Accessibility Plan 2020-2025

Summary of the Objectives

The following is a summary of the objectives as recommended by the Accessibility Committee and endorsed by the appropriate departments at Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre (SLMHC).

Some of the key areas of focus are as follows:

Employment includes building community partnerships, targeted recruitment and job accommodation including emergency plans for staff with disabilities.

Information and Communication focusing on accessible pdf documents, maximizing plain language in all communication materials, clear accessibility and editorial guidelines for communication materials, and inclusion of persons with disabilities in SLMHC’s educational and promotional videos/materials.

Customer Service Training with a focus on the AODA Regulations, professional development / targeted training and education opportunities.

Physical Environment taking into consideration accessibility related designs, procurement of goods, accessible washrooms, parking and sidewalks upgrades and wayfinding.

Each objective identified in the five-year work plan has specific project targets, timelines and identification of the departments responsible to meet those targets.

Overview of Plan

SLMHC Mission, Vision, and Values

The SLMHC Mission

Caring for people, Embracing Diversity, Respecting Different Pathways to Health

The SLMHC Vision

We will be a Centre of Excellence in First Nations and northern health care by working together to improve the health status of individuals, families and communities now and for generations to come.

The SLMHC Values

We value compassion, respect, quality and teamwork.

Why Accessible Health Care is Important

With one (1) in seven (7) individual living with a disability, it is important that our services, products and environment are accessible. Using the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA 2005) as our main tool, SLMHC is not only committing resources to meet the regulation, but is always looking for ways to meet excellence every time. In doing so, we want to ensure that our patients or residents with disabilities are discharged, or returned home, with confidence that they received the best of services and accommodation from the SLMHC.

Communication of the Plan

As required by law, the plan is available on both the internal and external SLMHC websites. Members of the community, staff and volunteers are provided with a glimpse of what is happening within SLMHC with regards to accessibility. This plan is a living document, and will be updated on a regular basis.

Barrier Identification Methodologies

One of the most efficient ways for SLMHC to become aware of the presence of barriers is through the eyes of staff, volunteers, patients, and residents. As they make their way around SLMHC, they become aware of barriers through personal observations and experiences. Therefore, upon receipt of these concerns, the staff at SLMHC is able to either address them if the issue is within their control, or refer them to the appropriate department by creating a RiskPro incident report.

Secondly, the Quality and Safety Department and Patient Experience Department share patient feedback with the Accessibility Committee. These offices are often made aware of the presence of barriers as patients, residents, family members, or the general public will contact them to express their concern(s). While most of the concerns are shared by phone, they may also be shared by email, letter, in person, or through an interpreter/Wiichi’iwewin worker. The concerns are then triaged to the appropriate person or department depending on the nature of the concern(s) in order to address the issue.

Continuous accessibility audits are another mechanism that will be employed by SLMHC. It is through community partnerships that SLMHC will engage with the community to understand their needs and expectations and be able to collect their feedback. Any feedback or recommendations will be used by SLMHC for planning and prioritizing projects to increase accessibility throughout our facilities.

Review and Monitoring of Plan

In order to ensure that the plan is closely monitored and measured against its deliverables, a quarterly and annual report is provided at the regular meetings of the Accessibility Committee. Committee members will then have an opportunity to request additional information if needed, and provide comments and suggestions.

Five-Year Accessibility Plan (2020-2025)

ALC Grouping

Key Deliverables	Activities	Dept. Responsible	Timeline	Deadline
Ensure barriers are removed so that activities of daily living are delivered to residents in our care in a way that promotes independence and a sense of normalcy.	Continuously identify and move inpatients to ALC end who would benefit from the co-hort. Create wayfinding signage. Promote consistent staffing model. Promote congregate dining.	LTC Administrator	Immediately and ongoing as planning unfolds.	Ongoing

New Provincial Health Care Accessibility Standards

Key Deliverables	Activities	Dept. Responsible	Timeline	Deadline
Participate in Health Care Standard Development Committee as required by the Minister’s Office.	Attend meetings as scheduled. Promote standards development with hospital lens.	Accessibility Chair	Ongoing	Ongoing
Share updates to senior team as appropriate and/or when requested.	Add items to Director update meetings as they occur.	Accessibility Chair	Ongoing	Every Monday
Prepare SLMHC for implementation of new standards.	Revise and create policies as per Ministry’s directives.	Accessibility Chair	Once approved and made law by Ministry of Health.	Pending approval.

Employment

Key Deliverables	Activities	Dept. Responsible	Timeline	Deadline
SLMHC will align current strategic objectives with elements of the Accessibility Plan.	Strategic Plan Review	Senior Team	Every five years	2023
Community Partners – Develop partnerships with community organizations that support persons with disabilities in job searches: Community Living Seven Generations Confederation College Lakehead University Sioux North High School Volunteers	Facilitate learners from 2 high schools through co-op placement. Engage with Community Living Lead to discuss employment/volunteer opportunities at SLMHC Re-establish connections with Seven Generations, Lakehead and Confederation College. Continue work with PSW program support for Confederation College.	Manager, HR	Ongoing	October 30/2021 and annually
Recruitment – increase knowledge of leaders regarding the hiring of persons with disabilities	LDI Education Session	Manager, HR	Immediate and ongoing	December 2021
Employment – encourage staff with disabilities to request accommodation when needed.	Policy update Checklist Yearly reviews	Occupational Health	Immediate and ongoing	Ongoing

Emergency Plan

Key Deliverables	Activities	Dept. Responsible	Timeline	Deadline
Review SLMHC Corporate Emergency Response Plan (ERP) and ensure all ERP information is available in accessible format.	Review plan	Accessibility Committee and Communications	Q4 2020/2021	September 2021
Employees requiring an Emergency Accessibility Plan for evacuation will have one.	Promote the use of emergency plans focusing on new hire, return-to-work, and re-deployments within the organization.	Occupational health /HR	Q42020/2021	September 2021

Staff Health/HR

Key Deliverables	Activities	Dept. Responsible	Timeline	Deadline
Review and track total number of Emergency Accessibility Response Plans.	Create file that would be forwarded to Command table in event of Code Green Consider addition to QIP	Occupational Health/ HR Accessibility Committee	Annually Within 5 Year plan	Sept. 2021 2025

Information and Communication

Key Deliverables	Activities	Dept. Responsible	Timeline	Deadline
Standardized layouts and requirements of various PDF documents intended for the public website and distribution	A guide and process for sharing content on the public website which meets AODA guidelines.A guide and process for sharing content on the public website which meets AODA guidelines. – Will in include a step-by-step guide outline on how to create and distribute PDFs to meet accessibility guidelines. To be shared with all SLMHC staff and available on the Intranet as a tool.	Communications Approval by Accessibility Committee	Present draft “guide” to group by March 2022 Review changes and finalize by April 2022	April 2022
PDFs which are fully accessible and meet AODA guidelines	Review and approve each PDF document publicly shared on the website to ensure it meets/exceeds accessibility guidelines Review and approve each PDF sent digitally to any internal or external audiences	Communications	Ongoing	December 2021
Develop an Accessibly Guide for all staff to refer to when creating communications materials, including but not limited to PDFs, brochures, website content and posters.	Will include step-by-step PDF guide Will provide guidance to ensure all printed and digital material for public use should accommodate the CNIB Clear Print Guideline while respecting SLMHC’s branding. This is an ongoing responsibility under the Communications Department as well as each department manager. Accessibility Guide will be shared with all SLMHC staff and available on Intranet as a tool.	Communications Approval by Accessibility Committee	PDF Guide ready and distributed by April 2022 Accessibility Guide to be drafted afterward and reviewed/finalized in May 2022	June 1 2022
Editorial Guide for all staff to refer to when creating communications materials, which will cover the preferred use of plain language and best practices for communicating to a broad audience while meeting/exceeding accessibility guidelines	Develop guide	Communications	Review draft Editorial Guide with CEO in Spring 2021. Finalize and distribute summer 2021.	In progress
Ensure graphic selections in all communications materials are made with consideration to communicating to a broad audience while meeting/exceeding accessibility guidelines	Create process	Communications	Ongoing	June 2022
Ensure new website has up-to-date wayfinding map in place, in a printable and accessible manner for the online audience.	Create map in single-page easy-to-read format	Communications	In Progress	May 2021

Visibility of Persons with Disabilities

Key Deliverables	Activities	Dept. Responsible	Timeline	Deadline
Increase presence of PWD on the Accessibility Committee	Engage Community Partners to seek out PWD who want to participate	Accessibility Committee	Immediately	Ongoing

Customer Service Training

Key Deliverables	Activities	Dept. Responsible	Timeline	Deadline
AODA Training • As per Section seven (7) of the AODA Regulations, SLMHC is obligated to provide Customer Service training to all staff and volunteers.	• New employees must complete the online training prior to their first day at work. Volunteers complete training prior to being assigned to a department. • Training to be completed yearly	Education Department	Annually	October 31Q1Y
Education Department/HR • Professional development training for Chair (mandatory) and Accessibility Committee Members (encouraged) who then can provide accessibility related training to management team	• Chair to seek out and complete appropriate training, inform members who may be interested • Seek training material and deliver the training that is relevant to staff in a management position. • Possible LDI topic	Chair of Accessibility Committee	Yearly	September 2021

Physical Environment

Key Deliverables	Activities	Dept. Responsible	Timeline	Deadline
SLMHC will develop a new process to identify physical/architectural barriers for persons with disabilities when alterations or additions to the built environment of the hospital are proposed or purchases of structures and furniture for public spaces or meeting areas.	Develop Policy Acquire approved accessibility audit tool	Accessibility Committee	Timeline: Immediately/Ongoing	Q1 2021
Planning is done with accessibility experts	Include in policy • Evaluate opportunity to bring in accessibility experts into the design process for feedback on improving identified areas where there are physical or architectural barriers for persons with disabilities.	Accessibility Committee	Timeline: Immediately	Q1 2021
Accessible Washrooms • Identification of accessible washrooms on all signage throughout facilities.	• Evaluate opportunity to bring in accessibility experts into the design process for feedback on improving our accessibility in our washrooms, including adult changing station(s) and other identified areas where there are physical or architectural barriers for persons with disabilities.	Accessibility Committee	Within this five-year Plan	2025
Parking / Sidewalk • Review accessibility features of sidewalks, parking and exterior of facilities. Will involve annual and ongoing repairs and restoration.	Walk about to assess features	Facilities Service Manager, Chair of Accessibility Committee	Timeline: Annually	September 30
Facilities • Look at adding motion access doors to more departments.	• Ensuring that motion access doors stay open long enough to allow for easy access for persons with disabilities • Evaluate opportunity to add more motion sensor doors	Security & Enterprise Risk Manager	Timeline: Annually	December 31
Wayfinding • Ensure signage is easy to read/interpret, up-to-date and is taking accessibility into consideration	Communication Manager and Patient Experience Director annually review and walkthrough hospital/extended care to update signage with accessibility lens Update as needed.	Communications Manager	Immediately, with goal to see all current signage updated by end of 2021, updated/reviewed annually thereafter.	December 31