Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2022-2025

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Consultation has concluded

Northumberland County has completed a draft of the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2022-2025 to guide the County's next phase of accessibility planning.

What is a Multi-Year Accessibility Plan?

A multi-year accessibility plan outlines our strategy to prevent and remove barriers for people with disabilities when accessing our goods, services, and facilities. This plan helps Northumberland County meet requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and its Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR).

This plan outlines:

  • Key actions to continue to meet and exceed our requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).
  • Recent accomplishments in key areas such as Customer Service, Information and Communications, Employment and Design of Public Spaces.
  • Accessibility goals planned for 2022-2025 under each of the in key areas.

The Northumberland County Multi-Year Accessibility Plan applies to County-operated programs, services and facilities (such as community and social services, waste services, court services, paramedic services, long-term care, the Northumberland County Forest, the Northumberland County Archives & Museum, maintenance of County roads and more). Each municipality within the County also has a Multi-Year Accessibility Plan specific to their local municipal programs, services, and facilities.

Why are we updating our Accessibility Plan?

Our 2012-2021 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan will complete in 2021, meeting all compliance deadlines.

The 2022-2025 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan builds on the accomplishments of the 2012-2021 Plan and will act as our accessibility road map for the next 4 years.

Project background

The Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2022-2025 was developed in consultation with the Northumberland Accessibility Advisory Committee, people with disabilities, and County staff.

In June 2021, Northumberland County conducted a survey on Join In Northumberland to gather input on how we can improve the accessibility of County services. This input was used to inform priorities and goals in the draft Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2022-2025.

Goal

The County is committed to ensuring that people of all ages and abilities enjoy the same opportunities as they live, work, visit and invest in our community. We strive to ensure accessibility for the public and our employees.

The goal of the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan is to improve the accessibility of County services by developing priorities and goals to guide our accessibility planning over the next four years.

The public engagement objective for this project is to:

  • Gather feedback from people with disabilities, care providers and advocates about their experiences accessing County services and facilities.
  • Gather insight from residents about how we could improve the accessibility of County services.

Join in the conversation

  • This consultation is now closed. To review the final Multi-Year Accessibility Plan approved by County Council in April 2022, visit the Documents tab.

Other ways to submit feedback about the accessibility of our services:

  1. If you would like to report an accessibility barrier, please submit an Accessibility Feedback Form
  2. Reach out to us directly by email: accessibility@northumberland.ca

(External 

Northumberland County has completed a draft of the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2022-2025 to guide the County's next phase of accessibility planning.

What is a Multi-Year Accessibility Plan?

A multi-year accessibility plan outlines our strategy to prevent and remove barriers for people with disabilities when accessing our goods, services, and facilities. This plan helps Northumberland County meet requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and its Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR).

This plan outlines:

  • Key actions to continue to meet and exceed our requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).
  • Recent accomplishments in key areas such as Customer Service, Information and Communications, Employment and Design of Public Spaces.
  • Accessibility goals planned for 2022-2025 under each of the in key areas.

The Northumberland County Multi-Year Accessibility Plan applies to County-operated programs, services and facilities (such as community and social services, waste services, court services, paramedic services, long-term care, the Northumberland County Forest, the Northumberland County Archives & Museum, maintenance of County roads and more). Each municipality within the County also has a Multi-Year Accessibility Plan specific to their local municipal programs, services, and facilities.

Why are we updating our Accessibility Plan?

Our 2012-2021 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan will complete in 2021, meeting all compliance deadlines.

The 2022-2025 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan builds on the accomplishments of the 2012-2021 Plan and will act as our accessibility road map for the next 4 years.

Project background

The Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2022-2025 was developed in consultation with the Northumberland Accessibility Advisory Committee, people with disabilities, and County staff.

In June 2021, Northumberland County conducted a survey on Join In Northumberland to gather input on how we can improve the accessibility of County services. This input was used to inform priorities and goals in the draft Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2022-2025.

Goal

The County is committed to ensuring that people of all ages and abilities enjoy the same opportunities as they live, work, visit and invest in our community. We strive to ensure accessibility for the public and our employees.

The goal of the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan is to improve the accessibility of County services by developing priorities and goals to guide our accessibility planning over the next four years.

The public engagement objective for this project is to:

  • Gather feedback from people with disabilities, care providers and advocates about their experiences accessing County services and facilities.
  • Gather insight from residents about how we could improve the accessibility of County services.

Join in the conversation

  • This consultation is now closed. To review the final Multi-Year Accessibility Plan approved by County Council in April 2022, visit the Documents tab.

Other ways to submit feedback about the accessibility of our services:

  1. If you would like to report an accessibility barrier, please submit an Accessibility Feedback Form
  2. Reach out to us directly by email: accessibility@northumberland.ca

(External 

Consultation has concluded

  • Customer Service

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    • Continue to receive and respond to accessibility feedback and address identified barriers in a timely manner
      Completion date: ongoing (Accessibility Coordinator and all departments)
    • Explore and provide training on communicating using plain language
      Completion date: 2022 (Accessibility Coordinator)
    • Research training options to address attitudinal barriers and stigma associated with disabilities
      Completion date: 2023 (Accessibility Coordinator)

  • Information and Communications

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    • Develop branding guidelines that improve accessibility, including standardized accessible font sizes and style for emails, business cards, presentations
      Completion date: 2022 (Communications, Accessibility Coordinator)
    • Develop and facilitate Accessible Presentations training
      Completion date: 2022 (Accessibility Coordinator)
    • Modernize Council and Standing Committee meetings by implementing a technology that allows people to attend hybrid meetings, combining in-person attendance with virtual attendance
      Completion date: 2022 (Information Technology and Clerk)

  • Employment

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    • Conduct proactive outreach and sharing job postings with local disability organizations to encourage applications from people with disabilities
      Completion date: 2022 (Human Resources)
    • Review HR policies and practices to ensure applicants and employees with disabilities receive the supports they need
      Completion date: 2023 (Human Resources and all Departments)
    • Review and revise HR policy 4.1.4 Accommodating Disabilities to clarify procedure and include plain language Completion date:2023 (Human Resources)
    • Update employee orientation presentation and handouts to improve accessibility
      Completion date: ongoing to 2024 (Human Resources)

  • Design of Public Spaces

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    • Explore expansion of universal trails within Northumberland County Forest
      Completion date: 2022 (Natural Heritage)
    • Improve accessibility of trail signage within Northumberland County Forest
      Completion date:2023 (Natural Heritage)
    • Explore transportation options to improve access to universal trails
      Completion date: 2025 (Natural Heritage and Accessibility Coordinator)

  • Other Initiatives

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    • Conduct research (census, Canadian Health Survey) to better understand the types of disabilities and the number of people with different types of disabilities within the County
      Completion date: 2023 (Accessibility Coordinator, 2023)
    • Seek out funding opportunities to support accessibility initiatives
      Completion date: ongoing to 2025 (Grant Writer, Accessibility Coordinator)
    • Explore a learning and networking forum that brings together members of the municipal accessibility advisory committees throughout Northumberland County
      Completion date: 2024 (Accessibility Coordinator)
    • Work with community housing providers to support accessible housing improvements
      Completion date: ongoing (Housing Services and Public Works)