Towards a More Inclusive Library

1. Towards a More Inclusive Library Complying with the AODA Customer Service Standard Annie Bélanger Janet Wason April 2010

2. Why? • The Standard permeates every aspect of our public-facing work. • It’s everyone’s responsibility.

3. Overview • AODA • AODA Customer Service Standard • Impacts on the Library • The University • Guideline Development • Working Group • Process for doing • Sustainability • Ongoing compliance • Overview of staff sessions • Ongoing training

4. Outcomes • Understand the AODA Customer Service Standard. • Accessibility vs. Accommodation • Our obligations • Our commitment • Know how to approach revisions of guidelines, procedures, and practices. • Set the direction for future training and sustainable compliance.

5. Modules Q&A • Did you have questions about the Modules? • Anything you’d like to know more about? • What did you take away?One example?

6. Overview of AODA

7. Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) • The Vision: to make Ontario fully accessible by 2025. • Only jurisdiction in Canada with legislation setting out a comprehensive goal of accessibility in areas that affect the daily life of persons with disabilities. • First jurisdiction in the world to move to a regulatory system of legislation mandating accessibility.

8. AODA – The Five Standards Now law: • Customer Service (2008) Under ministerial review: • Built Environment • Employment • Information and Communications • Transportation

9. AODA – The Standards, cont’d • Public and private sector compliance. • Inclusive, consensus-based approach to developing standards: • Persons with disabilities and their service organizations were part of the development process.

10. Accessibility • Environment is what disables people. • We need to design for universal access. • Plan in order to prevent barriers. • Accessibility is everyone’s responsibility. Ask yourself: Is there anything “here” that might present a barrier?

11. Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) • What is it? • Public sector required to develop and file an accessibility plan. • Library’s endeavours resulted in our accessibility plan, September 2003. • http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/News/UWLibDocs/access/plan.html • Highlighted the definitions of ‘disability’ and ‘barrier’. • Why is the AODA better? The ODA: • Has no regulations. • Is based on the idea of accommodation.

12. ODA & Accommodation • Assumption of ‘normal’ activity • Responsibility of ‘disabilities’ office • Modify environment one person at a time • Reactive rectification of barriers • Requires person to disclose A ‘barrier’ is anything that stops a person with a disability from fully taking part in society because of that disability.

13. Shift in Approach Accommodation Accessibility Problem is with the environment Proactive Integrate accessibility in planning Universal design • Disability or problem is with the person • Reactive • Individualized solution Note: The duty to accommodate continues!

14. Barriers • Types: • Physical • Architectural • Information or communications • Attitudinal • Technological • Systemic • Key insight: • Think in terms of barriers; don’t focus on the person’s [dis]ability. Can you think of an example of each type of barrier?

15. Print Disabilities • Prevent people from reading standard print. • Can be due to a visual, perceptual or physical disability. • E.g., vision impairment, a learning disability or a disability that prevents the physical holding of a book. • For full access, ensure the provision of: • Publications in multiple formats, such as Braille, audio, large print and electronic text. • Assistive technology From: Library and Archives Canada: Initiative for Equitable Library Access

16. Full Participation The Vision • A video: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWzUF293uX0 • Steve Kuusisto • A professor of creative writing at the University of Iowa. • Joint appointment in public humanities at the Carver Center for Macular Degeneration. • What caught your attention?

17. Waterloo & the AODA Customer Service Standard

18. A Closer Look • The Vision: Ontario is the only jurisdiction in the world to require public and private sector organizations to train their staff on accessible customer service.

19. Who is Responsible? • Faculty & Staff • Full-time; Part-time • Contract; co-op; casuals • Volunteers • ... Anyone acting on our behalf...

20. Definition of ‘Customer Service’ • Interaction between a customer and a service provider of goods and service. • Customer is one who engages in such an interaction in order to receive goods or services. • May be voluntary or involuntary. • Providers include third parties and volunteers.

21. Who are the Library’s Customers? • Students • Faculty & Staff • Visitors • …

22. Q&A – Who are Your Customers? • Acquisitions • Cataloguing • Circulation • Facilities • Information Services and Resources • Library Administration • Site Libraries • Special Collections • Systems

23. Four Principles • DIGNITY • Self-respect, respect of others • INDEPENDENCE • Do things without unnecessary help from others • INTEGRATION • Same service, same way • EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY • Same options, chances, and benefits

24. What is the University doing for compliance? University

25. What the University is Doing… • The University has created policy statements to comply with the AODA. • The University is offering training using the COU modules. • More information available on the homepage of the Office for Persons with Disabilities. • http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosa/disabilities/