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Access TMU 2025-2030 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

The Access TMU multi-year accessibility plan is based on four key objectives created in conjunction with the Academic Plan and are underpinned by the principles of the AODA and Access TMU's principles and values.

1. Education and Awareness

  • Improves accessibility competencies of staff, faculty and students.
  • Supports innovation in teaching practices, enriches experiences of inclusion, and improves efficiencies and sustainability by building in accessibility at the start.
  • Increases collaboration and participation in accessibility initiatives – creates champions.

How we will get there:

  • Continue to address perceptions and misconceptions held about people with disabilities.
  • Continue to collaborate with partners on meeting the legal obligations with regard to accessibility and accommodation.
  • Augment the profile of Access TMU continuing to create opportunities to share resources and best practices across the TMU community.
  • Create more collaborative opportunities to engage with TMU Student Life, Tri-mentoring and Access TMU to increase engagement and awareness of students with disabilities.

2. Support Accessibility Competency and Practice

We need to support staff, faculty and students to be knowledgeable accessibility champions. Over the next 5 years we will build upon web based resources currently available on the Access TMU website to the extent that the TMU community:

  • Is informed about what tools and guides exist and where to find them
  • Knows who to contact if they have an accessibility related enquiry or want to report an accessibility barrier
  • Knows how to provide feedback on an accessibility related issue
  • Faculty have the knowledge and tools they need in order to fully support students with disabilities

How we will get there:

Training

  • Engage with Human Resources to migrate AODA training to new learning management system. 
  • Work with EDI Education and Awareness and Outreach team to infuse accessibility training with an overall EDI strategy.

Tools and Resources

  • Continue to provide tools and resources via the Accessibility website to support the development of an intentionally inclusive campus community.

Accessibility Standards

  • Work with Access TMU Built Environment Working Group to create an Accessibility Standards document.

Consultation

  • Work with the Learning and Teaching Spaces Working Group to continue to develop accessibility related supports for faculty.
  • Proactively reach out to campus partners to consult on accessibility best practices.
  • Continue working with the IT Accessibility Working Group to continue discussions around evolving accessibility within TMU’s digital environment.

3. Community Engagement

Two of the key principles underpinning Access TMU’s overall strategy are collaboration and shared responsibility. In addition to external partners, we want to engage as many people as possible within all sectors of the university. We need them to understand why change is necessary and inspire and motivate them to become accessibility champions.

How we will get there:

  • Continue to engage with Council of Ontario Universities (COU) and college partners through Communities of Practice.
  • Further support the community network that supports employees and faculty members (including contract lecturers, librarians and counselors) with disabilities.
  • Expand the Community Student Engagement Group on Accessibility (CSEGA) as part of Access TMU.
  • Host disability and accessibility related events throughout the year, i.e. Wellness Week, International Day for Persons with Disabilities, and AODA related events.
  • Integrate accessibility into the development of TMU’s first ever Equity, diversity and inclusion strategy and action plan (EDI SAP).

4. Compliance and Accountability

Access TMU strives to go beyond simple AODA compliance - being able to say we are AODA compliant does not equal full accessibility and inclusion.

As a large institution, measuring compliance presents a number of challenges. Primary among these is the decentralization of processes, particularly in the area of employment and websites. We must develop strategies to address these challenges

How we will get there:

Update Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

  • Continue to engage with campus partners to augment the objectives of the plan by creating channels of communication and shared responsibility

Accessibility Standards

  • We are currently in the process of developing our own standards of accessibility over and above AODA standards in addition to establishing clear directives around responsibility.

Training

  • Training has been enhanced to include all legal requirements under the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation of the AODA as well as how it relates to the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Establish Baseline Data

  • In order to be able to measure progress, we need to establish baseline data. This will include tracking training and improving the process for tracking and feedback.

Reporting

  • Under the AODA, the university must file a compliance report every two years. During the 2014-2019 Academic Plan period reports will be filed in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2025. In addition, annual reports will be included as part of the overall Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion report.