Annual Accessibilty Plan
September 2011 - August 2012
1. Executive Summary
The purpose of the Ontarians for Disabilities Act 2001 (ODA 2001) is to improve opportunities for people with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the province. To this end, the ODA 2001 mandates that each school board prepare an Annual Accessibility Plan. On June 13, 2005, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA, 2005) received Royal Assent and is now law. The purpose of the AODA, 2005, is to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities by providing for the development, implementation and enforcement of mandatory accessibility standards respecting food, services, facilities, accommodation, employment and buildings by January 1,
2025. Standards that will be developed under the AODA, 2005, will apply to both public and private organizations.
The ODA, 2001, will continue in effect until it is repealed.
- The Limestone District School Board (LDSB) began a planning process in 2000 and set in motion a 5+ year plan to improve accessibility within its jurisdiction. From January through June of 2003, the board created an Accessibility Working Group that continued its efforts throughout the 2003-2011 Academic Years. (Year One Accessibility Plan 2003-04, Year Two Accessibility Plan 2004-05, Year Three Accessibility Plan 2005-06, Year Four Accessibility Plan 2006-07, Year Five Accessibility Plan 2007-08 , Year Six Accessibility Plan 2008-09 and Year Seven Accessibility Plan, Year Eight Accessibility Plan 2010-11). The following report (Year Nine Accessibility Plan 2011-12) describes the measures which will be undertaken during the 2011-2012 year to identify, remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities who use
facilities and services within the LDSB, including staff, students, parents of students, and other members of the community and to comply to ON Regulation 429 - Customer Service.
For the 2011-2012 year, LDSB has again committed itself to the continual improvement of access to school and board premises, facilities and services for students and staff with disabilities; the participation of people with disabilities in the development and review of its annual access plans, and the provision of quality services to all students, parents and members of the community with disabilities. It has committed to work on not only the identification and removal of Physical and Architectural barriers, but also to identify at least one barrier in each of the following areas:
- Informational
- Communicational
- Attitudinal
- Technological
- Policy or Practice
It is a goal for the 2011-2012 school year to work on ways to improve access in these areas as well.
The LDSB Accessibility Working Group in preparation for compliance with the AODA, 2005, will be cognizant of the work that is being done by standards development committees of the Directorate. People with disabilities should have the same kind of opportunities as everyone else. They should be able to do the things that most of us take for granted – going to work or school, shopping, taking in a movie or eating out.
That’s the goal of Ontario’s legislation. Businesses and organizations who provide goods and services to people in Ontario will have to meet certain accessibility standards in five important areas of our lives:
- customer service
- transportation
- information and communications
- built environment
- employment
The Accessibility Working Group Plan has included an Accessibility and Accommodation Status Report on the current state of facilities within the school board . Over the 2011-2012 school year, the Working Group recommends focusing on continuing to progress with the major priorities identified in the plan within the available funding resources and sustaining the current approach by responding to individual needs of specific students on a case by case basis that has been extremely effective over the past few years.
(Anticipated Minimum Annual Budget of $75,000.)
2. Aim
The report describes:
The efforts the LDSB has undertaken from 2000 - June 2011; the measures that the board will pursue during 2011-2012 to identify, remove and prevent barriers for people who use the facilities and services of the Board including students, staff, parents and other members of the community.
3. Objectives
Within the report the following areas addressed:
- The processes which LDSB will use to identify, remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities are described;
- Earlier efforts to remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities are reviewed;
- Lists of facilities, policies, programs, practices, and services that LDSB will review in the coming year to identify barriers to people with disabilities are provided;
- A description of the measures LDSB will take in the coming year to identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities;
- A description of how the board will make its Accessibility Plan available to the public is included.
4. Description of Limestone District School Board
Limestone District School Board (LDSB) serves approximately 22,000 students living in the Counties of Frontenac and Lennox & Addington. The board office, called The Education Centre, is located at 220 Portsmouth Avenue in Kingston. There are 11 secondary schools, the Limestone School of Community Education and 55 elementary schools within the jurisdiction of the board.
At the Limestone District School Board, we believe our students are our reason for being and that every student can learn and experience success. The Limestone Board prides itself on its program choices for students. We offer full service regular programming and a substantial array of inclusive educational programs to meet the needs of a wide variety of students with special needs. We offer early literacy and early intervention programs to support students in the primary division that need additional supports to level the playing field. We know and believe as educators that teaching strategies or pedagogical materials that respond to the special needs of a specific student or group of students can also be useful for all students. We are committed to providing a dynamic learning environment with a flexible
curriculum that provides the student with appropriate pathways for reaching their learning goals. Our classroom teachers are supportive and they help to make the curriculum accessible for all students.
5. The Accessibility Working Group
Establishment of the Accessibility Working Group
The Accessibility Working Group was initially constituted in January 2003. During the 2010-2011 year the committee was required to:
- Continue the annual planning process;
- Conduct a review of the current list of accessible sites and current priorities;
- Review regulations, board policies, practices and services offered by the Limestone District School Board to assess barriers to people with disabilities;
- Identify barriers that will be removed or prevented within 2010-2011;
- Prepare a report on these activities and after its approval by Executive Council and appropriate committees of the School Board, make the plan available to the public.
Coordinator of the Accessibility Working Group
Alison McDonnell, Supervising Principal, was selected by the Staff Working Group to act as
Co-ordinator of the Accessibility Working Group. She has within her portfolios the responsibility for Special Education (mcdonnella@limestone.on.ca or 613-544-6925 ext. 236).
Members of the Working Group for the 2011-2012 Plan
Name |
Title |
Contact Information |
Alison McDonnell |
Supervising Principal, LDSB |
613-544-6925 ext. 236 |
|
Dave Fowler |
Manager, Facilities Services |
613-544-6925 ext.254 |
|
Manny Brandao |
Capital Project Co-ordinator |
613-544-6925 ext.245 |
|
Sue McWilliams |
Labour Relations Specialist |
613-544-6925 ext 243 |
|
Paula Carson |
Payroll Supervisor |
613-544-6925 ext.257 |
|
Scot Gillam |
Principal, Educational Serv. |
613-542-9871 ext.144 |
|
Kristin Check |
Co-ordinator: Projects Lead |
613-542-9871 ext.176 |
|
Mark Ryan |
Computer Resource Teacher Educational Services |
613-542-9871 ext.273 |
|
Eva Carlin |
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Resource Teacher |
613-542-9871 ext. 287 |
|
Drew Boyce |
School to Community Co-ordinator |
613-542-9871 ext. 169 |
|
Erin Pincivero |
Secondary Principal LaSalle Secondary School |
613-613-546-1737 |
|
Jennifer Lawless |
Elementary Vice Principal Principal Sydenham Public School |
613-634-0470 |
|
Karen Spanton |
Teacher, Polson Park P.S. |
613-542-5926 |
|
Kathie Dillabough-Bos |
Educational Assistant, Kingston Collegiate and Vocational School |
613-544-4811 |
|
Tiffany Mountenay |
Elementary Principal Loughborough P.S. |
613-376-3848 |
|
Brenda Chalk |
Supervisor, Tri-Board Transportation |
613-354-1981 ext. 312 |
|
6. Limestone District School Board Commitment to Accessibility Planning
At its meeting on April 16, 2003, the Board of Trustees of the Limestone District School Board recommended that the Board adopt the following Accessibility Planning direction:
The Limestone District instituted a five + year plan in 2000. Through that plan the LDSB established a practice of identifying and making a secondary school and at least one elementary school within a family of schools as accessible as possible for that family of schools;
As well, as students with disabilities enter the school system a Transition to School Student Profile (See Appendix B) has been created to assist students to enter the system as effectively as possible. There are exceptionality specific profiles, for example, Behaviour, Autism, Mild Intellectual Disorder, and Developmental Disability. One of the items that is included within that Profile addresses the Accessibility Requirements of that specific student. Issues related to Accessibility are therefore also addressed on a case by case basis;
As staff with disabilities make the Human Resources Department aware of their needs, individual situations are addressed on a case by case basis.
The board staff held one consultation session in the Fall of 2003 with student council presidents, three consultation sessions during the Fall/Winter 2003 - 2004 with the community that were not well attended despite extensive advertising and one joint consultation session with community partners. The 2003-2004 plan was posted on the Limestone District School Board Website along with a feedback survey to which staff received 42 responses (39 students, 1 teacher, 2 other individuals).
The Board Staff held one consultation session in January, 2005. The 2004-2005 plan was posted on the LDSB website along with a feedback survey to which staff received 5 responses. There was no consultation in 2005 - 2006. The 2005-2006 Plan has been posted on the Limestone District School Board’s website. The 2007-08 Plan was posted on the LDSB website. A public consultation was held in January 2008 at the Board Office of LDSB. Two members of the public attended and provided supportive feedback to members of the Working Group. An online survey elicited one response. In January 2010, the Facilitator of this Working Group offered to attend General Meetings of the groups represented at the LDSB SEAC Committee to share the Plan. All members of SEAC indicated this was an
appropriate opportunity to provide feedback to the Plan. See Appendix I for plan for consultation for the 2011-2012 school year.
The Limestone District School Board is committed to:
The continual improvement of access to school premises, facilities and services for students and staff with disabilities;
The participation of people with disabilities in the development and review of its annual access plans;
The provision of quality services to all students, parents and members of the community with disabilities.
7. Recent Barrier Removal Initiatives
Recent barrier removal initiatives are contained in a list in Appendix A
8. Barrier Identification Methodology
The Limestone District School Board continues to utilize a number of processes to identify barriers for staff and students:
Current Methodology
Continue moving forward with the plan to address Architectural and Physical barriers across the system and target a time line for removal;
Identify and remove at least one barrier in each of the following areas:
* Informational
* Communicational
* Attitudinal
* Technological
* Policy or Practice
Continued Professional Development for staff to ensure updated awareness.
9. Barriers Identified
A “barrier” as defined in A Guide to Annual Accessibility Planning under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 is anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of his or her disability, including a physical barrier, an architectural barrier, an informational or communications barrier, an attitudinal barrier, a technological barrier, a policy or practice.
It is the intention of the LDSB to continue to move forward with the Accessibility Plan even though mandate from the Accessibility Directorate is complete. The Directorate has determined that accessibility planning continue on a year by year basis. Attached is a copy of the Accessibility and Accommodation Survey by Family of Schools (Appendix F) and the Accessibility and Accommodation Status Report By Family of Schools (Appendix H)
10. Barriers that will be addressed in 2011-2012
See Appendix C
11. Review and Monitoring Process
The Working Group will meet every 2 months during the 2011-2012 year and more often, if required, to review progress of implementation. At each meeting, the Working Group will review with staff the current status, new issues and further actions required to move forward with implementation of the plan.
12. Communication of the Plan
The plan was presented to the Property and Operations Committee of the School Board on May 31, 2011, was shared for consultation with the Special Education Advisory Committee on June 8th. The plan was approved by the Limestone District School Board on June 15, 2011 and will be posted on the Educational Services Department and public areas of the Limestone District School Board web-site. It will be available in every school to be shared with School Councils.
BARRIER-FREE ACCESSIBILITY PROJECTS
TRANSITION TO SCHOOL PROFILE
GOALS - STATUS OF 2010 - 2011 GOALS AND GOALS 2011 - 2012
SAMPLE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST REPORT
SAMPLE REQUEST FOR RENOVATION
ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATION SURVEY BY FAMILY OF SCHOOLS
OVERVIEW OF SCHOOLS REQUIRING ACCESSIBILITY UPGRADES
ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATION STATUS REPORT BY FAMILY OF SCHOOLS
CONSULTATION FEEDBACK INFORMATION STATUS REPORT
IN-SERVICE AND COMMUNICATION INFORMATION
CUSTOMER SERVICE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE DRAFT
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