AccessAbility Advantage Projects

Sample Accessibility Projects

What's the advantage of AccessAbility Advantage consulting services? Unparalleled AODA and accessibility experience and expertise. Our hands-on approach to project management means you'll have the support and expertise you need throughout the life of the project.

Read about some of our projects.

Accessibility Case Studies

This case study shows how AccessAbility Advantage applies its in-depth understanding of the new AODA standards to develop customized solutions to meet the specific needs of your organization. Read case study.

We like sharing our stories and we have a lot of them. Call us for more information, and in the meantime, see what our clients have to say.

Sample Projects

Facility Accessibility Audit and Design

YMCA

AccessAbility Advantage’s audit and architectural teams worked together to streamline an audit and re-design of the YMCA’s five large recreational facilities in the GTA. Working closely with the client, we identified accessibility improvements and prepared tender documents for the purpose of obtaining accurate quotes to complete the upgrades. The design and quotes were used in an application for funding to the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Enabling Accessibility Fund.  

Facility Accessibility Audit

Royal Bank Plaza, Toronto (Oxford Properties Group)

A team of AccessAbility Advantage auditors evaluated the public spaces of the landmark Royal Bank Plaza for accessibility against the proposed AODA  Built Environment Standard. AccessAbility Advantage's report summarizes recommendations by priority and outlines key factors to plan for as improvements are made. Oxford Properties Group is committed to accessibility and will implement changes going forward. This approach will ensure they maximize the value of their investment and retain their high profile reputation.

Accessible Customer Service Train-The-Trainer Course

Winners

AccessAbility Advantage delivered a customized Accessible Customer Service Train-The-Trainer course to the Winners internal training team. The 2-day course has provided Winners with the knowledge they need to comply with the AODA, Customer Service Standard. Their team will go ahead with developing policies, procedures and practices, and integrate accessibility into the current internal training programs.

 

Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (FMC)

AccessAbility Advantage provided FMC with an Accessible Customer Service Train-The-Trainer course, customized for lawyers. The course focused on experiential activities and the practical application of the Customer Service Standards. The lawyers found the conversations "eye-opening" as they gained a new perspective on the attitudinal barriers faced by people with disabilities.

Accessible Customer Service Training and Audit

Lorne Park Dental Associates (small organization)

AccessAbility Advantage provided this small dental office with an in-person training program. The program complied with the requirements of the AODA Customer Service Standard and included discussions about practical approaches to providing accessible services in daily operations. As a small organization not required to document policies and procedures, this dental office will take the learnings from this course and apply them to daily operations. In addition to the training, our accessibility auditors reviewed the space and discussed recommendations for improving accessibility of the built environment with the building owner

Accessible Customer Service Policy Development

Healthcare and Municipal Employees Credit Union (HMECU)

AccessAbility Advantage wrote the AODA Customer Service Policy and related procedures for HMECU. Interviews with key individuals at HMECU enabled AccessAbility Advantage to customize policies to meet the needs of the credit union. Union staff invested several hours and were able to focus on embedding the policy and procedures in their own organization. AccessAbility Advantage will train their Board and Staff shortly.

Accessible Customer Service Policy and Procedure Review

Enbridge

Enbridge’s accessibility committee, comprised of cross-departmental representation, drafted their own AODA Accessible Customer Service Policy and Procedure documents. AccessAbility Advantage met with their team to interview them on their organization and practices and then provided specific recommendations to improve their draft AODA policy and procedure. This review provided Enbridge with practical advice and peace of mind that they were taking an appropriate approach to accessibility.

AODA Compliance Audit

Tarion Warranty Corporation

AccessAbility Advantage audited Tarion's Customer Service policies, procedures, and practices and their public website, employee and customer portals and electronic documents. AccessAbility Advantage's report provides specific direction on how to further improve accessibility and comply with the upcoming AODA Accessible Customer Service and Accessible Information and Communication Standards.

Accessibility Training

Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC)

AccessAbility Advantage is ORC's Accessible Customer Service and Accessible Electronic Documents training provider. New ORC employees and designated team members receive a customized training program that complies with the AODA and integrates ORC's approach to accessibility and their gold-standard policies and procedures.

Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Workshop

Ontario Community Supports Association (OCSA)

OMOD prepared and presented a series of 15 workshops to OCSA member agencies and community partners throughout the Province of Ontario. This program was funded by the Accessibility Directorate under the Enabling Change Initiative. The Accessibility Directorate was so pleased with the organization, content and delivery of this program that they used it as a best practice model.

AODA Customer Service Training Session - Management Level

Ontario Trillium Foundation

AccessAbility Advantage delivered an Accessible Customer Service workshop targeted at the Ontario Trillium Foundation Management Team. By the end of the workshop, managers had been introduced to the AODA, were familiar with the vision of the AODA, understood the principles of the AODA Customer Service Standard, and knew how to communicate with people with various disabilities.

Facility Accessibility Audits

Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC)

AccessAbility Advantage is auditing 115 office buildings and courthouses for the ORC over the next two years. Facilities are located across the province, from Ottawa, to Sarnia to Moosonee. ORC will use the information provided by the audits to plan and budget for accessibility upgrades.

Disability Issues Workshop

Ontario Elementary Teachers Federation

AccessAbility Advantage delivered a disability issues workshop to a 75 person audience for the Ontario Elementary Teachers Federation focusing on sensitivity and awareness towards people with disabilities. The principles of the workshop were consistent with those of the AODA Customer Service Standard.

Developing and Implementing Barrier-Free Design Recommendations

Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC)

In response to the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001, QAL produced guidelines to promote the accessibility of properties owned and leased by the Ontario Government. Scope of work included reviewing existing legislation and best practices, evaluating focus group results and presenting to multiple stakeholder groups. The report included a summary of issues, design recommendations, specifications and diagrams, options and a cost analysis. ORC accepted the recommendations and hired Quadrangle Architects to implement these.

Designing Intelligent Checklists to Simplify Compliance

Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC)

Building on barrier-free design guidelines previously developed for this firm, QAL subsequently created a comprehensive checklist to help ORC improve compliance. The checklist enabled ORC to assess the compliance of its existing locations, ranging from 3,000 to close to 400,000 square feet, to manage costs by prioritizing items that were out of compliance and to develop budgets by providing detailed cost estimates based on previous project experience.

Integrating Universal Access into Daily Operations

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

An audit conducted by Ontario March of Dimes (OMOD) revealed that many indoor and outdoor areas of this first-class health care institution - one of the busiest in North America - had received upgrades in past years that did not meet accessibility standards. With construction an ongoing phenomenon at the Sunnybrook campus, OMOD developed recommendations for decision-makers that allowed them to integrate universal access with their long-term planning and daily operations, thus ensuring that all current and future renovations meet, if not exceed, the AODA standards.

Developing Best Practice Standards in Advance of the AODA

Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS)

Long before the Ontario Government introduced specific standards through the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in June 2005, MCSS contracted with an Ontario March of Dimes partner to identify easy-to-use guidelines for barrier-free design. OMOD anticipated AODA standards by conducting research on an international scale to identify best practices in accessibility. The guidelines referenced the expertise of accessibility consultants and consumer feedback, existing standards in disability-specific organizations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Canadian Standards Association's Accessible Design for the Built Environment.

Managing Construction for Municipal Retrofits

The Town of Markham

Following recommendations from an interior and exterior audit by an external consultant, The Town of Markham hired Quadrangle to undertake complete retrofits at 11 sites, including arenas, community centres, theatres, libraries and civic centres. QAL specified optimal solutions for the universal design upgrades, tendered contracts and oversaw construction.

Boosting Customer Service through Staff Training

The Greater Toronto Hotel Association (GTHA)

Working in conjunction with the GTHA and the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation, OMOD created a training program designed to assist the hotel industry boost its travel market. The program raised the awareness of hotel staff around the special needs of persons with disabilities and transferred practical skills. Resources included a comprehensive instructor's guide, a participant manual, a tool kit of resources and ready-made workshop materials.

Increasing Employment in the Grocery Industry for People with Disabilities

Canadian Food Industry Council (CFIC)

OMOD, in partnership with the CFIC, applied for and received short-term funding from the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) to successfully increase employment for people with disabilities within Ontario's retail grocery sector. The partners conducted a far-reaching needs analysis with employers, developed training material to improve candidates' skills specific to the industry, coached the grocery industry on how to meet MCSS contract requirements and fostered relationships with corporate decision-makers and grocery store managers to facilitate staff placement and retention.

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Case Study

Large Urban Hospital Lifts Itself Out of the Weeds

The client

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a general hospital in north-central Toronto, Ontario, comprising 21 buildings, some on the venerable side.

The challenge

Sunnybrook's accessibility committee needed big-picture focus. Many buildings had been designed to code, which is not good enough for a health care facility with specialized needs, and construction projects had not fully addressed the new accessibility standards. Accessibility upgrades were being completed on a "squeaky wheel" basis: an exit that lacked a proper slope ramp, a washroom that wasn't accessible, a way-finding sign that needed improvement. Without a plan that set priorities and managed resources, Sunnybrook found itself putting out fires…and falling behind.

Why Sunnybrook hired the Ontario March of Dimes (OMOD)

The accessibility committee called a time out. It researched its options and hired the Ontario March of Dimes based on the OMOD's reputation, expertise with people with disabilities, and project track record. OMOD experts conducted a thorough audit, detailed the deficiencies, and set out a roadmap that could be implemented over time. The report highlighted priorities, gave the committee the influence it needed to get things done in the right way at the right time, and provided the hospital with the assurance it needed that compliance was within sight.

The result

Sunnybrook calls the audit a cornerstone to renewal. One positive surprise: some of the buildings were more in compliance than anyone had realized. Other wins included:

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