAC recommended an accessibility tour of University facilities and services be held during Accessibility Awareness Week. Because the week was filled with many activities this initiative did not take place. (O)

4.3 Information Resources and Adaptive Technology

This section of the accessibility plan focuses on initiatives taken at the University to create an accessible environment for persons with disabilities through information resources and technology. The following initiatives occurred in 2005/2006:

The Learning Commons developed a proposal, jointly funded by the Library and Computing and Communications Services (CCS), to purchase over 80 licenses for the Inspiration visual learning program. The program will be installed on the computers in the Forster Room on the Library's main floor, and in all of its computer labs. (CFU, O)
The Learning Commons began exploring the possibilities of partnering with other campus units to provide instruction to students in the use of Inspiration during the 06/07 academic year. Varying the presentation of teaching materials in order to accommodate people with different learning styles is an important element in UID. The Inspiration program could therefore be an important tool in the creation of multi-modal curricular materials. (N)
The Library is currently investigating a networkable concept mapping program called Cmap Tools. The server-based component of the program, which is currently installed on one of CCS's production servers, enables people to synchronously collaborate on concept mapping projects. (N)
Accessibility testing of VoiceOver with a student Jaws user took place in June/July of 2005. The results of this testing are posted on the LCSD website. (C)
The creation of paid student Jaws user positions to do accessibility/usability checks on University web resources is being explored. A proposal outlining student work responsibilities and reporting relationships, as well as how the project would be funded has been drafted and submitted to Communications and Public Affairs. (O)
In January 2006, LCSD Co-ordinator Athol Gow, CCS Portal Deployment Team member Barbara Edwards and Campus Web Manager Stuart Robertson organized Portal accessibility sessions using three student Jaws users and one Zoomtext user. These sessions provided valuable insights into how the accessibility of the Portal could be improved, some of which have already been acted upon. Barbara Edwards subsequently wrote a report on these Portal testing sessions. One of the key recommendations of the report is the creation of a Jaws Portal primer that will provide visually-impaired Portal users with important information about the layout of the Portal in order to improve their navigational experience. (C)
The Library E-Reserve department is working with the LCSD to support students with print disabilities who use Kurzweil reading software. Upon request, E-Reserve staff have used their high-speed scanners to convert textbooks into no-text PDF files which Kurzweil can then open and save in its proprietary file format. Over the 05/06 academic year, 38 textbooks were digitized in this manner. (N)
The LCSD acquired another scanner for the LCSD computer lab this spring. The scanner, an HP Scanjet 8250, has a fast, high-quality automatic document feeder (ADF). The ADF will give student Kurzweil users the option of cutting the bindings off their textbooks and scanning them directly into this OCR/text reading program. This is more efficient than scanning a textbook one page at a time. (N)
The LCSD purchased three new pieces of technology to add to its student loan program: a VictorReader Classic+ DAISY disk reading machine; the Quicktionary II OCR scanning/reading dictionary pen, and the Logitech IO2 Digital Writing System. This purchase was made possible through Student Life Enhancement Fund (SLEF) funding. Beginning in Fall 06, CSD-registered students will be able to borrow these devices to try them before purchasing. (N)
Discussions were held with the Chief Information Officer (CIO) Executive Committee on how best to provide access to adaptive software programs in main campus computer labs. At the behest of the Committee, a proposal has been developed for the provision of adaptive software in these labs using the campus network environment. (O)O
A number of avenues are being explored with respect to organising bulk or consortial purchasing of adaptive software. The issue has been raised on the listserv of the Ontario University Purchasing Management Association but so far has not attracted significant interest. A recent and more promising initiative has been started by the Association of Computer Services Directors of Ontario, which represents computing officials from 18 universities. The association is currently gathering information from member universities with respect to their implementation of adaptive software in order to assess the feasibility of consortial purchasing and/or site-licensing strategies. The LCSD Coordinator is working with members of the CIO Executive Committee to respond to the Association’s information requests. (O)
The Multimedia Accessibility Project (MMAP) was formed during the summer of 2005 with membership from the OOL, the Office of the CIO, TSS, and the LCSD. The goal of the project in the short-term is to caption the multimedia used in a distance education course (Psych 3710 - Psychology of Learning Difficulties and Disabilities). The long-term goal of the project will be to ensure that all aspects of the course, including instructional materials and activities, are accessible to the broadest number of users. Significant progress has been made to date on selecting a captioning application, getting transcripts of video material and creating captioned video for a locally-filmed panel discussion. (O)
The OOL Innovations Committee focused this past year on issues surrounding accessibility – including a session with the LCSD Coordinator and a visually impaired student - to illustrate use of adaptive technologies and the needs of those who rely on them. OOL hopes to conduct more sessions such as this to inform course designers and web programmers of ways to improve accessibility. (CFU)
The OOL has implemented its plans to convert existing videos for distance education courses from VHS to DVD format. A student was hired to do the conversion of these videos (including a DVD front-end menu) through the TSS department’s free Multimedia Workstation and this work is complete. Captioning tracks and descriptive video were to be incorporated where possible in this process. Where captioning tracks already existed in older video, this is now captioned video on DVD. However, much of this older video still requires the production and inclusion of captioning tracks and this will not be completed for DVD created from this older video. All new videos that OOL encodes will have captioning tracks. There has been limited movement to date in creating any descriptive video for OOL’s distance education courses. Complications in this endeavour include the substantial amount of instructor time and effort required to produce descriptions and the further time and effort entailed in retrofitting video with descriptive tracks. OOL’s current approach to descriptive video is to create descriptive video based on the feasibility of individual projects and the willingness of instructors to contribute to them. (O)
All OOL promotional materials published in print have an electronic version associated with them. These may include one or more of the following: (C)
1. Almost all programs with a brochure or other promotional material have a complete and dedicated website, which not only provides the same information as the brochure, but also provides additional information about the program through the World Wide Web, making it easily accessible from anywhere, at anytime.
2. At a minimum, all programs and courses have information accessible through the OOL website.
3. Open Learning programs offered through OOL generally offer several methods for registration in addition to hard copy forms: an online registration form, an html form, and/or a pdf version of the hardcopy. Those not wishing to use a hardcopy or electronic form can call the OOL to register.
4. When necessary or when requested, OOL promotional materials, including registration forms, have been converted into electronic formats (Adobe Acrobat pdf, Microsoft Word, or WordPerfect) and sent to current and prospective clients for their review and use.
5. Information contained in the Open Learning Distance Education Course Guide is available on the OOL website.
6. The Open Learning Program Student Handbook is available electronically for download through the OOL website.
OOL is moving toward providing hardcopy course materials in electronic format for web delivery. This is an on-going process. Distance education materials currently or formerly published in print that are now available electronically or in both formats include:
1. Course information sheets and course outlines (formerly available in hardcopy) are now provided to students in electronic format in two separate documents. The course outlines appear on course websites (html format); and
2. Information on distance education and online learning is now available through the Distance Education Handbook accessible from the OOL homepage and the Online Learning Portal (html and pdf format). (O)
OOL is increasingly moving toward the use of electronic readers rather than hardcopy collections of course resources. Readings are increasingly being provided electronically as pdfs, either accessible through course websites or through electronic library reserve. (O)
Course manuals and other hardcopy course resources are provided in electronic format upon request from the CSD for use by students employing screen reader technology. (O)C
OOL has hired a Project Manager, Multimedia, whose job, in part, is to move forward plans to redesign and create websites and multimedia that comply with accessibility guidelines. (N)
All existing OOL program marketing websites and all Continuing Education program websites have been upgraded and meet W3C Accessibility guidelines (priority level 1). The main OOL website is under review with the objective of making it W3C (priority 1 level) compliant by Summer 2006.(O)
In terms of course websites, with the goal of achieving compliance with W3C guidelines (priority 1 level) OOL has undertaken the following initiatives:
1. To provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content and ensure all new multimedia is accessible or that alternative formats are available, OOL began implementing image tags and alternative text resources for all new media created through OOL. Existing media have not been processed because of the large time commitment and the need for assistance from course authors/instructors. OOL is also adding audio tracks where necessary. (O)
2. Progress has been made in consistent and proper use of markup and style sheets, including ensuring that tables have the necessary markup to be transformed by accessible browsers and other user agents. OOL is still in the early stages of this initiative but has started moving toward eliminating, where possible, the use of tables in course websites to facilitate readability by screen readers. (O)
3. Traditionally, pdf documents created difficulties for certain adaptive technologies (i.e. screen readers), so equivalent html documents have been provided to allow access for individuals using those technologies. However, pdf accessibility capabilities seem to be improving so the need to switch formats is less pressing. OOL has been experimenting with FlashPaper (as an alternative to pdf and html) to see if the format is more accessible. (O)
4. OOL promotes device independence and thus accessibility in website design, navigation and use by using features that enable activation of page elements via a variety of input devices. However, embedded objects (such as flash animations) remain problematic because of device dependence. (O)
In last year’s accessibility plan, a recommendation was made that focus groups be conducted to gather input on the accessibility and usability of the University’s communication mechanisms. While the use of focus groups to gather information remains an option under consideration, a request for information was sent out by APDAC to student groups (CSD, Central Student Association, Graduate Students Association, and the Mature Students Association) to first gather background information. A response has been received from the Central Student Association, and CSD students and advisors were polled through the CSD communication survey. Results are reported in section 4.4, Nonacademic Initiatives (d). Issues raised will be examined further (see section 5.4). (O)
No definitive exploration has been undertaken of University adoption of web publishing software to enable the creation of standard templates that meet W3C guidelines. (NAT)

4.4 Student Support Services

This section of the accessibility plan focuses on initiatives to address support services as they impact on students with disabilities and the community as a whole. The following initiatives occurred in 2005/2006:

Academic Initiatives

In the 2005-2006 academic year a mechanism was introduced to allow core exam and classroom accommodations for students with disabilities to be provided without case-by-case negotiation with faculty and their formal approval. The accommodations include extra time, use of a computer, scribe or note taker. The procedure is administered by the CSD (see http://www.slcs.uoguelph.ca/csd/exam_procedures.cfm.) Faculty continue to be consulted on unusual or unique accommodations in order to maintain the integrity of courses. This shift in practice is a reflection of the fact that the service and support provided students with disabilities are viewed as normal practice and very much part of the University’s mandate. (C)
Promotion of the adoption of UID principles continues:
1. The Provost’s Office included promotion of the principles of UID in its recently released White Paper, “The Lighting of a Fire: Re-imagining the Undergraduate Learning Experience” (See http://www.vpacademic.uoguelph.ca/whitepaper/lightingofafire.shtml), the objective of which is to critically examine and encourage dialogue on the evolution of the University’s approaches to undergraduate education and its delivery. The paper promotes the incorporation of UID into learning material, course design, and learning spaces throughout campus. (O)
2. TSS has incorporated UID into its survival guides and resources. (O)
3. In March 2005, a session was conducted for Continuing Education program managers to raise awareness of UID principles and to encourage Continuing Education instructors to implement these in their courses. (O)
4. The OOL has worked with course authors to incorporate best practices in distance education” into the design of distance education courses. These best practices strongly reflect principles of UID. (O)
5. OOL Distance Learning Specialists conducted sessions each semester for instructors and teaching assistants on facilitating online learning. Pertinent issues surrounding accessibility were discussed. (O)
The development of standards and best practices for WebCT users is ongoing. In 2005-2006 TSS provided workshops on the use of WebCT, with offerings tailored to both experienced and first-time users. The question of accessibility is an explicit topic in these sessions. The University has upgraded its WebCT Installation. The implications of this upgrade for accessibility are receiving ongoing attention. (O)
TSS maintains a database of classroom attributes including full details on all accessibility features. The list of accessible classrooms is available on the TSS website. (N)
A pilot project led by the Provost to design two accessible teaching podiums for classrooms in the MacKinnon building is under development. The podiums are intended to be adjustable in height with fully integrated equipment. (N)
Issues surrounding accessibility were addressed by the OOL’s distance learning specialists in sessions for instructors and TA’s on facilitating online learning. (C)
The OOL has worked to heighten awareness of issues surrounding accessibility and the challenges faced by learners with disabilities by providing information to non-U of G course developers and instructors. UID has been implemented for course redesign and new course design. (C)

Non-Academic Initiatives

Student Affairs has prepared a document titled “Accessible Design Considerations in Student Affairs” (see Appendix II). Among other things, this document addresses physical facilities, signage, and display boards. Borrowing from the standards of the Universal Institute of Design and the University of Manitoba, the Student Affairs document reaches beyond minimum physical accessibility requirements as presented in the Ontario Building Code and the CSA standards. In the context of the services for which Students Affairs is responsible, the guidelines are aimed at and achieving the preferred design for all people. The document has been distributed to all Student Affairs managers with the intention that the guidelines be used when spaces are renovated or updated. Further exploration of University accessibility issues and the potential for universal design is ongoing (see section 5.4). (C,O)
No definitive action has been taken on the use of plain language in University documents and policies. This issue will be addressed through ongoing discussions in the SSS working group (see section 5.4). (NAT)
Recognition of the impact of the main campus environment on people with disabilities is being addressed through the development of a campus wayfinding initiative (see section 5.4). (O)
A survey was completed of students registered with the CSD and of student advisers to determine which, if any, aspects of the mechanisms used by the University for routine communications with students cause problems. Responses addressing these areas were also received from the Central Student Association. Students appeared broadly satisfied with communication methods and were very supportive of the use of electronic formats. Concerns were raised with regard to the ways in which email is used for administrative purposes, a lack of consistency in document layout (for example, course outlines), availability of electronic versions of class handouts, and availability of PowerPoint slides for student review. Mechanisms used to convey classroom material (e.g., overheads, WebCT) also raised problems for some students, while other concerns related to the use of plain language. These issues will be examined further (see section 5.4). (CFU)
The CSD has been working with the Centre for International Programs to ensure students with disabilities have equal academic opportunity to study abroad or travel as exchange students. (N)
The CSD has been providing consultation and support to students with disabilities, faculty and staff at the Regional Campuses (Université de Guelph - Campus d'Alfred, University of Guelph - Kemptville Campus, and University of Guelph - Ridgetown Campus). Arrangements were made to provide full-time sign language interpretation at the Ridgetown Campus. (N)
The CSD hosted student support groups on ADHD. (N)
CSD staff members are working to create a new map of main campus that includes the University’s accessibility features. This map, among other things, will include locations of: accessible washrooms, accessible parking spaces, automatic door openers, and elevator and ramp locations. (O)
No definitive action has been taken on identifying or promoting quiet spaces or a feeling of physical space in a crowded campus. (NAT)

4.5 Human Resources Initiatives for Staff

This section of the accessibility plan focuses on human resources initiatives to address support services as they impact on staff with disabilities and the community as a whole. The following initiatives occurred in 2005/2006:

Accommodation continues to be an important employee retention measure. To ensure the accommodation of both current and prospective employees the Assistant Vice-President (Human Resources) has worked with the Director, HREO to begin developing and articulating a university-wide strategy on responding to the need for accommodation arrangements for employees, including temporary return to work arrangements and permanent accommodation arrangements. Employee groups will also play an important role in developing this strategy. It is anticipated that the strategy will be deployed within the calendar year. (O)
The Assistant Vice-President (Human Resources) has worked with the Director, HREO to revise the procedure for distribution of funds from the Employment Accommodation Fund, including the establishment of a committee to advise on how funds should be allocated. (O)
The HREO Director and the Assistant Vice-President (Human Resources) met to review whether or not the current employment accommodation fund of $20,000 per annum is adequate. In light of the developing employee accommodation strategy, it is impossible at this point to determine what the needs will be in any given year. Until this time the amount has been adequate. However, with increased communication of the fund’s existence through the accommodation strategy, expenditures may run beyond the budget. (O)
The University’s Human Resources division has begun a review of collective agreement and employee agreement provisions to determine whether any accessibility barriers exist, whether through permissive language or other means, with a view to eliminating them. (O)
The University’s Human Resources division has begun considering how to extend its employee recruitment process into the disabled community. The goal is to ensure that persons with disabilities are aware that the University has positions available, and to encourage applicants with disabilities to apply. Human Resources is considering placing a standing advertisement in certain widely distributed resources for persons with disabilities. (N)

4.6 Faculty and Office of the Provost Initiatives

This section of the accessibility plan focuses on initiatives to address support services as they impact on faculty with disabilities and the community as a whole. The following initiatives occurred in 2005/2006:

The Office of the Provost had begun a review of faculty policy provisions to determine whether any accessibility barriers exist with a view to eliminating them, whether through permissive language or other means. In light of upcoming collective agreement negotiations with the recently unionized Faculty Association, previous review has been suspended. However, accessibility barriers will be addressed in the new negotiations. (O)
The Office of the Provost and the Manager of Faculty Recruitment and Retention have been working with the Director, HREO to identify under-representation among faculty at the University of federally-outlined employment equity seeking groups including persons with disabilities. Strategy to address this under-representation will be addressed in the upcoming year. (see section 5.6) (O)

5. Accessibility Plan for 2006 - 2007

5.1 Physical Facilities

This section of the accessibility plan explores ways that the University intends to address current barriers and prevent future barriers in the physical environment that may limit universal access. The following list outlines the University’s plans to address these barriers in 2006-2007.

Library management will consider the results of the physical accessibility audit of the McLaughlin Library and determine next steps.
The CAC will continue its primary activities at the Guelph campus:
- analysis of all major new construction projects to ensure accessibility features are built into the design, equipping of the buildings and design of their environs; and
- analysis of all major renovation projects to ensure accessibility requirements are addressed in the design to the fullest extent possible, and that the equipping of buildings and design of their environs take advantage of opportunities to enhance accessibility.
The CAC will continue to submit calls to the University community for accessibility-related construction projects, assess and prioritize these requests according to impact and fiscal possibility, and recommend to Physical Resources which specific projects should be funded from the University's facility renewal funds or other resources.

5.2 Awareness and Outreach

This section of the accessibility plan focuses on addressing attitudinal barriers as they impact on people with disabilities and the community as a whole. The following list outlines the University’s plan to address these barriers in 2006-2007:

APDAC’s AO working group will continue to promote awareness of the University’s accessibility website.
The AO working group will explore the possibility of establishing an internet blog which addresses issues related to disability and access for students, staff and faculty.
The AO working group will complete its investigations to establish an accessibility award to recognise those individuals who help create an accessible University community.
The Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion event primarily involves faculty and staff at the University (in addition to City of Guelph community members). The Guelph Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion Committee is investigating expansion of the event to include a team challenge fund raiser, likely to be held at a different time in the year to increase student participation.
The student group, Forward Minds, hopes to continue its community involvement in the upcoming year. It will promote the group and seek involvement in a variety of events at the University.
Both the CSD and Occupational Health Services will host a scent-free campaign on main campus in the upcoming year.
The CSD will increase its involvement in Orientation Week by having a CSD staff member assist in the selection of orientation volunteers, and will promote accessibility during the event. The goal is to increase participation of students with disabilities through volunteer opportunities and orientation volunteer positions.
The CSD intends to reorganize its exam centre to meet the demand for accommodating exams for students with disabilities.
APDAC recommends that a planning committee be formed to organize Accessibility Awareness Week next year. It recommends the committee be comprised of students, staff and faculty, and chaired by a CSD staff member. APDAC further recommends that next year’s Resource Fair be held on a Monday or Tuesday to increase participation. In consideration of all of the groups that interact with the University including students, staff and faculty, APDAC recommends that the activities and seminars held during Accessibility Awareness Week be inclusive for these groups and feature the participation and perspective of all of these constituents.

5.3 Information Resources and Adaptive Technology

This section of the accessibility plan focuses on current University plans to create an accessible environment for persons with disabilities through use of technology. The following list outlines the University's 2006-2007 plan to address the technological environment:

The Learning Commons will continue exploring the possibilities of partnering with other units in order to provide instruction to students in the use of Inspiration software during the 06/07 academic year. Varying the presentation of teaching materials in order to accommodate people with different learning styles is an important element in UID. The Inspiration program could therefore be an important tool in the creation of multi-modal curricular materials.
The Library will assess the utility of the networkable concept mapping program called Cmap Tools and the possibility of providing support for it during the 06/07 academic year, allowing people to synchronously collaborate on concept mapping projects. The Library is also investigating the possibility of including the Cmap Tools client on all its public computers.
CCS Portal Deployment Team member Barbara Edwards and LCSD Co-ordinator Athol Gow will create a Jaws Portal primer that will provide visually-impaired Portal users with importantinformation about the layout of the Portal in order to improve their navigational experience. This was a recommendation from their report on 2005-2006 Portal testing sessions.
The draft proposal for paid student Jaws user positions to do accessibility/usability checks on campus web resources is awaiting feedback from Communication and Public Affairs. Feedback will be incorporated and the final document submitted for approval.
Beginning in Fall 06, CSD-registered students will be able to borrow these new pieces of technology purchased by the LCSD in 2005-2006: the Quicktionary II OCR scanning/reading dictionary pen, and the Logitech IO2 Digital Writing System. This borrowing system provides an opportunity for students to try the equipment before making a purchase.
The Multimedia Accessibility Project (MMAP) will continue its short-term goal to caption the multimedia used in a distance education course (Psych 3710 - Psychology of Learning Difficulties and Disabilities). It will further strive toward its long-term goal of ensuring that all aspects of the course, including instructional materials and activities, are accessible to the broadest number of users.
A proposal has been developed for the provision of adaptive software in those main campus computer labs using the campus network environment. Other elements of a campus-wide policy for the provision of adaptive software support to students with disabilities will be developed during the 06/07 academic year.
Investigation will continue into the feasibility of bulk purchasing arrangements for adaptive software at a regional or province-wide level in order to reduce the cost of this software for both institutional and individual users.
The use of video conferencing and webcams will be explored as a means to provide support for students with disabilities at the Regional Campuses.
The OOL plans to conduct more sessions on issues surrounding accessibility similar to those held by its Innovations Committee this past year. The goal is to inform its course designers and web programmers of ways to improve accessibility. These sessions illustrate the use of adaptive technologies and the needs of those who rely on them.
OOL will provide captioning tracks for any new videos that OOL encodes.
While several initiatives in website accessibility in the OOL will take considerable time and input/commitment from course authors and instructors, OOL will continue working toward course website accessibility, including image tags and alternative text resources, eliminating, where possible, the use of tables in course websites, achieving device independence, and providing print and audio captions for images, charts, illustrations, etc.
In 2005-2006, APDAC put forth recommendations to the Information Services Committee (ISC). APDAC continues to recommend the following items be acted upon by ISC, that current activities in these areas be accelerated, and that policies be developed and applied:
1. in support of the adoption of the University’s published standards for web development, the University set a deadline within which all official University websites (that is, sites that members of the University community must access in order to appropriately and effectively discharge their duties and achieve their academic goals) be in compliance with these standards;
2. the University endorse the philosophy that professional web design is synonymous with accessible web design;
3. opportunities for University web developers to receive in-house instruction in accessible web design be made available; and
4. policy and practice concerning the media and formats in which information is released and disseminated by the University should be reviewed to ensure full accessibility.
APDAC continues to recommend that ISC develop methods for providing adaptive technology and software support to students with disabilities:
1. Clarify internal and external resources that support students who require access to a current version of Jaws screen reading software for accessing critical services such as the University's web portal, both on campus and at home.
2. The adaptive software programs that are supported by the University should be identified, and where and how this support is offered should be clarified.
3. Opportunities to integrate CCS's expertise in the areas of software licensing and support into the campus adaptive software support model should be explored.
To ensure awareness of emerging technologies with implications for the learning environment and the provision of accessibility support, APDAC recommends that an annual retreat with IRAT, ISC, representatives from CCS, the OOL and TSS be arranged.
Concern continues regarding the accessibility of key institutional information resources, such as University and College websites, Web Advisor and WebCT. Efforts to ensure these resources are accessible will continue. To this end, IRATwill continue to gather feedback on the accessibility of our communication infrastructure from students and staff, as well as make policy recommendations on the basis of what has already been collected.
Attention will continue to be focused on adoption by the University of web publishing software to enable the creation of standard templates that meet W3C guidelines.

5.4 Student Support Services

This section of the accessibility plan focuses on plans to address support services as they impact on students with disabilities and the community as a whole. The following list outlines the University’s plan for these services in 2006-2007:

Academic Initiatives

The OOL will discuss ways to further promote UID principles to Continuing Education off-campus instructors. Options may include a workshop for instructors and/or inclusion of the UID principles in its instructor handbook.
APDAC’s SSS Working Group will promote the adoption of UID at the University by continuing to work with TSS, OOL and the Office of the Provost.

NonAcademic Initiatives

The University of Guelph main campus is extensive and contains buildings of widely varying age and architectural style. These structures, together with our open spaces and landscapes, contribute to the charm and unique character of the University. The campus has evolved, however, and the relationships between building style, size, location, prominence and function are not always clear. Routes between buildings are as many and varied as are the needs and objectives of users of our facilities. Some facilities are easily approached and used while other, legacy structures have limited to no accessibility. Within individual structures, the extent to which different elements present barriers varies depending on the needs of the user and the particular purpose to which the facility is being put. Navigating or wayfinding within this complex and multidimensional institutional matrix can sometimes be challenging.

Effective wayfinding means knowing where you are and your intended destination, identifying, and safely and independently following what is for you the best route, recognizing your destination, and being able to find your way back. Design features that promote this functionality, and systems to make the necessary information readily available and clearly visible should be examined on our campus. The ultimate vision should be a fully accessible campus that is welcoming and easy to navigate and embodies the perspectives presented in the 2002 Campus Master Plan. To achieve this vision a broad approach to wayfinding should be taken, encompassing the widest possible range of needs and circumstances.

Developing a comprehensive wayfinding strategy is a challenging and complex undertaking. Such an initiative must:

consider as many of the structural and functional dimensions of the campus as possible;
provide users with the information necessary to make effective, safe and independent decisions on how to locate and reach their destinations;
take advantage of existing databases;
promote the generation of appropriate new databases or integration of databases;
encourage adoption of meaningful and consistent themes and signage;
support the development of a multimedia wayfinding system that takes full advantage of available technologies and links the entire campus;
innovatively provide campus visitors with an immediate, familiar and consistent guide that additionally links seamlessly to the full range of wayfinding resources available.
To investigate the potential for a wayfinding initiative, and preparatory to any adoption of the initiative, it is recommended that a preliminary fact finding study be undertaken. The primary outcomes of this initial study should be to:
determine what wayfinding resources currently exist on campus (databases and key positions/people/units);
identify Web resources;
identify consultants familiar with wayfinding and universal design, and with expertise in post-secondary institutions who might advise on this initiative;
identify wayfinding initiatives and priority at other similar institutions;
identify generic resources on the basic components that need to be covered in a wayfinding initiative;
identify available technologies (e.g. Humanware's "Trekker");
identify the potential costs associated with the initiative and sources of funding available to conduct the project;
identify University units/divisions that could develop a wayfinding project.

The results of this research should be forwarded to the University unit/division called on to take the lead role in furthering any potential campus wayfinding initiative. This unit should consider the definition of structure, scope and feasibility of such an initiative. A recommendation that the initiative be put forward for external funding would await the outcome of full study definition.

The need to state university policies and procedures in plain language may be met by several approaches. These include totally rewriting a document, simplifying it through use of such devices as interpretive phrases, succinct terminology and removal of repetitive phrases, or by providing an interpretive summary. Depending on the purpose and complexity of a document, all or any of these approaches may be appropriate. To gain insight into the issues involved in adoption of plain language and in support of the development of an accessibility review process, to a policy or language issues in collaboration with the unit responsible for the material, by whichever combination of strategies seems appropriate, and the process will be documented. The results of the exercise could be used to illustrate and provide guidance in the review of existing policy and development of new policy.
A need for resources to support the delivery of support services for students with disabilities at the Regional Campuses has been identified. The process of addressing this need has been given a high priority and is already underway, and at the time this plan was prepared meetings with the Regional Campuses had been held and a report from Student Affairs was imminent. It is recommended that the University continue its efforts to address this need.
The Student Support Services Working Group will explore further the issues regarding University communication mechanisms raised in the recent survey of students performed by the CSD (see s.4.4 Non-academic Initiatives (d)), and those identified by the Central Students Association. The exploration will look at the format and delivery method dimensions of the problems encountered with communications, acknowledging that students in general appear supportive of electronic means of communication. The specific issues identified by respondents will be used to guide further information gathering so that, working with IRAT, appropriate recommendations to resolve the underlying issues can be formulated.
The SSS working group will take the lead in developing the process for reviewing policies, programs, practices and services. Working in part from the material already gathered, the working group will continue to consult with members of the University community to progressively refine the review process.

5.5 Human Resources Initiatives for Staff

APDAC recommends that the Assistant Vice-President (Human Resources) and the Director, HREO continue work on a university-wide strategy to accommodate faculty and staff.
A need for resources to support the delivery of disability support services for staff at Regional Campuses and research stations has been identified. It is recommended that the Human Resources department consider this when implementing any accommodation program.
APDAC recommends that the Human Resources division continue to develop and implement a strategy to extend employee recruitment into the disability community.
APDAC recommends that the University’s Human Resources division continue to work to identify and address employee agreement provisions that offer barriers to accessibility with a view to eliminating identified barriers, whether through permissive language or other agreed upon means.

5.6 Faculty and Office of the Provost Initiatives

In 2005-2006, APDAC had only one faculty representative. In order to ensure that all groups on campus are appropriately represented and APDAC’s effectiveness optimized, APDAC will work to recruit additional faculty members.
APDAC recommends that the Provost continue to work with the Director, HREO to develop and implement a strategy to address under-representation of faculty with disabilities.
APDAC recommends that the Provost’s Office continue to work to identify and address faculty policy provisions that offer barriers to accessibility with a view to eliminating identified barriers, whether through permissive language or other agreed upon means.

6. Measures to Assess By-Laws, Policies, Programs, Practices and Services to Determine their Effect on Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities at the University of Guelph

As described in our 2005/2006 accessibility plan, the University's response to the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) included the intention to develop both a review tool and a campus-wide review process. As events unfold in the legislative domain the needs are changing.

Under the terms of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) the Ministry of Community and Social Services is establishing committees to develop standards for accessibility. These standards will then go forward to the Minister and after consultation are intended ultimately to become regulations under the Act. While the ODA established the requirement that policies, procedures, programs, practices and services needed to be reviewed for accessibility, it set no specific expectations. In contrast, standards being developed under the AODA will set clear responsibilities. Common standards will be developed in the areas of customer service, the built environment, employment, and information and communications. Sector specific accessibility standards, such as transportation standards, will additionally be developed to address barriers in sectors not adequately addressed by general standards.

In anticipation of the University's potential responsibilities under the AODA, APDAC began work on the development of the internal review tool, which poses general and context-specific questions. General questions address common areas such as accessibility of information and physical accessibility, while context-specific questions address issues specific to a unit's primary function (e.g., accessibility of academic programs), to be developed in close collaboration with units. The questions provide guidance but do not set standards. The AODA Standards Development Committee on Customer Service Accessibility has recently (April 25) released a draft of its work, providing insight into how the regulations may ultimately be worded and framed, and in reviewing this draft it is clear that the AODA standards will constitute a rigorous guide for review in themselves. This raises the question of what role an internal review tool should play. At this time, therefore, development of the review tool has been suspended until more information is released on provincial standards. While the University will meet provincial requirements, it may ultimately be appropriate to develop additional standards to address University-sector matters not covered by AODA standards, and a role for an internal tool may emerge at that time.

APPENDIX I

Ongoing accessibility initiatives

Through units such as the CSD, the LCSD, Student Health Services, the HREO and the CAC, the University addresses the needs of disabled members of the community on a daily basis. Some of these activities do not change in the short term and have been adequately addressed in preceding accessibility plans or on the University's accessibility website; they do not represent new initiatives and are not detailed in the body of this report. However, for those activities that are ongoing but whose level of involvement is subject to change, the current level of involvement is detailed in this section. The intention is to ensure completeness in the accessibility plan without obscuring new initiatives with details of activity in previously reported areas.

Awareness and Outreach

Awareness and education workshops addressing accommodation for persons with disabilities are facilitated by TSS, the HREO, and the CSD who work collectively to promote awareness and education.

TSS Workshops

TSS has continued to conduct workshops throughout this reporting period. The unit has incorporated UID principles and concepts of inclusiveness into these workshops as standard practice.

HREO Workshops

The HREO conducted a number of awareness and education workshops which were attended by more than 850students, staff,faculty and members of the larger community. The workshops included training and orientation sessions for: search committees (faculty, directors, chairs); supervisors; staff; committees and councils; student organizations; regional colleges; and community organizations.

CSD Workshops

CSD peers and staff provided approximately 50 awareness workshops throughout the year including:

6 training workshops for on-campus student leaders (including Start Leaders);
15 training workshops for residence life staff, Campus Safe Walk, First Aid Response Team, campus liaison and other student service providers on campus;
3 training workshops for staff and faculty including program counsellors, new faculty, specific academic programs, security services, athletic centre staff;
6 training workshops for proctors, scribes and readers to assist students with exams each semester;
5 learning disabilities workshops presented by the CSD learning disabilities strategist; and
22 workshops for deans, faculty and staff, facilitated by the director of the Counselling and Student Development Centre to discuss CSD services.

The CSD's peer helper supervisor and trained peer helpers also presented workshops providing education and awareness to staff on accommodation for persons with disabilities upon request.

CSD Caseload

In the 2005/2006 academic year, 804 students registered with the CSD. Support to students included:

assistance with the admission process;
assistance with arranging appropriate on-campus housing;
orientation to campus and to CSD services for new students;
individual support in the form of counselling, customized learning strategies and academic accommodations from a CSD advisor;
classroom supports such as assistance accessing notes and campus resources, facilitating support from faculty and accessing ASL/oral interpreters;
examination supports such as extra time; quieter space; access to assistive technology, scribes and/or readers;
screening and referrals for students who suspect that they may have a learning disability;
assistance with individual parking needs.

Pre-flight Summer Preparation Program for Students with Learning Disabilities

Pre-flight is a week-long, on-site summer preparation program for students with learning disabilities and is open to all current high school students who plan to attend any Ontario university in fall 2006. The program affords candidates the opportunity to get prepared for life as an undergraduate student, including the opportunity to live in residence, find out about campus resources, learn to use adaptive technology, find out what to expect at university, experience life on campus, learn effective academic strategies, learn about themselves, and meet other new students. Students are required to complete an application for the Pre-flight program, which is free of charge to accepted students and includes residence accommodation, access to the library, computer labs with assistive technology, and course materials. Participants are responsible for the costs of travel, some meals and social activities. The program is funded by the Learning Opportunities Task Force, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Student Sign Language Club

The University has a student based Sign Language Club that promotes awareness of deaf and hard of hearing culture. The Central Student Association subsidizes this club which offers intermediate and advanced ASL courses to staff and students at no cost. Information about this club can be found at their website: http://www.uoguelph.ca/~sign/information/thesignclub/ .

The LCSD

The LCSD offers three main services to students who are registered with the CSD:

Adaptive Technology: The LCSD provides access to, and training in the use of, adaptive software (e.g., screen reading, text magnification, scanning/reading, writing support and concept mapping software) and technology. Three of the Centre’s seven computers are on motorized, height-adjustable tables.
Reference Help: The LCSD provides students with instruction in how to use the Library’s TRELLIS catalogue and journal indexes. Students can also receive intensive, one-on-one reference support.
Alternate-Format Text Services: The LCSD provides course-related texts and research material in alternate formats (e.g. electronic text, Braille, tapes or MP3's) for students with print disabilities.

Other services include retrieval of books and articles from the Library’s stacks and reserve area, locker loans and 4-track tape player loans. The LCSD Coordinator also acts as a resource for students who are interested in purchasing adaptive technology, computers or peripherals, as well as for faculty and staff who are interested in accessibility issues relating to technology.

In July, the LCSD Coordinator took part in the Pre-flight program by introducing participants to adaptive software programs and providing instruction on how to incorporate adaptive software into a variety of learning strategies. Useful hardware and peripherals like digital recorders, personal digital assistants and tablet PCs were also demonstrated.

Each fall, the LCSD Coordinator participates in the PSYCH 1300 Learning Disabilities - Experience to Understanding course. This is a first year course offered through the CSD and the Psychology Department. Enrollment is limited to students who have a clearly diagnosed learning disability and are approved by the CSD’s learning disabilities specialist. The course focuses on learning disabilities and strategies. The LCSD Coordinator provides library instruction sessions, an introductory lecture on adaptive software and leads a hands-on adaptive software workshop.

The LCSD Coordinator was a co-participant in a workshop on learning disabilities for faculty and staff held during the March 2006 Accessibility Awareness Week. He demonstrated Dragon Naturally Speaking, Kurzweil 3000, Inspiration and Cmap Tools.

Additional Non-Academic Supports

Additional non-academic supports provided by various administrative units across the University include:

parking accommodation;
meal plan and on-campus food accommodation;
assistance with meals on campus;
residence priority for room selection;
workshops that promote balance e.g. free arts workshops;
disability awareness training for non-academic units such as Housing and Athletics;
sighted guiding for students with vision disability;
specialized campus tours for students with disabilities;
provision of non-academic information in alternative formats;
employment information and work placement support for students with disabilities;
social events for students with disabilities;
assistance with locating community resources such as housing and attendant care;
working with orientation committees to provide accessible orientation.

APPENDIX II

Accessible Design Considerations in Student Affairs

In Ontario, new building construction and renovation must comply with the Ontario Building Code and the Canadian Standards Association. While these pieces of legislation ensure a minimum standard for access and use of buildings by persons with a variety of physical and sensory disabilities, the principle of universal design serves to go beyond these minimum requirements to achieve the preferred design for all people. The intent of universal design is to make an environment more usable to a wider range of users at little or no extra cost. This document outlines several areas for universal design consideration when spaces are renovated or updated in Student Affairs.

CSA Reference	General Consideration
4.1.3.7 Door Hardware	Door handles and locks should be operable with one hand Level handles should be used on latched doors (not knob or thumb-latch handles) U-shaped door levers are preferred because they reduce the risk of catching on clothing or injury from the exposed lever end
3.2.4 Operating Controls	Operating controls should have tactile and/or auditory information indicating function and position of controls; should be colour contrasted with background; should have information provided in large print and easy to read.
4.1.3.9.2 Location of Controls	Card readers or other types of secure access systems should be located close to controls to open power-assisted doors Controls for power-assisted doors should be located as close as possible to the door
4.1.3.10 Transparent Glazing	Doors that are made entirely of glass are difficult to detect. Colour-contrasting strip should be used around the perimeter of the door and around the perimeter of the surround opening (strip should be at least 50 mm wide)
3.2.6 Visual Displays	Information must be supplemented by tactile and/or auditory information Colour-contrasted Located on glare-free surface Easy to read and understand – sans-serif with Arabic numerals – character height determined by intended viewing distance
3.3.3 Carpets	New carpets can produce off-gassing (the release of chemicals from non-metallic substances under ambient or greater pressure conditions). Suppliers can provide carpets that have been off-gassed prior to installation C Carpets without underpadding are preferred
3.4.1 Protrusion Hazards	Protruding objects can be hazardous to persons with visual impairments, unless they can be detected by the use of a cane C The detection range of most canes dictate that objects or signs mounted on walls cannot protrude more than 100 mm unless they are mounted at or below 680 mm from the floor
4.1.1.1 Width of Routes	Routes that are at least 1500 mm wide are preferable (consider furniture placement, temporary storage of boxes… and the importance of maintaining route width)
4.1.1.3 Lineup Guides	The floor area must be adequate to provide for maneuvering in the space (920 mm minimum width and 1500 mm X 1500 mm where lineup changes direction and 1500 mm X 1500 mm where lineup begins and ends) Lineup guides must be cane-detectable at or below 680 mm from floor Lineup guides must be stable and not move easily, colour-contrasted from surroundings and have a glare-free finish
4.1.1.4 Safety	Accessible egress routes should be maintained at all times (consider how temporary storage of items may impact this)
4.1.2.4 Direction Indicators	Detectable direction indicators should be located in large open floor areas to facilitate wayfinding by indicating the primary route of travel. The indicator should extend from the entrance to the major destination (information desk, stairway, elevator…) Indicator should be of a different texture or colour from surrounding areas – if using raised strips, the strips should run parallel to the direction of travel Indicator should not create a tripping hazard Path of travel should not have any obstructions along its length
4.5.3.2, 4.5.3.3 Signage	Signage should be on glare-free surface, be of uniform design, and be colour-contrasted with background. Use sans serif fonts in lower case when possible and Arabic numbers Colour-contrast letters and numbers with background Place signs at eye level since nearsighted persons may have to approach much closer to read a sign
4.5.3.6 Tactile Signs	Tactile markings, as a supplement to text, are required for regulatory signs (e.g. prohibition and mandatory signs), warning signs (e.g. caution and danger signs) and identification signs (e.g. rooms, titles, names and numbers)
4.6.1 Spaces at Tables and Counters	Seating spaces for persons in wheelchairs must have: a clear floor area not less than 750X1200 mm; adequate maneuvering space to approach them. Forward approach for seating at tables and work surfaces is preferred Table and counter surfaces shall be at a height of 730-860 mm from the floor
4.6.3 Viewing Spaces in Assembly Areas	Assembly areas include classrooms, lecture theatres, arenas and stadiums etc. Wheelchair viewing spaces may be created by removing fixed seating Persons using a wheelchair sit higher and persons who may sit behind them will have their view obstructed Variety in seating locating is necessary to provide choices for people using wheelchairs and their companions
Annex A Environmental Considerations (recommended but not mandatory)	Functional or cognitive barriers may arise where the overall space is confusing or illogical; architectural features are overly repetitive; excessive noise; lighting that hinders the safe use of space; poor air quality; and, the information provided is difficult to read or understand Wayfinding (orientation cues) go beyond signs and include structures, sounds, surface textures, colours, illumination levels… Acoustics can distort or enhance verbal information (e.g. sound insulation and absorbing materials to reduce echo effects are particularly important to persons with hearing loss) Natural light is an important feature in many settings but must be controlled to reduce glare, minimize reflections and avoid excess light and shadow

APPENDIX III

Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee

Mandate

In striving to create an environment that supports the ability of all community members to live, work and study on campus, the University of Guelph recognizes the particular and diverse needs of persons with disabilities, and endeavours to provide services and facilities that meet those needs. Reporting to the President, it is the responsibility of the Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee to monitor and advise on the development and implementation of the University’s annual plan to address accessibility for persons with disabilities and to promote awareness of the plan so that it can guide decisions affecting the University’s operations.

The University of Guelph is guided by the definitions of “disability” and “barrier” found in the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and is concerned with issues and circumstances that constrain access to the University, its programs and services. Consistent with the values and principles in the University’s Human Rights Policy, the University is also concerned with the development of educational initiatives that will address subjective perceptions and misconceptions and that will contribute to the University community’s overall ability to create a welcoming environment for persons with disabilities.

Broad Goals of the Committee

To identify and createmechanisms and channels whereby information on disability issues is continuously gathered, assessed and acted upon, and the University community advised of measures already in place.
To foster the identification and promotion of opportunities whereby disability issues can be kept before the University community so as to cultivate awareness.
To seek out and promote opportunities whereby the principles of UD can be applied in the course of addressing accessibility, with the intent that persons with disabilities be recognised as members of a continuum of abilities rather than as a distinct and separate group.
To promote development of policies whereby issues of accessibility for persons with disabilities are implicitly as well as explicitly addressed in all University endeavours.

Specific Duties of the Committee

In advising on the development of the University’s annual plan to address accessibility for persons with disabilities, the Advisory Committee will:

Consult regularly with faculty, staff and students, and particularly those with disabilities, to identify barriers on campus;
Recommend to the President’s Advisory Council (PAC) measures to be used for the review of the University’s by-laws, policies, programs, practices and services to determine their impact on accessibility for persons with disabilities and prepare an ongoing plan for the review of by-laws, policies, programs, practices and services. Where possible, the advisory committee should benefit from and build upon the work done in various other related University committees and initiatives, such as those associated with the Employment Equity Plan, the services of the CSD, and the work of the Advisory Committee on Physical Accessibility;
Prepare an annual report to be presented to the President that will form the basis for the University’s annual plan to address accessibility for persons with disabilities. The report will focus on the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to persons with disabilities at the University of Guelph, give an update on progress the University has made in the preceding year in removing barriers, and provide advice on the University’s ongoing need to be in compliance with the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001.

The University’s HREO will take a co-coordinating role to support the work of the Advisory Committee, providing it with a secretariat and guidance on how to access information and resources to carry out its responsibilities. The HREO will assist the Advisory Committee with the identification of resource people who can be invited to provide specialized expertise and attend meetings for background briefings as appropriate.

APPENDIX IV

Principles of Universal Design

Designs should:

Be useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities - equitable use.
Accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities - flexibility in use.
Be easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level - simple and intuitive use.
Communicate necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions for the user’s sensory abilities - perceptible information.
Minimize hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions - tolerance for error.
Be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue - low physical effort.
Provide appropriate space for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s body size, posture or mobility - size and space for approach and use.

APPENDIX V

Principles of Universal Instructional Design

Instructional materials and activities should:

Be accessible and fair.
Provide flexibility in use, participation and presentation.
Be straightforward and consistent.
Be explicitly presented and readily perceived.
Provide a supportive learning environment.
Minimize unnecessary physical effort or requirements.
Ensure a learning space that accommodates both students and instructional methods.

Further information on these principles can be found at:

http://www.tss.uoguelph.ca/uid/index.html, including examples of the translation of the principles for different teaching and learning roles.

APPENDIX VI

Consolidated List of Websites

The Centre for UD (1997) The Principles of Universal Design, Version 2.0. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University.

Accessibility Plan 2006 - 2007

Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee September 2005

Table of Contents

Glossary of Acronyms

Executive Summary

1. Commentary/Introduction

2. Objectives and Structure of the Accessibility Plan

3. The Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee

3.1 Working Group Memberships

4. Accessibility Initiatives 2005 - 2006

4.1 Physical Facilities

4.2 Awareness and Outreach

4.3 Information Resources and Adaptive Technology

4.4 Student Support Services

4.5 Human Resources Initiatives for Staff

4.6 Faculty and Office of the Provost Initiatives

5. Accessibility Plan for 2006 - 2007

5.1 Physical Facilities

5.2 Awareness and Outreach

5.3 Information Resources and Adaptive Technology

5.4 Student Support Services

5.5 Human Resources Initiatives for Staff

5.6 Faculty and Office of the Provost Initiatives

6. Measures to Assess By-Laws, Policies, Programs, Practices and Services to Determine their Effect on Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities at the University of Guelph

APPENDIX I

APPENDIX II

Accessible Design Considerations in Student Affairs

APPENDIX III

APPENDIX IV

Principles of Universal Design

APPENDIX V

APPENDIX VI