Accessibility Hub - Building an
Inclusive and Accessible Community
A Quarterly Report on the Accessibility Hub
Prepared by:
Andrew Ashby – Accessibility Hub Coordinator and Adaptive Technologies Specialist, Adaptive
Technology Centre
For the Operational Review Committee
This document is available in alternate formats, upon request. Please contact us at 613-533-6000 Ext
75734 or by email at accessibility.hub@queensu.ca
December 2013
Background
In February 2013 the Information & Communication Working Group completed an “Environmental
Scan and Gap Analysis” that recommended the creation of an online "hub” that would consolidate
existing information related to issues of accessibility from numerous Queen’s websites. Funding was
allocated to hire Andrew Ashby (Adaptive Technologies Specialist, HCDS) as the Accessibility Hub
Coordinator to consult across the University community to create and maintain a centralized tool that
will inform and guide senior administration, academic and research departments, service units,
faculty, staff and students on issues, services, and support related to accessibility.
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The position is 1.0 May 1 to Aug 31 2013/2014 and 0.25 FTE September 1 2013 to April 30 2014.
The Accessibility Hub (queensu.ca/accessibility) went live on September 6, 2013 and the launch
event was held October 30, 2013. The Accessibility Hub website currently contains 82 pages and
the Coordinator spends approximately between 20-25 hours/week on Hub duties.
Project Engagement
The Queen’s community is very engaged and have provided excellent and ongoing feedback of the Hub.
More individuals and departments are increasingly aware of accessibility and the AODA and their
obligations. Faculty remain the most difficult group to reach. As web accessibility standards come into
effect in 2014, faculty will need to make websites and Moodle courses/content accessible. ITServices is
currently undergoing an audit of Queen’s websites. See Links/Partnerships.
In preparation of the launch of the Accessibility Hub on October 30th, 9000 blue folders were distributed
in to all Queen’s faculty, staff, and targeted distribution to AMS and SGPS. “Ask Andrew!” feedback icon
on the Hub has been well received.
On December 3, 2013, Andrew Ashby received the Francine Arsenault Accessibility Award from the
Independent Living Centre Kingston in recognition of applied principles of independent living in their
personal and community life.
Links/Partnerships
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Established good marketing relations with AMS, SGPS, ITServices, HCDS, Queen’s Learning
Commons, Queen’s University Library, Equity Office, Marketing & Communications, Student
Academic Success Services, Campus Planning and Development, and Human Resources;
Arts and Science Online Continuing and Distance Studies: assisted in developing a method to
design more accessible Moodle courses and content;
Assisted the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science to develop accessible online
engineering programs. Provided knowledge on making mathematical/scientific equations and
complex images accessible;
Currently, ITServices is carrying out an accessibility audit of all websites under the queensu.ca
domain to ensure compliance with Ontario Regulation 191/11, section 14. ITServices will
distribute communications and reports to website owners and they will be directed to the
Accessibility Hub Coordinator for questions and direction on how to achieve Level A/AA
accessibility on noncompliant websites. See Moving Forward.
In May the Queen’s Image Bank held no photos involving accessibility or persons with disabilities.
Worked with Marketing and the University photographer to create hundreds of photos that
address this deficiency.
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Requests
Highlights
The Accessibility Hub and Adaptive Technology Centre Coordinators are currently working together with
Library Systems to create a separate page in RefStats to allow easier computerized tracking of requests.
Since September the Accessibility Hub Coordinator has responded to 21 specific requests ranging from
the simple to very complex. Including:
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Several requests from Queen’s staff for assistance in email, MS Word, PDF, and website
accessibility. Provided solutions in each request to remove accessibility barriers;
Providing further information/clarification of the Integrated Standards Regulation of AODA;
Assisted Queen’s Staff Member find adaptive technology for hearing impaired. Referred to the
Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) and the CHS web store with amplified phones;
Provided clarification on the AODA Customer Service Training;
Assisting a student with a disability find accessible community resources.
Success Examples
The following is a small snapshot of actual requests made to the Accessibility Hub Coordinator which
were resolved.
1. Issue: Received an email from The Disability Services Office (DSO). A visitor who is blind arrived
at their office requesting assistance to get to MacCorry Hall for a meeting and wanted to connect
with others on campus searching for employment. Regrettably, all DSO staff was busy with
student appointments but the note-taking coordinator escorted the visitor to MacCorry Hall and
referred her to Human Resources. The DSO felt this request fell outside their mandate and does
not have the resources to accommodate requests from campus visitors.
Solution: At Homecoming 2013, 16 Accessibility Champions (volunteers recruited from the
Occupational Therapy Program) addressed accessibility issues as they arose at Homecoming. All
Homecoming volunteers received training on how to best interact and communicate with persons
with disabilities. Once the Accessibility Hub Coordinator was made aware of this situation, he
made arrangements for the Accessibility Champions to be available throughout the academic
year – not just Homecoming. The DSO will inform the Hub Coordinator when these situations
arise in their office. The Hub Coordinator will contact Accessibility Champion Volunteers through
text messages and social media. An Accessibility Champion will now respond to such a request
usually within the hour.
2. Issue: Received an email from an Alumni member who had difficulty using an accessible
washroom in the Queen’s Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC) during Homecoming 2013.
Solution: The Coordinator identified and made the situation aware to the the facilities manager,
PPS manager responsible for Area 2 and directed the complaint to Maridee Osolinsky, Planner
with Campus Planning and Development who assists with any built environment accessibility
issues on campus;
3. Issue: A request from the Return to Work and Accommodation Services regarding a faculty
member needing workplace accommodations.
Solution: Identified a Canadian vendor that supplies voice amplification systems that work with
FM Systems.
4. Issue: Questions from parent of a prospective student. Found the Accessibility Hub through
Google. Had questions regarding accommodations, documentation, and financial aid for students
with disabilities.
Solution: I answered many questions then directed the parent to the person in the Disability
Services Office who assists students with learning disabilities. Having found the Hub website and
the useful information they received, Queen’s is now their number one choice to attend!
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Website
Please note: Only two weeks of web stats are available. Websites using the WebPublish 2 (Drupal)
platform are able to use Google Analytics for comprehensive web stats. Google Analytics was not
available until mid-November 2013 and was set-up on the Accessibility Hub on November 22, 2013.
From Nov, 22 to Dec 4, 2013:
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216 Visitors, viewing 696 pages, average length of visit 3:41.
Most popular pages: Home page, AODA, Accessibility Framework, Accessible How-to Info,
Accessible Word Documents, Accessible PowerPoint Presentations, Video Accessibility, Social
Media Accessibility, Website Accessibility, and News.
Social Media
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Accessibility Hub on Twitter @AccessHubQU – 623 Tweets, 142 followers.
YouTube video - Melissa Vassallo on disability - Queen's Accessibility Hub - 292 views
Andrew Ashby on LinkedIn: ca.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-ashby/66/145/497/ - Belong to the group
“AODA -Accessability for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Compliance Networking Group” and
started a conversation around the Toronto Star article: Ontario businesses ignore provincial
accessibility law . To date there has been 16 replies and 15 likes.
Instagram: as the next big player in social media the profile name - accesshubqu was secured
and we have 3 postings and 1 follower.
Moving Forward
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Marketing – Marketing has agreed to provide a link to the Accessibility Hub in the footer of all
Queen’s main pages. ITServices has agreed to look at the possibility of providing a footer link on
all WebPublish pages;
Revisiting the ATC Mandate to include all persons with disabilities not just students. Already the
ATC has provided significant guidance and expertise for workplace accommodations for a Dean
at the university and a faculty member, gave many facility tours to community groups (e.g. H’art
Studio);
In order to provide more specific Accessibility Education, Training Awareness to faculty/staff – the
Coordinator is investigating having an official HR certificate training involving Human Resources,
CTL, ITServices, and the Equity Office.
Taking over Web Standards and Accessibility Development Guide and the Building Accessibility
Guide.
As the web accessibility audits and reports roll out from ITServices, there should be an increase in
requests for assistance for web, document, and video accessibility in 2014. Discuss more on next
quarterly report.
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As identified in “Environmental Scan and Gap Analysis Report” completed by the Information &
Communication Working Group, Queen’s does not closed caption videos in-house. Rather
ITServices outsources closed captioning of videos to a user-pay company. So far in 2013,
ITServices has out-sourced 73 videos. Is it more cost effective to outsource or closed caption inhouse?
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