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Location HomeAbout the MinistryBusiness PlanAccessibility Plan 2006 - 2007
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In June 2005, the Ontario government took a strong stand on accessibility when it passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) into law.
The AODA lays out a comprehensive road map to make Ontario accessible to all people through the development, implementation and enforcement of new, mandatory accessibility standards for some of the most important aspects of people's lives.
The first two standards that are currently being developed cover the areas of transportation and customer service. On June 13, the first anniversary of the passage of the AODA, the government announced the development of three new standards that will address information and communications, the built environment, and employment.
While the government is moving forward to implement the AODA, there will be a transition period where government and the broader public sector will continue to meet their obligations under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA). These obligations will remain in effect until they are repealed and replaced by standards under the new act.
Under the ODA, Ontario government ministries, municipalities, hospitals, school boards, colleges, universities and public transportation organizations are required to develop annual accessibility plans to make policies, practices, programs, services and buildings more accessible to people with disabilities. These plans must be made available to the public. Accessibility planning efforts to date have developed a strong foundation for the development of accessibility standards that will mean real and effective change.
This document is the fourth annual accessibility plan developed by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. It highlights the achievements of the 2005-06 plan and outlines the commitments for 2006-07 so that no new barriers are created and, over time, existing ones are removed.
This ministry intends to build on its achievements by implementing initiatives that support the government's commitment to continue to make Ontario an inclusive and accessible province where people of all abilities have a chance to fully achieve their potential.
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| Hon. Monte Kwinter |
I am pleased to present the ministry's 2006-2007 Accessibility Plan. All public sector and broader public sector organizations are required by law to have an annual accessibility plan and to make it available to the public. This is the fourth year in which plans have been written and are being implemented by organizations such as ours across the province.
This year marks the first anniversary of the landmark Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, (AODA) - legislation that will foster the development, implementation and enforcement of accessibility standards in key areas of daily living.
To commemorate this milestone, three new accessibility standards to be developed in the areas of communications and information, the built environment, and employment were recently announced. This is in addition to two standards already being developed, which deal with customer service and transportation.
My ministry is committed to improving accessibility through identifying, removing and preventing barriers, working together within our ministry, across government and with our stakeholders in key areas of customer service, employment, communications and information, and the built environment.
Here at the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, we are building on the success of our previous three plans and continuing to look for ways to better meet the needs of people with disabilities who come into contact with this ministry, regardless of whether they are staff, members of the general public or ministry stakeholders.
This year the ministry marked the 20th anniversary for the Law Enforcement Torch Run in Ontario with a kick off at the Ontario Provincial Police General Headquarters on May 11, 2006. The ministry is an active participant in this community based, province-wide event, which is one of the main fundraising arms of Special Olympics Ontario, a non-profit organization which supports athletes with intellectual disabilities. In 2005 alone, the Ontario Law Enforcement Torch Run raised $744,000.00 for Special Olympics.
The ministry continues to work to better educate staff on accessibility. For example, since 2003, 966 ministry managers have received Employment Accommodation and Return-to-Work training. In addition, in May 2006, the ministry's Human Resources Branch developed and distributed a resource "Accommodating Hidden Disabilities - A Best Practice Guide for Managers". More examples are provided in the pages that follow.
If you have any comments or concerns, I encourage you to send them using the contact information located at the end of this document.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Monte Kwinter
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS) was successful in achieving and, in some cases, surpassing planned commitments outlined in its 2005-2006 accessibility plan. This section provides a status report.
The ministry will continue to work toward meeting the needs of offenders with special needs through ongoing involvement in related initiatives, programs and services, and in partnership with other ministries where appropriate.
Completed and ongoing
To help address and prevent barriers for offenders with hidden disabilities, the Correctional Services Division of the ministry continues to participate in several intergovernmental/interministerial initiatives and committees such as: the Toronto Mental Health Committee; the Halton Human Services and Justice Coordinating Committee; and Justice Schneider's 102 Mental Health Court Committee.
Correctional Services developed a proposal for the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) as part of Phase 2 of the Service Enhancement Funding Allocation to facilitate reintegration/release planning for offenders with mental illnesses via mental health case managers in the community. In May 2006, MOHLTC made an announcement regarding Phase 2 funding. Roll out of formal communication within Correctional Services began in August 2006.
Correctional Services is a member of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Intergovernmental Action Network - Ontario (FIANO) as well as the Justice Working Group. An educational compact disc was created by the Justice Working Group for justice professionals and was distributed to Superintendents and Area Managers in the division on the occasion of FASD Awareness Day in September 2006.
The Central Region of Correctional Services has established 7.5 full time mental health nurse positions. These nurses collaborate with MOHLTC forensic units in obtaining placement for offenders with serious mental illness. In addition, the nurses work collaboratively with existing community health supports and work to establish these community supports if none exist.
Best Practices Guidelines for discharge planning which include areas focusing on offenders with special needs were approved in Fall 2005. The Guidelines will be piloted in selected adult institutions in Fall 2006.
See above
The ministry is committed to educating its front-line employees to assist them in meeting the needs of persons with disabilities.
The ministry's Accessibility Planning Working Group distributed copies of the generic training tool for employees titled, May I help you? Welcoming Customers with Disabilities four areas in the ministry involved in the delivery of employee training: Ontario Provincial Police; Ontario Police College; Ontario Fire College and Bell Cairn Staff Development Centre. The Working Group requested each area to review the tool, developed by the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario, and provide feedback to the Working Group in terms of its implementation and use in the ministry. Positive feedback was received from all. Correctional Services (Bell Cairn) indicated an interest in piloting the training tool. Ontario Police College is making this resource available to all its instructors for use in whole or in part as appropriate. Ontario Provincial Police has been working with the Provincial Police Academy to develop a plan to deliver the training to both uniform and civilian staff.
The training manual was distributed in May 2006. Feedback regarding its implementation was received in June 2006.
The ministry will continue to strive toward eliminating unnecessary barriers to ensure that Ontarians with disabilities have access to all employment positions in the ministry where they are able to carry out the essential duties of the job.
Completed and ongoing
The ministry hired an external consultant to validate the Physical Demands Hazards Analysis (completed by a previous consultant) and to develop a new Pre-Employment Physical Abilities Test for all prospective correctional officers. The consultants developing the new test are leading experts in the field and the test will be designed to be compliant with human rights legislation and aligned with the recent human rights decision, Meiorin, by the Supreme Court of Canada.
The external consultant was hired in March 2006. Input from correctional staff was solicited in all stages of the project completed between April and August. The external consultant's report is expected to be completed by December 2006.
The ministry will continue the practice of identifying and addressing potential barriers and accessibility concerns of staff to ensure all employees are provided with a fair, accessible and equitable work environment.
Completed
In order to identify and address ongoing concerns of ministry staff regarding accessibility, the ministry sent written communication to all staff to confirm the current membership list for the MCSCS Accessibility Planning Working Group. The communication also reminded staff of the existence of an email account, dedicated to accessibility, its purpose and how to utilize it when needed. In addition, a direct link to the email account has been established in the ministry's intranet site.
Communication to all staff and the link to the email account were completed in July 2006.
The ministry will continue educating its managers on Return-to- Work and Employment Accommodation as well as the ODA/AODA.
Completed and ongoing
A resource titled: "Accommodating Hidden Disabilities - A Best Practice Guide for Managers" was developed and distributed to all ministry managers on May 1, 2006 and was posted on the Human Resources Branch website on May 8, 2006.
Employment Accommodation and Return-to-Work training was provided to 278 ministry managers between June 2005 and June 2006. Since 2003, 966 ministry managers have received Employment Accommodation and Return-to-Work training. All managers who received this training were reminded of the mandatory requirement to complete the online ODA training.
The requirement to complete the online ODA training was included in the Performance Development Plans (PDP) for Operational Managers in Correctional Services as of July 2005. The Human Resources Branch of the ministry will be including the ODA training requirement in all future PDP templates and tools developed for managers. In addition, a written reminder to all ministry managers was distributed in July 2006 regarding the mandatory online ODA training and instructed them to have this completed by September 29, 2006.
See above
The ministry will continue its efforts to ensure that information regarding ODA/AODA and accessibility is clearly communicated to all employees as well as members of the public.
Completed in part
The ministry established links on its intranet sites to accessibility information such as ODA/AODA, the MCSCS accessibility plans, and the MCSCS Accessibility Planning Working Group membership list. In addition, the ministry's Internet site now includes a direct link to accessibility information on its main page.
Links were established in July 2006.
The commitment regarding making the ministry's intranet site accessible was based on the assumption that the ministry's two main intranet sites were going to be revamped and combined into one. This did not occur.
The ministry will continue to maintain a list of appropriate stakeholders on accessibility issues in order to ensure access to up-to-date information and consultation with outside organizations when needed.
Completed
List of stakeholders for accessibility issues was updated and the MCSCS Accessibility Working Group decided to update the list once a year or as updated information becomes available. The availability of the list was communicated to all ministry staff and managers.
Stakeholders list was updated in May 2006. Communication to all ministry staff and managers went out in July 2006.
The ministry is committed to the ongoing application of the current Standards for Barrier-Free Design of Ontario Government Facilities and will implement all standards arising from the new legislation, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, as they are established.
Completed and ongoing
The Facilities, Emergency Management & Security Branch of the ministry has confirmed that consultation with the Ontario Realty Corporation and networking with facilities management partners across the Ontario Public Service has been part of the regular process for all new projects, in order to ensure consistent and improved accessibility for persons with disabilities in relation to Ontario government facilities.
Ongoing
The ministry is committed to reducing existing physical barriers within the workplace to accommodate the specialized requirements of employees as they may arise.
Ongoing
The ministry continued to work with Ontario Realty Corporation and other partners in facilities management to address and reduce physical barriers within the workplace as they arose. For example, in one specific work location, automatic door openers were installed to accommodate a volunteer with a physical disability.
This is an ongoing commitment. The automatic door openers were installed in critical locations in August 2006.
The ministry will ensure that accessibility issues are considered in the implementation of Bill 138 (an Act to amend the Emergency Management Act and the Employment Standards Act, 2000) upon proclamation.
Completed
Bill 138 was replaced by Bill 56, Emergency Management Statute Law Amendment Act, which came into force on June 30, 2006. The ministry Accessibility Planning Lead contacted Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) and confirmed the availability of the Accessibility Planning Working Group as a resource to staff involved in the implementation of this Act. In addition, a representative from Emergency Management Ontario is now a member of the MCSCS Accessibility Planning Working Group.
Contact with Emergency Management Ontario occurred in July 2006. Membership of the Accessibility Planning Working Group was expanded to include a representative of Emergency Management Ontario in June 2006.
In the coming year, the ministry commits to assess its acts, regulations, policies, programs, practices and services to determine their effect on accessibility for persons with disabilities. This section summarizes these commitments.
The training tool titled "May I Help You? Welcoming Customers with Disabilities" will be piloted and/or incorporated in three areas of the ministry involved in educating front-line staff.
We will continue to provide training and related resources on accommodating employees and job applicants with disabilities to all new and existing managers.
As new or revised ministry forms are developed, we will conduct an assessment of them to ensure they are accessible to persons with disabilities.
The Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC) has primary responsibility for the issuing of Requests for Proposal (RFP) to Architects, Engineers and other Consultants who will be hired to work on the Ministry's major capital projects such as the new South-West Regional Detention Centre in Windsor and the new Toronto Jail. The ORC is required to include a requirement that all those responding to these RFPs demonstrate experience in the design and construction of barrier-free facilities.
We will conduct a review of the Emergency Management Statute Law Amendment Act to identify opportunities to enhance accessibility and to prevent barriers for persons with disabilities.
Inconsistent practices in relation to discharge planning for offenders and lack of continuity of service from the correctional facility to probation and parole.
Pilot Best Practices Guidelines for Discharge Planning, which include a focus on special needs offenders, in selected adult institutions with a view to implementing them in all institutions
Correctional Services Division
By December 2006
Current pre-employment testing for prospective correctional officers has been deemed to be ineffective and, in addition, it may present unnecessary barriers to some candidates.
We will continue to support consultant's work in order to validate the Physical Demands Hazards Analysis and to develop appropriate pre-employment physical abilities test for prospective correctional officers.
Correctional Services Division
Ongoing. Consultant's report due by December 2006.
The ministry is unable to track the mandatory online ODA training for managers.
We will explore and recommend options for internal tracking of the completion of online ODA training for ministry managers.
MCSCS Accessibility Planning Working Group
Review to start in October 2006. Complete report with recommendations by December 2006.
Ministry's Intranet sites are not accessible to persons with disabilities.
Making these two sites accessible is not currently feasible, considering existing human and financial resources available. However, if a merged Intranet site is planned in the future, we will work to ensure accessibility is incorporated into the development of the new site, or any other new intranet sites that are the responsibility of Communications Branch.
Communications Branch
2006-2007
A project has been identified to install an elevator in the visitor's area at Monteith Correctional Centre to improve accessibility for Ontarians with physical disabilities.
A decision will be made regarding the prioritization of this project once funding allocation through the infrastructure plan 2007-2008 has been confirmed.
Facilities, Emergency Management and Security Branch
September 2006
Questions or comments about the ministry's accessibility plan are always welcome. Please telephone:
| General inquiry: | Toronto local - 416-317-9911 or 416-326-5000 Toll free - 1-866-517-0571 |
| TTY: | Toronto local - 416-326-5511 Toll free - 1-866-517-0572 |
| E-mail: | Justice webmaster |
| Website | Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services |
Visit the 
Ministry of Community and Social Services Accessibility Ontario web portal. The site promotes accessibility and provides information and resources on how to make Ontario a barrier-free province.
Alternate formats of this document are available free upon request from:
Publications Ontario
880 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M7A 1N8. Tel: (416) 326-5300
Out of town customers, except Ottawa call: 1-800-668-9938
In Ottawa, call (613) 238-3630 or toll-free: 1-800-268-8758
TTY Service: 1-800-268-7095
Ce document est disponible en français.
© Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2006
ISSN 1710-0569
Copyright information: © Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2006 Last Modified: Sept. 25, 2006 |
