Accessibility Plan

for the period October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009

Table of Contents

Glossary of Acronyms

  • AO Awareness and Outreach Working Group (APDAC)
  • AODA Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
  • APDAC Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee
  • CAC Campus Accessibility Committee
  • CCS Computing and Communications Services
  • CIO Chief Information Officer
  • COU Council of Ontario Universities
  • CP&A Communications and Public Affairs
  • CSA Central Students 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
  • ITSIG Information Technology Special Interests Group
  • LCSD Library Centre for Students with Disabilities
  • ODA Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001
  • OOL Office of Open Learning
  • SCI Spinal Cord Injuries
  • TSS Teaching Support Services
  • UD Universal Design
  • UID Universal Instructional Design
  • W3C World Wide Web Consortium

Executive Summary

This report represents our 6th annual Accessibility Plan. Many units on campus, including the Centre for Students with Disabilities, the Library Centre for Students with Disabilities, the Office of Open Learning, the Human Rights and Equity Office and Teaching Support Services, have had many accomplishments in this realm. Since the passing of the AODA in 2005 APDAC’s efforts have been tailored to anticipate the rollout of legislative standards, particularly the customer service and built environment standards. While the customer service standard was released in recent months we have yet to see guidelines for implementation and compliance. Nevertheless, initiatives in these areas and others, particularly in employment, will put us in good stead for when such guidelines appear.

As this report attests, the Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee (APDAC) has been productive at the substantive and process levels. Substantively, APDAC has partnered with a variety of student and service offices on campus to engage in a variety of awareness projects, many of which attract participation beyond the University committee. APDAC has collaborated with appropriate bodies in the design and retro-fit of buildings on campus to ensure accessibility. Investigating need and recommending strategies for meeting need continue to be principal activities of APDAC and its working groups, particularly with respect to information resources and adaptive technologies. Clearly these apply on the academic side, but committee members have also been active on the non-academic side in establishing initiatives to promote plain language and clear signage on campus.

At the same time as APDAC anticipates legislative change and works to address accessibility issues associated with new technologies, APDAC continues to be challenged at the substantive level in ensuring that accessibility remains a priority as major maintenance projects and new construction continue at a strong pace on campus. The University does work to ensure accessibility is considered in the design phrase of new projects. Retrofitting buildings to create greater accessibility presents a larger challenge due to extensive costs. Funding availability limits the extent and speed at which legacy structures can be modified.

On the process side APDAC has worked to review and critically reflect on the expertise functions which APDAC members and working groups bring to the table. Committee leadership has moved to measure the gap between functions covered by members and what new issues on campus indicate need as the committee recruits new members to APDAC to replace those who have finished their terms.

The overarching objective in APDAC’s efforts during the past year, and looking ahead to the coming year, is to couple everyday accessibility effectiveness with initiatives such as the planned Guelph Accessibility Conference for 2009. It will further move the University toward a time and place where accessibility is part of the everyday culture and not just compliance with legislation or response to the identified needs of individuals.

1. Commentary/Introduction

The Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA)requires institutions to review their policies, programs and services as they relate to persons with disabilities, and to develop accessibility plans to address the associated needs of its constituent groups. In 2005 the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilites Act (AODA) was passed. It does not alter our obligations under the ODA but it does provide us with customer service regulations as parameters for meeting the needs of our community.

This report is an accounting of our activities from October 2007 through to September 2008. It also provides an intended strategy for the coming year, outlining initiatives we plan to undertake. This report is our 6th annual and is inclusive of the efforts of all those on APDAC, a broad based committee drawing on diverse expertise in the University community.

This past year represents the first year of Joseph Tindale’s term as Chair of APDAC. This leadership transition is reflective of a series of transitions underway in APDAC’s structure and the direction of its efforts. People who serve on APDAC come from a variety of constituencies and have diverse expertise skill sets. Periodically, some people leave the committee and others join. In order to systematize recruitment efforts for new members this past year, APDAC introduced a functional skills inventory to be completed by all members. Individuals’ particular abilities and experience will be matched against an agreed upon list of desired member skills (see Appendix VI).? Now, recruitment will be directed to fill gaps in our desired overall skill sets.

APDAC has also moved to review the structure of its working groups. Committee members have undertaken to assess which working groups have been particularly active and/or are addressing identified initiatives in the accessibility plan. So, for example, an assessment showed that the Student Support Services (SSS) working group has been inactive in the past year due to a lack of substantive issues to address. Therefore APDAC is considering whether its continuation is necessary. In its place is the recognition that there are students and other members sitting on APDAC who have particular student services expertise and they expend their efforts on working groups and initiatives appropriate to their interests. This is a reflection of APDAC’s functionality focus in committee membership and working group structure. Thus working groups are not standing sub-committees, but ad hoc groups tasked with particular objectives. When those are met or their conceptualization outlives its usefulness the group will terminate, freeing up member time and administrative capacity to move forward on new priority issues.

Having reviewed its membership skills and working group functions, APDAC is well positioned to address the challenges and opportunities that lie before it in the coming year. It will be focused on ensuring the University of Guelph has the information it will need to ensure its compliance with the provincial (AODA) customer service standards rolling out in 2008. At the same time APDAC looks forward to providing leadership with respect to raising the bar on awareness of disability needs on our campuses. Examples of these efforts include plans for a Guelph Accessibility Conference in Spring 2009. This conference will be focused on the production and use of accessible communication for students, staff and faculty. APDAC also plans to partner with the Central Students Association in putting on social events for students with disabilities where the intention is to better create an environment where students with disabilities can discover new ways to contribute to our lived experience at the University of Guelph. These and other initiatives are detailed in the report that follows.

2. Objectives and Structure of the Accessibility Plan

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:

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

The AODA, which passed in June 2005, will set provincial accessibility standards, and the University will report annually on its compliance with these standards. However, until these standards and related reporting requirements are defined, the University continues to report on its progress under ODA requirements.

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:

  1. publications and information resources;
  2. equipment and adaptive technology;
  3. physical facilities;
  4. human resources issues;
  5. awareness issues for faculty and staff;
  6. academic services and policies for students with disabilities;
  7. 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 2007-2008. 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 2008-2009. This section details the University’s accessibility plans for 2008-2009. 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

2007-2008(alternate members are noted in parentheses)

  • Laurie Arnott Human Rights Advisor, Human Rights and Equity Office
  • Patrick Case Director, Human Rights and Equity Office
  • Denise De La Franier Centre for Students with Disabilities
  • Athol Gow Coordinator, Library Centre for Students with Disabilities
  • Ruth Gillespie Classroom Technical Support Manager, Teaching Support Services
  • Paula Hearn Student
  • Isobel Heathcote Dean, Graduate Studies
  • Chantal Huinink Student
  • Judith McKenzie Faculty, Dept. of Political Science
  • Cyndy McLean Director, Health and Performance Centre
  • Gisele MacNeil Manager, Human Resources (Health and Wellbeing),(Cathy Kannenberg, Occupational Health Nurse)
  • Jeff Morrison Multimedia Coordinator, Office of Open Learning
  • Barbara O’Neill Registrar, Ridgetown College
  • Kelly O’Rourke Graduate Student Association
  • Derek Pieper Central Student Association, Academic Commissioner
  • Heather Stewart Senior Lecturer (Communications), Kemptville College
  • Bill Teesdale Manager, Microprobe Facility, Physics Department
  • Nicole Tessier Supervisor, Student Services, Alumnae Conferencing and
  • Communication, College d’Alfred (Ken St-Denis)
  • Joseph Tindale (Chair), Faculty, Dept. of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition
  • Bo Wandschneider Associate Director, Information Systems Services
  • Brenda Whiteside Associate Vice-President (Student Affairs)

3.1 Working Group Memberships

There are currently two working groups and one sub-committee 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 committee members and members of the University community with particular expertise recruited to the group to provide input and to assist the group in identifying and addressing issues in their area of particular expertise.

Awareness and Outreach Working Group (AO)

  • Laurie Arnott (Leader)
  • Cyndy McLean
  • Gisele MacNeil
  • Bill Teesdale
  • Denise De La Franier
  • Chantal Low*
  • Sara Repa*

Information Resources and Adaptive Technology Working Group (IRAT)

  • Barbara Lavergne*
  • Ruth Gillespie (temporary leave of absence)
  • Athol Gow (Leader)
  • Paula Hearn
  • Kyle Mackie*
  • Jeff Morrison
  • Stuart Robertson*

Wayfinding Committee

  • Renee Geluk
  • Ruth Gillespie
  • Isobel Heathcote
  • Bruno Mancini
  • Jeff Morrison
  • Barbara O’Neill
  • Cecilia Paine*
  • Peter Physick-Sheard*
  • Stuart Robertson*

*Ad hoc members

APDAC also works closely with other University-wide committees that were already in place prior to APDAC’s creation (e.g. Campus Accessibility Committee,Information Sevices Committee)

4. Accessibility Initiatives 2007 - 2008

The following initiatives are actions and recommendations identified by APDAC in the 2007-2008 accessibility plan as well as additional accessibility initiatives that occurred during this reporting period. The status of each initiative is displayed after each item using the code below.

  • C - refers to initiatives identified in the 2007-2008 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 2007-2008 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 2007-2008 accessibility plan that will continue in 2008-2009. These initiatives are ongoing but not yet completed.
  • NAT-refers to initiatives identified in the 2007-2008 accessibility plan where no action has been taken.
  • N- refers to additional initiatives not identified in the 2007-2008 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 2007-2008:

  1. The Campus Accessibility Committee (CAC) continues to be responsible for the analysis of all major construction or 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, and 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 accessibility renewal funds ($125,000) or other sources. The CAC has representation from the Centre for Students with Disabilities (CSD), Physical Resources, Student Housing, students, faculty, and Classroom Technical Support . (O)
  2. 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 2007-2008:
    • installation of an accessible teaching podium in MacDonald Stewart Hall, Bldg. 112, Room 129;
    • renovation of the 1st floor Library women’s washroom to comply with barrier free standards;
    • installation of a barrier free compliant elevator control panel in the MacKinnon Bldg. classroom wing elevator;
    • installation of a barrier free compliant elevator control panels in elevators 3, 4 and 5 of the Library;
    • installation of an accessible teaching podium in OVC Small Animal Clinic, Bldg. 44, Room 1438;
    • installation of four door hold open devices in the MacDonald Institute;
    • provision of $5,000 in funding to the University Centre entrance mall redevelopment project to provide access ramps to the entrance to this building from adjacent transit hub;
    • installation of a power door operator and door hold open device on the 1st floor of the MacKinnon Extension;
    • installation of an accessible teaching podium in OVC Learning Centre, Bldg. 77, Room 1715. (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 2007-2008 reporting year are provided in Appendix IV of this report. The following new initiatives took place in 2007-2008:

  1. Accessibility Awareness Week was condensed to Accessibility Awareness Day this year, and took place on Tuesday, March 4th, 2008. It was felt that events held during the previous weeklong event were diluted, with individuals stretched too thin. As hoped, the focus of one day of strong programming raised its profile, and increased participation making the day highly successful. Several events were planned by the Accessibility Awareness Day Planning Committee (chaired by a CSD staff member, with staff, student and faculty participation), with the support of the Central Student Association’s (CSA) Human Right Office, the Human Rights and Equity Office (HREO), and Student Health Services. Events included:
    • a resource fair in the University Centre courtyard at which representatives of a number of on and off-campus organizations and agencies participated. These included the Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion Committee, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Ontario Disability Supports Program, Epilepsy Waterloo-Wellington, Second Chance Employment Counselling, as well as several on-campus groups that work toward improving access.
    • a wheelchair challenge in conjunction with the Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion display, to raise awareness of the Rick Hansen event (which takes place annually in June);
    • a performance by singer-songwriter Mark Wilson, a person with a mobility disability;
    • A $2 Wellness Lunch organized by committee representatives from Forward Minds, a student-run mental health awareness group;
    • A speaking event featuring Sandy Naiman, a writer, teacher and mental health advocate. (C)
  2. Student Life and the HREO established an accessibility award to promote accessibility at the University and to recognize contributions of community members who remove barriers and create an inclusive environment. The award honours any individual or group, including students, staff, and faculty, who have contributed significantly to accessibility at the University of Guelph. (C)
  3. The CSD partnered with Career and Cooperative Education Services to administer the new CIBC Access Award. This award provides students with the opportunity to apply for employment with CIBC and to receive a cash award to assist them with their studies; eligible applicants may participate in a summer employment term with CIBC and receive a cash bursary of $1,000.00. (C)
  4. The University’s promotional materials and publications were reviewed by the Awareness and Outreach (AO) working group to determine whether people with visible disabilities were included in photos. The search included hardcopy and internet materials. The President’s Report 2008 featured an image of a young girl using the single handed bike brake designed by our engineering students. image No other such images appeared in our printed materials. Two images were found online: one a shaded drawing on the Human Resources Hiring Guide and one alumni using a wheelchair in a picture posted briefly on the homepage, though he was difficult to see. The HREO has been in contact with the University’s website manager who has committed to posting more inclusive photos. Further recommendations to address future representation of persons with disabilities are located in s.5.2(b). (O)
  5. APDAC partnered with the Peak, a University of Guelph student newspaper, to produce an edition of the Peak dedicated to disability-related issues. Numerous students with disabilities contributed articles. (C)
  6. The HREO has been working on a disability pamphlet which will provide information on accommodation, discrimination and harassment. This pamphlet will be part of a series of human rights brochures. (O)
  7. The HREO reposted its Diverse Abilities, Infinite Possibilitiesposters at various times throughout the academic year. Several sets were laminated and provided to departments in locations with high volume pedestrian traffic including Creelman Hall, Athletics, Student Health Services (waiting area and lobby), Veterinary Teaching Hospital (bulletin boards, waiting areas), Lifetime Learning Centre, and the University Centre (periodically as space allows on main bulletin boards in the atrium, Human Resources and other administrative areas). Specific people in these locations are responsible for posting and rotating the posters. They are also on the HREO website. (C)
  8. The CSA committed to visibly recognizing the United Nation’s Day of the Disabled Person beginning next year. This day occurs at the beginning of December. Current ideas include an information display booth in the University Centre and film footage played on a television at the display booth. (O)
  9. CSD staff members gathered data on the accessibility features of the Guelph campus. The database includes locations of accessible washrooms, accessible parking spaces, automatic door openers, and elevator and ramp locations. The database is linked to the campus map. A computer user can left click his/her mouse on the image of the building on the campus map and a photograph of the building will appear along with accessibility information. (O)
  10. The CSD hosted weekly “Learning Lunches” in September. Topic titles included: “Time Management”, “Study and Memory”, “Multiple Choice Exams”, and “Exam Preparation”. (C)
  11. The CSD continued to sit on the Orientation Week Advisory Committee and the Orientation Volunteer selection committee. Accessibility was promoted by the CSD to increase participation of students with disabilities. (C)
  12. The CSD conducted several outreach activities for Ontario high schools to create awareness about CSD supports and programsat the University of Guelph. These included:
    • a mailing about programs and services to selected high schools in Ontario that have had students attend the University in the past;
    • a workshop hosted by a CSD staff for teachers and students at Centennial High School’s Aspergers Class to discuss supports and programs;
    • a CSD staff presentation to Dufferin-Peel Separate School Board's psychology staff regarding our services and programs, documentation requirements, etc. (C)
  13. Occupational Health Services launched a scent-free campaign on the main campus. Guidelines were drafted and distributed across the main campus. (C)
  14. The University hosted the 5th 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 main campus and teams who participated in a wheelchair relay. The event raised over $18,000. Eighty percent of the net proceeds from the event were returned to the area through the Rick Hansen Foundation and the local Wheels in Motion Committee 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 twenty percent has been committed to spinal cord research. The University of Guelph President was the honourary Chair and two university employees were Ambassadors for the Guelph event. (C)
  15. The University has used sign language interpreters for some major events on main campus this past year including Convocation. (C)
  16. The student group, Forward Minds, promoted mental health awareness on the main campus through the following initiatives:
    • A presentation from Beautiful Minds was held March 3 as part of the Accessibility Awareness Day activities. This was a gathering of community volunteers who shared their personal stories of living with mental illness.
    • A Toonie Wellness Lunch was held in the University Centre on Accessibility Awareness Day.
    • Weekly team meetings were held at which updates on mental health & accessibility issues on campus and in the community were provided.
    • In the Fall, Forward Minds brought Beautiful Minds in to run a training session for themselves and the Wellness team. (C)
  17. An article in At Guelph, the University produced newspaper, featured the progress that has been made with the JAWS screen reader audit of our websites. The article can he found here. (http://www.uoguelph.ca/atguelph/08-03-26/featuresjaws.shtml ). More information on the audit process is located in s.4.3(j) (O)
  18. In order to develop a systemic and collaborative approach to disability and accessibility awareness at the University, the Awareness and Outreach working grouping is gathering the dates and details of related activities and placing them in a calendar. The calendar will then be used to ascertain the effectiveness of our efforts. Duplication or gaps will be identified and a process to address these issues can then be initiated.(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 adaptive technology. The following initiatives occurred in 2007-2008:

Information Resources

  1. The Multimedia Accessibility Project (MMAP) continued moving towards its goals: i) to caption the multimedia used in a distance education course (PSYCH*3710 - Psychology of Learning Difficulties and Disabilities), ensuring that all aspects of the course, including instructional materials and activities, are accessible to the broadest number of users; and, ii) to capture the lessons learned and issues identified during the exercise for the guidance of others addressing accessibility of multimedia. To advance these goals, a number of actions were taken:
    • Work was completed on the compilation of the course accessibility features list. (C)
    • OOL has researched processes for captioning video using a variety of software applications that provide both open and closed captioning. Closed captioning of the videos has been achieved using the latest version of Camtasia software which OOL determined would be the most user-friendly for other staff or faculty. A transcript of each video clip has also been made available to students because they like to print it off and underline key points. The transcript also allows them to search for the location of key points on the video in order to re-play certain points. (C)
    • OOL explored how to incorporate described video into the course production and multi-media process. Commercial video is being used for the course. It is captioned, but description is missing for a few key points. OOL established a process where captioned video with an option NOT to view the captions was placed on the course website along with a transcription of each video clip. The described sections of the video will be completed in the near future.(O)
    • Last year, a new vocabulary tool was considered for inclusion in the Multimedia project. Currently, a term/definition flash card tool is under development. The focus is on assisting with rote learning by allowing students to electronically turn over cards containing terms on one side with definitions on the other. This tool is due to be built and tested in 2008. Alternative methods for presentation and HTML accessibility features have been used for image dependent activities (term/definition flash card tool, modified miscue analysis, computation errors, phonetic / visual spelling). (O)
    • Development has begun on a website, with the aid of project members Teaching Support Services (TSS), the Office of Open Learning (OOL) and the Library Centre for Students with Disabilities (LCSD) that will: i) describe the multimedia project; ii) show examples of captioning created by different software tools; iii) provide an assessment of these tools; iv) describe the legal dimension of captioning; and, v) provide links to captioning and transcription companies, as well as to articles and websites that address e-learning and accessibility. The website will be completed during the 2008/09 academic year. (N,O)
    • An interim report was drafted by project members that: i) identified multimedia accessibility issues with institutional implications; and ii) made recommendations for guidelines on the use of multimedia in academic and non-academic settings. The report was discussed at a December 2007 Information Services Committee (ISC) meeting. Rather than working independently on developing best practices around multimedia accessibility, the Chair of ISC recommended that Guelph should explore a joint approach to addressing these issues organized through the Council of Ontario Universities (COU). The University provided the COU with input on multimedia and other technology issues for a COU-based response to the recently released proposed draft AODA Information and Communication Standard.
  2. Other OOL initiatives include:
    1. OOL provides captioning tracks for any new videos that OOL encodes. To facilitate the provision of captioning for videos used in distance education courses, OOL is workingwith Automatic Sync Technologies (www.automaticsync.com) (transcription services).This company has in part been funded by the U.S. government to supply captioning and transcription services to educational settings. (O)
    2. 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.In these cases, the instructor needs to determine what concepts are key to convey since much detail in a video may not be relevant. (O)
    3. Where appropriate, OOL is incorporating electronic library reserve items as part of course resources. Alternatively, readings are also being provided electronically as pdfs posted to course websites. In specific situations, OOL works with the CSD to create universally accessible text from scanned documents. In these instances, documents are translated via OCR (optical character recognition) to create text suitable for assistive technologies. (O)
    4. OOL is placing strong emphasis on its capacity to create multimedia that comply with accessibility guidelines (e.g., W3C) and reflect best practice. To provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content and ensure all new multimedia is accessible or that alternative formats are available, OOL implemented image tags and alternative text resources for all new media created through OOL.The intention is that all multimedia projects are created with the intent that they be made accessible. This is a very slow process to date, but OOL is trying to make accessibility accommodations to certain courses when time permits, such as captioning video, alternative text, alt-tags for imaging and objects created with Flash. (O)
    5. The main OOL website underwent review with the objective of making it W3C (priority 1 level) accessibility compatible. The site now meets W3C accessibility guidelines along with all marketing and Continuing Education program websites. (C)
    6. OOL promoted 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) are often problematic because of device dependence. Where such barriers to accessibility are identified, alternative formats for content delivery are being provided. Also, with other groups on campus, OOL is looking into use of a program called Forscene for the delivery of video and Flash files. This product promises delivery of video and Flash files without need for separate applications, such as video players.Forscene has not completed their testing phases on campus and therefore OOL has not moved forward with this. However, the new release of Camtasia software now allows OOL to produce flash video files that have an accessibility component (i.e. close-captioning, alt tagging). (O)
    7. In an effort to find a more accessible format than pdfs forMath and Stats courses where content includes such things as graphs and mathematical notation, OOL has experimented with FlashPaper and MathML but neither of these programs create complete accessibility. Thus, pdfs remain primarily used. For the ECON*2770DE course, which has moderate use of math symbols, the use of images for symbols and alt tag descriptions was adopted.(C)
    8. OOL continues to make significant progress 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 continues moving toward eliminating the use of tables in course websites, where possible, to increase readability by screen readers. (O)
  3. The website accessibility audit report was completed in the Fall of 2007. The report’s findings concerning the accessibility of the University’s main websites were generally positive. Of the approximately 80 websites audited in the report, 47 (or 58.7%) were found to contain accessibility barriers. Of those, only 17 (or 21.3%) were considered serious. The Website Manager divided the audit findings by college and department and sent these individual pieces to the relevant campus web managers who are currently working on changes to make their sites compliant. They will have a chance to respond before the publication of the final report and their efforts to correct any accessibility barriers on their respective sites will be noted in the final version. (O)
  4. As part of its review of website accessibility, ISC adopted the use of Contribute and DreamWeaver templates to facilitate the easy creation of accessible sites that meet W3C guidelines. The department of Communications and Public Affairs (C&PA) and Computing and Communications Services (CCS)have made a lot of progress getting individual sites to use these tools and their features, particularly as the new University website design was rolled out to the campus community along with corresponding DreamWeaver and Contribute templates.
  5. To implement ISC’s philosophy that professional web design is synonymous with accessible website design, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) worked with Purchasing Services to embed compliance with accessibility standards in University contracts with external suppliers of web design. Resources to support accessible web design are available through the Website Manager and include the new University template. (C)
  6. To further implement ISC’s philosophy, opportunities for University web developers to receive in-house instruction in accessible web design have been offered through Human Resources professional development workshops. A more involved workshop/conference for web-developers is under consideration, see s.4.3(o). (O)
  7. The Policy and practice concerning the media and formats in which information is released and disseminated by the University is a subject of continued attention for APDAC. The APDAC Chair, the LCSD Coordinator, the Director of TSS and the Director of C&PA held ongoing meetings into the first half of 2007 to discuss strategies for improving the accessibility of campus communications. Resource material was generated on the strengths and weaknesses of different information formats and communication mechanisms and the impact these can have on information transfer. After the departures of both the then APDAC Chair and TSS Director, the new chair of APDAC and the LCSD Coordinator met in the Spring of 2008 with the new TTS Director, the Director of C&PA and the Chair of ISC to discuss how to address the APDAC recommendation that a stakeholder’s committee be formed to create an accessible campus communication policy. Their recommendation was that Guelph should explore a joint approach to addressing communication accessibility issues organized through the Council of Ontario Universities (COU).COU recently sought, and the University provided, input on the recently released proposed draft AODA Information and Communication Standard outlining the communication issues for the University. (O)
  8. A planning group for an accessibility conference was formed in 2007 under the aegis of OOL, which was also willing to provide logistical and organizational support. In Fall 2007 a preliminary conference proposal was developed under IRAT leadership. In Winter 2008 the proposal was further developed in collaboration with OOL and with the APDAC Chair participating. Together the group finalized a conference proposal, budget and agenda. In June, the Director of OOL, the IRAT leader and the APDAC chair met with the AVP (Academic) and received University support for the conference. The conference will occur in Spring 2009.

  9. Adaptive Technology

    In January 2007, representatives from the LCSD, the Learning Commons, TSS, and graduate students from the Integrative Biology Department met to plan a range of learning opportunities on the subject of concept mapping using Inspiration software. The Learning Commons was planning to incorporate workshops on concept mapping into its Fall 2007 Graduate Student Learning Initiative (GSLI) programming but because of a severe shortage of teaching space, all new workshops were placed on hold. APDAC will continue to advocate for the inclusion of concept mapping instruction in Learning Commons programming as well as in other possible venues such as TSS’s University Teaching Theory and Practice Program and a website aimed at faculty. (O)
  10. The LCSD Coordinator and CCS staff have explored the issue of software licensing of adaptive software. One promising new direction is being supplied by CCS’s Software Licensing Group. This group will arrange main campus consortial purchasing of software programs in order to let staff and students take advantage of bulk pricing. This will allow for substantial savings on the Inspiration mind mapping program. A site-licensing agreement has been created for Dragon Naturally Speaking that allows the program to be purchased through the University by faculty, staff and students for less than half its retail cost. The Group is currently exploring whether similar bulk pricing could be arranged for Kurzweil 3000 software. Efforts will be made by the LCSD Coordinator to ensure that CSD-registered students are aware of this service. (O)
  11. The technical requirements for the provision of access to main campus computer labs have been established. TheLCSD Coordinator and staff of the Library Information Technology Services have added Jaws and Zoomtext to the CCS software distribution site and informed Information Technology Special Interest Group (ITSIG) members regarding the availability of the software, as well as installation instructions and usage policy.(C)
  12. The content and approach of the draft adaptive software support policy for students developed by the LCSD Coordinator is currently being revised based on feedback from APDAC members. The bulk of the policy, which is informational in nature, will be posted on the LCSD website during the summer of 2008. Specific issues that require University action (e.g., extending an accessibility compliance rider to campus contracts with external software suppliers) will be taken to ISC or other campus bodies on an ad hoc basis. (O)
  13. CCS pursued an initiative around consortial purchasing being undertaken by Ontario’s Association of Computing Services Directors (an affiliate organization of the Council of Ontario Universities). The initiative involveda cooperative purchase of assistive technologies among affiliated institutions. The pricing that resulted from the inquiry was extreme and cost prohibitive. CCS will continue to explore other consortial purchasing arrangements. (O)

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 2007-2008:

Academic Initiatives

  1. Promotion of the adoption of Universal Instructional Design (UID) principles continues:
    • The 21st Century Curriculum Committee Report, the University’s directional report on the undergraduate learning experience, was released. The document does not specifically mention or endorse UID, however, several recommendations complement UID principles including:
      • Recommendation 6: The Committee encourages program and curriculum committees to propose alternative methods of delivery for courses.
      • Recommendation 9: Support further integration of technology in the undergraduate learning environment, responding to fundamental shifts in post-secondary education. (C)
    • TSS conducted 132 workshops, the majority of which had UID woven into their structure. Workshops addressed course design and courseware development, provided classroom orientation, and included interest-specific learning circles, discussion groups and professional development events. TSS also engaged in one-on-one consultations with faculty, sessionals, teaching assistants, graduate students and instructional support staff. (C)
  2. CSD staff met with Co-op and Career Services to begin planning a program for transitions to work for students with disabilities. (O)
  3. CSD Advisors act as disability consultants to faculty and staff, by interpreting disability related legislation for accommodation in the university environment. (O)
  4. The development of standards and best practices for Blackboard (formerly WebCT) users is ongoing. In 2007-2008 TSS provided workshops on the use of Blackboard 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 Blackboard installation. TSS, after consultation with CSD, is addressing non-compliance issues with the Blackboard Corporation. Other issues within TSS’s scope were addressed. (O)
  5. Accessible teaching podiums were installed in OVC 1438, OVC 1715 and MacDonald Stewart Hall 121. The podiums are height adjustable with fully integrated equipment.classroom standards include accessible podiums in all new constructions and retrofits. (C)
  6. TSS now provides accessible interfaces to control panels in classrooms to help faculty with mobility challenges. Faculty can contact TSS for information. (C)
  7. TSS offered one-on-one consultations with faculty in the accessible Learning Technology Lab in the Library. Faculty can schedule these sessions by contacting TSS. (O)
  8. Signs have been posted in main campus classrooms with 70+ seats advising all users of Gentner Assistive Listening Device frequencies, channels and contact information. Students requiring listening devices are directed to the CSD, while users attending non-teaching related events are directed to their event planner/coordinator.
    Portable Gentner Assistive Listening Devices are available during special events and conferences to non-student clients who use central classrooms and meeting facilities.
    TSS Classroom Technical Support will assist the Conference Office and the University Special Event Coordinator if they wish to acquire their own Gentner devices for conference attendees. (C)
  9. TSS revised the classroom guidelines/standards to include assistive listening devices and new digital technologies that enable faculty to face the students while delivering course content . (C)
  10. TSS Classroom Technical Support conducted a training workshop for CSD staff, Peer Helpers and CTS AV Specialists on how to troubleshoot problems with Gentner Assistive Listening Devices. (C)
  11. With assistance from CSD and LCSD, TSS Accessibility Briefs were developed to help faculty more readily understand the challenges faced by people with physical disabilities, hearing and vision loss. The Briefs provide best practices in classrooms and labs and are available on the TSS website in downloadable format as well as hard copy. Hard copies are provided to CSD should students choose to self-identify to faculty and let them know their needs. TSS also provides this resource in its Teaching Resource Centre. (C)
  12. TSS, after consultation with CSD, has confirmed that i>clickers are compliant and continues to support faculty by providing suggestions for procedures and accommodations using this technology. (C)
  13. In 2007, Margaret Sanderson (Project Consultant) was contracted by the University of Guelph Library to conduct an accessibility study of its “soft” services. This study was expected to complement an accessibility audit of physical and architectural barriers, completed for the Dept. of Physical Resources in 2005. The purpose of the latest study was to develop considerations or enhancements to the “soft” services or programs offered by the Library that would both improve service for users with disabilities, and minimize or offset physical, architectural or other barriers in the Library. The outcome of the study will enable the Library to organize contemplated modifications to service in a timely and cost-efficient manner consistent with the ongoing needs of the Library to provide service to all students within: (O)
    • University/library operating/capital budgets;
    • University of Guelph accessibility plans;
    • Provincial accessibility legislation (ODA, 2001 & AODA, 2005)

Non-Academic Initiatives

  1. APDAC reconsidered the issue of plain language in University policies. The CSD was consulted to understand student concerns. Plain language was not identified as a current problem for students. The initiative to immediately review existing policies for this reason has ceased, but will be addressed if plain language is raised as a problem in the future. The University bodies who regularly create policy will be asked to consider plain language when designing or revising policies. (O)
  2. A wayfinding study was conducted under the supervision of an APDAC subcommittee to address the impact of the main campus environment on people with disabilities. A final report is currently being drafted. (O)
  3. The CSD conducted a crisis planning workshop during the Fall and Winter semesters to assist students with mental health issues to create a plan of support should they go into crisis.
  4. The CSD facilitated a Bipolar Support Group during the 2007/2008 academic year. The group gave students who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder an opportunity to connect with other students who also experience bipolar disorder for mutual support and discussion.
  5. The CSD provided additional one-to-one support to new students for a successful transition into residence. Residences tours were provided as was assistance on move-in day for students with mobility and vision disabilities.

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 2007-2008:

  1. Accommodation continues to be an important employee retention measure. The Accommodation Partnership Program developed in the last reporting period by the Assistant Vice-President (Human Resources), the Director, HREO, and campus employee groups is being implemented. Program documentation can be found on the Human Resources (Occupational Health Services) website. A presentation and workshop are being developed to provide training for managers and employees on accommodation protocol. The training will be rolled out during the next reporting period. (O)
  2. The Employment Accommodation Fund Committee has provided funding for accommodations throughout the reporting period. Funding procedures are available on the HREO website. The training sessions of the Accommodation Partnership Program will incorporate steps to access accommodation funding. Increased communication of the fund’s existence through the accommodation strategy is likely to necessitate re-evaluation of the fund’s budget. (O)
  3. The University’s Human Resources division continues to consider employment equity issues including accessibility barriers in the review and negotiation of collective agreement and employee agreement provisions. A recent example is in the negotiated provisions of employment accommodation under the Faculty Association collective agreement. (O)
  4. The University’s Human Resources division has created and recruited to a new position (Manager, Human Resources Plaaing) which has, in part, the responsibility for conducting employment outreach to equity seeking groups including people with disabilities. (N)
  5. The University continues to place a standing job advertisement in Abilities magazine. (O)
  6. The University’s Human Resources division is developing hiring guidelines for managers and those involved in the employee selection process. The guidelines will incorporate employment equity strategies and promote sound hiring processes. (O)
  7. The Employment Equity Committee continued, as a part of the compliance procedure with the Federal Contractors Program, to identify qualitative barriers for employee with disabilities as well as quantitative gaps (the degree to which there is a lower percentage of employees with disabilities in our workforce then the percentage of people with disabilities available in the job market). Numerical gaps have been identified and are being communicated to vice-presidents responsible for the appropriate area. (O)

4.6 Office of the Provost Initiatives and Other Initiatives Related to Faculty

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 2007-2008:

  1. The Office of the Provost continues to conduct its appointments process with a view of eliminating accessibility barriers through permissive language or other means in the collective agreement. (O)
  2. The Office of the Provost, the HREO and others continue to address the barriers to closing the gaps between the external availability of faculty from the four employment equity designated groups, which include persons with disabilities, and their internal University representation. Members of faculty search committees continue to be required to attend an orientation to the principles of equity hiring. The Office of the Provost continues to remind hiring departments of the need to hold these sessions early in the process, before profile positions have been drafted. HREO staff are available to advise search committees about the drafting of position profiles to attract a diverse pool of candidates and outreach for candidates with disabilities. Early orientation will also permit search committees to discuss and perhaps agree to candidate self-identification, a recently agreed upon enhancement to the equity hiring process. (O)
  3. The University and the Faculty Association have recently negotiated a first collective agreement which, among other things, reflects the shared responsibility for ensuring a work and learning environment free from discrimination. In addition, the parties are jointly committed to providing a work environment that facilitates the full participation of all members including members with disabilities. The Human Rights Advisory Group includes two representatives appointed by the Faculty Association. (C)
  4. In order to ensure all groups on campus are appropriately represented and APDAC’s effectiveness optimized, APDAC membership now stipulates provision for two faculty as ongoing members. (C)

5. Accessibility Plan for 2008-2009

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 2008-2009.

  1. 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 and 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.
  2. 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 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 2008-2009:

  1. The CSD will continue to lead the Accessibility Awareness Day Committee and build upon the events and experiences of previous years.
  2. The HREO will contact departments responsible for creating promotional materials for student recruitment to discuss strategies to include people with disabilities in visual materials.
  3. The HREO will complete a disability pamphlet to provide information on accommodation, discrimination and harassment. This pamphlet will be part of a series of human rights brochures.
  4. The CSA will create a display in the University Centre to recognise the United Nation’s Day of the Disabled Person.
  5. The CSD will continue to add to the data base of accessibility features which are linked to the main campus map.
  6. The CSD, Occupational Health Services and HREO will develop an extensive University-wide scent-free awareness campaign.
  7. The Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion event committee will continue to promote the event on the main campus and promote greater staff, student and faculty involvement (in addition to City of Guelph community members).
  8. The University will continue to use sign language interpreters for major events on the main campus such as Convocation. The University will extend this program where possible.
  9. The student group, Forward Minds, hopes to continue its community involvement in the upcoming year. It will promote mental health and seek involvement in a variety of events at the University.
  10. The 2008-2009 CSA Academic Commissioner is an undergraduate student representative on APDAC. She is planning a series of social events for students with disabilities and has approached the APDAC chair about APDAC support for an Orientation Week event. The APDAC chair has pledged APDAC support and his involvement.
  11. AO will continue to pursue University newspaper publications to increase disability awareness.
  12. AO will continue to gather and calendar the dates and details of disability-related activities. The calendar will be used to ascertain the effectiveness of disability efforts and create a collaborative approach to disability awareness.
  13. The HREO will restart its Respectful Equitable Workplace sessions with greater accountability for quality of workplace experience for persons with disabilities.

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 2008-2009 plan to address the technological environment:

  1. The Multimedia Accessibility Project (MMAP) will continue work with the distance education course (Psych*3710 - Psychology of Learning Difficulties and Disabilities). Work in the upcoming year will include:
    • continue exploring how to incorporate described video;
    • continue work on other multi-media projects, including a term/definition flashcard tool;
    • continue to address institutional issues pertaining to multimedia accessibility that were identified by MMAP in it’s interim report;
    • continue building thewebsite that will provide the campus with information on multimedia accessibility issues, tools and resources.
  2. OOL commits to carry out the following:
    1. OOL will provide captioning tracks for any new videos that OOL encodes.Sometimes course scheduling precludes this provision on all projects for initial course offerings.
    2. OOL will continue to consider how descriptive video can be created for distance education courses.
    3. OOL will continue to work with the CSD to provide printed course manuals as accessible .rtf documents. Where appropriate, electronic readers are being incorporated as part of course resources.
    4. While several initiatives in website accessibility in 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, and illustrations.
    5. OOL will continue, with other groups on campus, to investigate the use of the various software such as Forscene and Camtasia for the delivery of video and Flash files to determine which products deliver video and Flash files without need for separate applications, such as video players.
    6. OOL will continue to promote 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 will continue moving toward eliminating, where possible, the use of tables in course websites to facilitate readability by screen readers.
  3. The Website Manager will continue to follow up with University web managers to ensure they address accessibility barriers identified during the website accessibility audit. A final version of the website accessibility audit report will be produced.
  4. CP&A will continue to work with CCS and others to promote the use Contribute and DreamWeaver templates to facilitate the easy creation of accessible websites that meet W3C guidelines.
  5. Opportunities for University web developers to receive in-house instruction will be considered, including a comprehensive workshop for web-developers.
  6. Review of policy and practice concerning the media and formats in which information is released and disseminated by the University should continue. APDAC recommends the APDAC Chair, the LCSD coordinator, the Director of TSS and the Director, C&PA continue to meet to discuss strategies for improving the accessibility of campus communication.

  7. Adaptive technology

    APDAC recommends that Learning Commons workshops on concept mapping go forward in Fall 2008. TSS’s University Teaching Theory and Practice Program and the creation of a website aimed at faculty which includes concept mapping instruction should be further explored.
  8. Consortial purchasing of disability-related software licensing in order to let staff and students take advantage of bulk pricing will continue to be explored. Efforts will be made by the LCSD Coordinator to ensure that CSD-registered students are aware that Dragon Naturally Speaking and Inspiration are available in this manner.
  9. Investigation will continue into the feasibility of consortial 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.

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 2008-2009:

Academic Initiatives

  1. Universal Instructional Design:
    • The Provost and Vice-President (Academic) should continue to promote the principles of UID as the 21st Century Curriculum Report is advanced.
    • APDACwill promote the adoption of UID at the University by continuing to work with TSS, OOL and the Office of the Provost.
    • TSS will continue to conduct workshops that incorporate UID into their structure.
  2. CSD staff and Co-op and Career Services will continue to plan a program for transitions to work for students with disabilities.
  3. CSD Advisors will continue to act as disability consultants to faculty and staff by interpreting disability related legislation for accommodation in the university environment.
  4. TSS will continue to address non-compliance issues with the Blackboard Corporation.
  5. TSS will continue to offer one-on-one consultations with faculty in the accessible Learning Technology Lab in the Library.
  6. The Library will utilize the outcome of the an accessibility study of its “soft” services conducted in 2007 and the accessibility audit of physical and architectural barriers study to organize contemplated modifications to service in a timely and cost-efficient manner consistent with the ongoing needs of the Library to provide service to all students.

Non-Academic Initiatives

  1. The University bodies who regularly create policy will be asked to consider plain language when designing policies or upon scheduled revision.
  2. TSS will promote the use of plain language in all their workshops and teaching training sessions and will stress the pedagogic benefits of using plain language both in design and delivery of academic content.
  3. The wayfinding study report will be considered by APDAC to determine whether to recommend that the University continue to pursue a wayfinding strategy.
  4. The Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion Committee will provide funding to Student Health Services to purchase a height adjustable examination table provided that adequate funds are raised at its annual fundraising event.
  5. Under the qualitative goals of the Employment Equity plan, the University will develop measures in emergency and fire response plans for persons with disabilities.

5.5 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 list outlines the University’s 2008-2009 plan related to human resources initiatives:

  1. The Assistant Vice-President (Human Resources), and the Director, HREO, will continue to develop the Accommodation Partnership Program workshops which will be rolled out in the next reporting period. Resourcesto support the delivery of disability support services for staff at regional campuses and research stations will be consideredwhen implementing this accommodation program rollout.
  2. The amount of funding accessed from the Employment Accommodation Fund has varied from year to year. Funding provided to accommodate employees with disabilities in their work totaled $27,379 this past fiscal year though it has been moderately to significantly less in prior years depending on the needs of employees. Increased applications to the employment accommodationfund are anticipated upon roll out of the Accommodation Partnership Program. The Assistant Vice-President (Human Resources), and the Director, HREO, will evaluate whether the fund ($20,000) will be able to accommodate all requests.
  3. The Human Resources division will continue to develop and implement a strategy to extend employee recruitment into the disability community. The new position, Manager, Human Resources Planning, will be central to this strategy.
  4. The Human Resources division will continue its efforts 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. The Employment Equity Committee and the Vice-Presidents, working within their respective areas, will continue to work to address qualitative barriers for employee with disabilities as well as quantitative gaps (the degree to which there is a lower percentage of employees with disabilities in our workforce then the percentage of people with disabilities available in the job market) identified in the Employment Equity plan.

5.6 Office of the Provost Initiatives and Other Initiatives Related to Faculty

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 list outlines the University’s 2008-2009 plan related to faculty initiatives:

  1. The Office of the Provost will continue to work with the Deans to develop and implement a strategy to address under-representation of faculty in the four designated groups, including persons with disabilities.
  2. The University of Guelph Faculty Association has been invited to take part in the development of the Accommodation Partnership Program (see 4.5(a) above) as part of a unified approach to applying the principles of accommodation. Once a unified approach is achieved, potential candidates will be provided with a link to a staff member with expertise in accommodation issues. Inasmuch as the Accommodation Partnership Program will require the extensive training of all supervisors, involvement of faculty in the program will contribute to the retention of faculty members with disabilities.
  3. As part of the implementation of the first collective agreement with the Faculty Association, the Office of the Provost will be holding orientation and training sessions with respect to all aspects of the terms and conditions of employment. These will occur in April and August 2008 and will include the issues of appointments and hiring, and accommodation of members with disabilities.

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

APDAC, in concert with HREO, has continued to monitor the progress of the Ontario government in moving forward with customer service regulation implementation guidelines associated with the AODA. While the province implemented regulations in January 2008, they have not yet issued guidelines on how to meet those regulations. APDAC is pursuing collaboration with other Ontario universities and is seeking COU support to facilitate this process. The intent is to be ready to act as soon as guidelines emerge and to do so without re-inventing the wheel relative to other Ontario universities.

APPENDIX I

Ongoing accessibility initiatives

Through units such as the CSD, the LCSD, Student Health Services, Human Resources (Occupational Health), 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.

  1. 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.
  2. HREO Workshops:The HREO conducted a number of awareness and education workshops which were attended by more than 1150 students, 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; and regional campuses.
  3. CSD Workshops: CSD peers and staff provided awareness workshops and training throughout the year including:
    • Peer Helper training - facilitated a workshop on Communication 101 in fall and winter semesters;
    • facilitated Student Support Network training to educate the group about CSD resources and to increase awareness of disability-related issues; numerous information fairs in August for new students and Residence Life Staff (Start residence life staff, Campus Safe Walk, First Aid Response Team, campus liaison and other student service providers on campus);
    • Behind Closed Doors, disability-related training for residence assistants;
    • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (2 days) in fall and winter semesters;
    • The peer helper supervisor trained peer helpers, and also presented workshops providing education and awareness to staff on accommodation for persons with disabilities upon request.

CSD Caseload

In the 2007-2008 academic year, 910 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 from a CSD advisor in the form of counselling, development of customized learning strategies and academic accommodations;
  • classroom support such as assistance in accessing notes and campus resources, facilitating support from faculty, and accessing ASL/oral interpreters;
  • examination support such as extra time, quieter space, access to assistive technology, scribes and/or readers;
  • screening and referrals for students who suspect they may have a learning disability;
  • assistance with individual parking needs.

The CSD also provides representation at the Ontario Universities’ Fair as well as at the on-campus Fall Preview Day and Campus Days.

The CSD works extensively with prospective students with disabilities applying from high school and their parents and advocates on their behalf in the admissions process.

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 2008. The program affords candidates the opportunity to prepare for life as an undergraduate student, including the opportunity to live in residence, discover 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.

PSYCH*1300: Experience to Understanding

This credit course, offered for students diagnosed with a specific learning disability, continues to be offered with collaboration of the Psychology department, the CSD, the LCSD and OOL.

Awards

The CSD administers three scholarships/awards for students with disabilities or those involved with CSD activities:

  • 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.
  • The Gonder Family Volunteer Scholarship is a $900.00 award for a volunteer who has worked directly with a student with a learning disability.
  • 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 CSD partnered with Career and Cooperative Education Services to administer the new CIBC Access Award. For information on this award see s.4.2(c).
  • A CSD staff member acted as Chair of the Accessibility Award Selection Committee. For information on this new award see s.4.2(b).

Student Sign Language Club

The University has a student-based Sign Language Club that promotes awareness of deaf and hard of hearing culture. The CSA 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/ .

Accessibility Website

The Accessibility Website continues to be administered and updated by the HREO. It can be found at the following url: http://www.uoguelph.ca/accessibility/

The Learning Centre for Students with Disabilities

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 and technology (e.g., screen readers, text magnification, scanners, reading/writing support and concept mapping software). 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 for students with print disabilities (e.g., electronic text, Braille, tapes or MP3's).

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 such as digital recorders, personal digital assistants and tablet PCs were also demonstrated.

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

“Diverse Abilities Infinite Possibilities” Disability Awareness Poster Campaign

The HREO continued to roll out this poster campaign. Posters were again placed in display cases in key spots on the main campus.

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;
  • priority for residence room selection;
  • workshops promoting balance, e.g., free arts workshops;
  • disability awareness training for non-academic units;
  • 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

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee

Mandate

September 2007

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 through the Human Rights and Equity Office, 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 Accessibility for 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

  1. To identify and create mechanisms and channels whereby information on disability issues is continuously gathered, assessed and acted upon, and the University community advised of measures already in place.
  2. To foster the identification and promotion of opportunities whereby disability issues can be kept before the University community so as to cultivate awareness.
  3. 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.
  4. 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:

  1. Consult regularly with faculty, staff and students, and particularly those with disabilities, to identify barriers on campus;
  2. Recommend to the President 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;
  3. 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 Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

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.

Committee Composition

Committee members shall be annually appointed by the President and will reflect a broad cross-section of the University community as well as participation from those within the University who bear specific responsibility for issues related to accessibility for persons with disabilities.

The Chair shall be appointed by the President and shall serve a three year term.

APPENDIX III

Principles of Universal Design

Principles of Universal Design (© 1997 NC State University, Centre for UD1)

Designs should:

  1. Be useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities - equitable use.
  2. Accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities - flexibility in use.
  3. Be easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level - simple and intuitive use.
  4. Communicate necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions for the user’s sensory abilities - perceptible information.
  5. Minimize hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions - tolerance for error.
  6. Be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue - low physical effort.
  7. 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 IV

Principles of Universal Instructional Design

Instructional materials and activities should:

  1. Be accessible and fair.
  2. Provide flexibility in use, participation and presentation.
  3. Be straightforward and consistent.
  4. Be explicitly presented and readily perceived.
  5. Provide a supportive learning environment.
  6. Minimize unnecessary physical effort or requirements.
  7. 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 V

Consolidated List of Websites

APPENDIX VI

Skills Inventory Fall 2008

  F St St St St St St St F St St St St St St S S S S
Community Relations and Outreach                                      
Knowledge of University and admin structure • • • • • •   •   •       • •     •  
Familiarity with stakeholder communities •* • •   • •   •*             •     • •
Access to stakeholder communities • •       •               • •     • •
Ability to make change in stakeholder communities • •                       •       •  
Knowledge and experience with community outreach •   • •       •             •       •
Student leadership; ability to reach students about disability issues   •   •                     •     • •
Able to speak to groups about Apdac and its work • • •   •     •           • •     •  
Policy and Programs                                      
Knowledge of University's disability related policies • • • • • •   •   •         •        
Knowledge of human rights principles, including duty to accommodate • • • • • •   •             •        
Knowledge of and expertise in government programs and funding     •*                       •        
Knowledge of and expertise in disability-related legislative changes   • •   • •   •             •        
Ability to develop and administer disability accommodation/education programs for staff and faculty • • • • • •   •             •        
Ability to develop and administer disability accommodation/education programs for students   •   • •                   •     •  
Technology                                      
Knowledge and experience with adaptive technology       • • •       •                  
Knowledge and experience with adaptive technology infrastructures and committees         • •       •                  
Knowledge of disability-related information resources         • •   •   •               •  
Understand the range of needs of various disabilities incl invisible disabilities • • • • • •   •   •         •     •  
Knowledge and experience with employment equity and accommodation of staff and faculty • • • • • •   •             •        
Knowledge and experience with educational equity and accommodation of students • • •* • • •                 •     •  
Knowledge of critical disability study   • •*                                
Awareness                                      
Knowledge of disability awareness raising strategies (project design, campaign planning) •   • •   •   •             •     •  
Physical Facilities                                      
Knowledge and experience of disability accom. standards for physical fac./built env. & construction. •       • •                          
Knowledge of universal design principles •* • •     •       •         •        
Instruction                                      
Knowledge of universal instructional design principles •* • •**   •         •         •        

F = Faculty
St = Staff
S = Student

* some
** very little

 

 

University of Guelph
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Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
Canada
519-824-4120