Information Access for People with Disabilities

in Your Library – Session #1314

Dorothy MacnaughtonAccessibility and Diversity Training

People with disabilities, particularly people with print disabilities, have sometimes felt reluctant to use their libraries.

In Ontario, we are fortunate to now have the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act which will enable people with disabilities to have greater access to information and resources than they have ever had.

Libraries and Access to Information

Status of the Accessible Information and Communications Standard◦ The Final Draft of the Proposed Accessible

Information and Communications Standard, as well as the final recommendations of the Accessible Information and Communications Standard Development Committee, are currently with the Minister of Community and Social Services

◦ This Standard is expected to be passed into law sometime in 2010

Accessible Information and Communications Standard,

AODA

Being Prepared for the Standard The proposed standard seeks to make systemic

change through requirements such as: policies; procedures; training; procurement; web sites and web content; alternate formats and communication supports and

services; and areas of priority for persons with disabilities –

emergency and evacuation planning.

Being Prepared

Training for Staff 6. (2)  The training must include a review of the

purposes of the Act and the requirements of this Regulation and instruction about the following matters:

3. How to use equipment or devices available on the provider’s premises or otherwise provided by the provider that may help with the provision of goods or services to a person with a disability.◦ Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, ONTARIO

REGULATION 429/07

Policies

Your Information Policy can include what assistive devices you have available n your library

Policies

3.1 Policies  Organizations shall include in their written

policies:   how they will deal with requests for

information and communications in alternate formats;

how they will deal with requests for communication supports and services;

Policies

Organizations shall include in their written policies:

how their procurement policies will address accessibility; and

the criteria that will be used to determine what information and communications will be made available in plain language.◦ Final Draft of Proposed Accessible Information

and Communications Standard

Policies

Procedures will be the tools which assist your staff to interact with people with disabilities to best meet their information needs

Procedures will delineate how information should be provided in alternate formats; ensure brochures and notices are prepared so they can easily be produced in alternate formats such as braille

Procedures

6. (2)  The training must include a review of the purposes of the Act and the requirements of this Regulation and instruction about the following matters:

1. How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disability.

4. What to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty accessing the provider’s goods or services.◦ Accessibility Standards for Customer Service,

ONTARIO REGULATION 429/07

Training

Interacting with someone with a print disability who requires information in alternate formats ◦The training shall encompass:◦information and communication barriers

and the needs of persons with disabilities Final Draft of Proposed Accessible

Information and Communications Standard

Training and Information Access

How to ensure your services are accessible to people with a print disability

Find different ways to provide access

Training and Information Access

Training staff about the resources and tools your library has which enable you to provide accessible information

◦ The training shall encompass: ◦ the organization’s resources and tools for

providing accessible information (and communication supports and services) Final Draft of Proposed Accessible Information and

Communications Standard

Training and Information Access

The training shall encompass:  

◦ the organization’s policies, procedures and practices for providing accessible information and communications to and from persons with disabilities Final Draft of Proposed Accessible Information and

Communications Standard

Training and Information Access

Policies, procedures and training on how to communicate and provide information to people with disabilities in emergency and crisis situations will be critical

The training shall encompass:◦ information on how to communicate with

persons with disabilities in emergency and crisis situations

Training and Information Access

Third Party Training◦ Accessibility Standards for Customer Service,

ONTARIO REGULATION 429/07

6.  (1)  Every provider of goods or services shall ensure that the following persons receive training about the provision of its goods or services to persons with disabilities:

1. Every person who deals with members of the public or other third parties on behalf of the provider, whether the person does so as an employee, agent, volunteer or otherwise.

Procurement of Goods and Services

Look to the future and how you can ensure the goods and services you procure will be accessible to people with disabilities

Ask the businesses and organizations you do business with what they have in place to ensure their goods and services are accessible to people with disabilities

Government of Canada, Accessible Procurement Toolkit◦ http://www.apt.gc.ca/index.asp

Procurement of Goods Services

The American Library Association has produced a helpful document titled, “Think Accessible Before You Buy. Questions to Ask to Ensure That the Electronic Resources Your Library Plans to Purchase are Accessible. An ASCLA (Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies) Toolkit.” http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/ascla/asclaprotools/thinkaccessible/default.cfm

Procurement of Goods Services

If your library is considering redesigning their web site and/or web content, it makes sense to hire a company or find an individual within your organization with the necessary expertise to make the site and the information it contains accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities (e.g. those people using screen reading or screen magnification software)

Web Sites and Web Content

“What is Web Accessibility Web accessibility means that people with

disabilities can use the Web. More specifically, Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web.”◦ Introduction to Web Accessibility◦ WC3 Web Accessibility Initiative

Web Sites and Web Content

W3C WCAG - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) covers a wide range of recommendations for making Web content more accessible. Following these guidelines will make content accessible to people living with a wider range of disabilities, including blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, learning disabilities, cognitive limitations, limited movement, speech difficulties, photosensitivity and combinations of these. Following these guidelines will also often make Web content more usable to users in general.

Web Sites and Web Content

Appendix B B.1.0 Accessible web pages / websites

(user interfaces, navigation) Web sites and web content should be compliant

with W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0), level A.

New web authoring tools procured by an organization should support the authoring of accessible web sites and enable authoring by people with disabilities by following the current version of ATAG or equivalent guidelines.

Web Sites and Web Content

“The Web is increasingly an essential resource for many aspects of life: education, employment, government, commerce, health care, recreation, social interaction, and more. The Web is used not only for receiving information, but also for providing information and interacting with society.

Web Sites and Web Content

Therefore, it is essential that the Web be accessible in order to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with disabilities. Indeed, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) recognizes Web accessibility as a basic human right.”◦ Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case

for Your Organization: Overview◦ WC3 Web Accessibility Initiative

Web Sites and Web Content

Format of documents 9.  (1)  If a provider of goods or services is required

by this Regulation to give a copy of a document to a person with a disability, the provider shall give the person the document, or the information contained in the document, in a format that takes into account the person’s disability.

(2)  The provider of goods or services and the person with a disability may agree upon the format to be used for the document or information.◦ Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, ONTARIO

REGULATION 429/07

Alternate Format Information and Materials

When designing library brochures, posters or any other signage (including temporary disruptions and notice of availability of documents, as required under the Accessibility Standard for Customer Service), provide these in large print and in plain language

Ensure that the format of the original documents can also be easily produced in braille, in an accessible electronic file or put onto a disc

Alternate Format Information and Materials

Plain language – a way of writing, talking and presenting information and complex messages so that it is readable, understandable and useful. Some characteristics of plain language may include writing to a simpler reading level, eliminating jargon and unnecessary words, using familiar words in a conversational style and the use of uncomplicated sentence structure and grammar.◦ Final Draft of Proposed Accessible Information and

Communications Standard

Plain Language

Plain English means creating a document that is...

visually inviting, logically organized, and understandable on the first reading. How do you create a plain English document? Know your audience Know what you need to say Organize your material logically Avoid repetition

Plain Language

Use these tools to write clearly: Active voice with strong verbs Short sentences Personal pronouns Concrete, familiar words No surplus words No legal jargon Tabular presentation of complex information, and Use a design and layout that increase comprehension.

◦ Plain Language.gov◦ http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/quickreference/

glance.cfm

Plain Language

7.  (1)  Every provider of goods or services shall establish a process for receiving and responding to feedback about the manner in which it provides goods or services to persons with disabilities and shall make information about the process readily available to the public.

(2)  The feedback process must permit persons to provide their feedback in person, by telephone, in writing, or by delivering an electronic text by email or on diskette or otherwise.◦ Accessibility Standards for Customer Service,

ONTARIO REGULATION 429/07

Feedback

3)  The feedback process must specify the actions that the provider of goods or services is required to take if a complaint is received.

(4)  Every designated public sector organization and every other provider of goods or services that has at least 20 employees in Ontario shall prepare a document describing its feedback process and, upon request, shall give a copy of the document to any person.

Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, ONTARIO REGULATION 429/07

Feedback

3.2.1 Feedback Processes

Organizations shall make all feedback and complaints processes accessible to persons with disabilities. The processes shall permit persons with disabilities to identify their communication needs and to communicate using alternate formats, communication supports and services.◦ Final Draft of Proposed Accessible Information and

Communications Standard

Feedback

Library users are often asked to fill out surveys or to provide feedback which evaluates library facilities, technology, resources and services and to provide suggestions for improvement

People with disabilities can be at a disadvantage when they are not able to access the library or when they can’t fill out the survey.

 

Feedback

You should involve people with disabilities when your library is:

Writing your strategic plan Identifying barriers to people with disabilities Planning for barrier removal Planning to build a new facility Considering new programs or services Planning specific programs to meet the needs of people

with disabilities Considering the purchase of assistive technology,

equipment or devices for the use of people with disabilities

Engaging library users in a survey

Feedback

When people with disabilities are asked to be involved in strategic planning or to provide their input and a meeting is planned, you will need to provide enough advance notice to enable the person to plan transportation or to arrange for a support person. You will also need to allow for time to produce alternate format materials, if requested. If your library or meeting room is not accessible to people with mobility or physical disabilities, you will need to arrange to meet in an accessible location.

Feedback

Guide to Planning Inclusive Meetings and Conferences, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/disability_issues/doc/gpim/page00.shtml

Checklist for Planning Accessible Meetings and Events, U.S. Department of Transportation, Disability Resource Center

http://drc.dot.gov/accessible-environment.html 

Accessible Meetings

Planning Accessible Meetings http://tcsip.tarjancenter.ucla.edu/docs/HCB

SAccessibleMeetings.pdf

Plan an Accessible MeetingMinistry of Community and Social Services, ON

http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/how/howto_meeting.htm

Accessible Meetings

Useful Tips for Your Library’s Emergency and Evacuation Plan

 Your library should have:Information about facility alarms, required by

provincial or territorial lawFire alarms that are audible and visual (e.g. strobe

alarms) for people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing

An employee or volunteer assigned to assist people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing during an emergency if there are no visual alarms

Emergency and Evacuation Planning

  Evacuation chairs, in multi-level buildings, for

people with physical disabilities; the location of evacuation chairs should be indicated in the plan; ensure there are enough volunteers trained to safely transfer a person who uses a wheelchair into an evacuation chair (example of an evacuation chair – Garaventa Evacu-Trac: http://www.garaventa.ca/et/)

Appropriate equipment and supplies on site, with the location noted in the plan

Emergency and Evacuation Planning

Staff who are trained to know how to communicate with people with disabilities during an emergency situation (e.g. staff should understand how to guide someone who has vision loss)

  Workplace health and safety procedures and systems

Plans for addressing incidents that threaten life, property, operations or the environment and related procedures

 

Emergency and Evacuation Planning

 

Be specific about what to do from the time the alarm sounds until it is safe to re-enter the facility. Ensure floor wardens have a list of tasks and are well trained, particularly to know what to do if there are people with disabilities in their areas.

Floor wardens should be aware of employees or volunteers with disabilities (who have given permission for this to be disclosed) in their assigned area. Their training will involve understanding how to communicate appropriately with people with disabilities. In situations where the person will be left in an area of safe refuge, the person should be told what will be happening.

 

Emergency and Evacuation Planning

All employees and volunteers must be familiar with the Emergency and Evacuation Plan and must have regular training and drills. They must know where to locate a copy of the plan, including copies in alternate formats.

Create a document in plain language detailing what to do in case of an emergency. Post this where staff and the public can see it. Have a copy readily available so that it can be used to assist when communicating with someone who is deaf, deafened or hard of hearing.

Emergency and Evacuation Planning

Practice Evacuation Drills Hold practice evacuation drills regularly. You

can arrange with your local Fire Department to plan a mock fire drill, during which people with disabilities will be in the library (pre-arranged). This will help identify gaps in your plan and will give you time to make the necessary changes.

Keep track of any concerns identified by individuals at any time and make the necessary changes to the Plan.

Emergency and Evacuation Planning

By undertaking strategic planning in a way that will allow access to information for everyone, you will be creating an accessible environment where everyone will not only feel welcome, but they will want to come back to your library.

People with disabilities can be more independent and productive if they have greater access to what they need to succeed, to learn and to enjoy reading, some for the first time in their lives.

Information Accessfor Everyone

Questions?

Dorothy Macnaughton

Accessibility and Diversity TrainingTel: 705-942-4339Cell: 705-542-8967

E-mail: accessibility@bell.net