Accessibility project roadmap

The following projects are currently underway at Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) to ensure that accessible services are available in all parts of the organization.

These projects are being monitored by the accessibility advisory committee to ensure compliance with Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and that accessibility projects meet LAO’s own goals and directives.

If you have any questions about LAO’s accessibility projects, please contact us at info@lao.on.ca.

Websites and online resources

Project	Project information	Due date
Legal Aid Ontario (legalaid.on.ca) WCAG 2.0 A	All content on the Legal Aid Ontario website published after Januaryn 1, 2012 must conform to the WCAG 2.0 level A guidelines	Completed Dec. 31, 2013
Law Facts (lawfacts.ca) WCAG 2.0 A	All content on LawFacts published after January 1, 2012 must conform to the WCAG 2.0 level A guidelines	Completed Dec. 31, 2013
Legal Aid Ontario Blog (blog.legalaid.on.ca) WCAG 2.0 A	All content on the Legal Aid Ontario Blog must conform to the WCAG 2.0 level A guidelines	Completed Dec. 31, 2013
Family Law Information Program (FLIP) mitigation strategy	The Family Law Information Program, developed prior to January 1, 2012 is exempt from WCAG 2.0 A compliance requirements. Efforts are however being made to migrate FLIP to a fully-accessible web service. Clients wishing to use FLIP in the interium can contact LAO at info@lao.on.ca for alternative service delivery options.	TBA
Updated accessibility page	Publish information on the Legal Aid Ontario website detailing the organization’s commitment, plans and actions (current and historical) towards being fully accessible.	Completed Nov. 21, 2013

Customer service

Project	Project information	Due date
Telephone accessibility	Clients who have a disability can contact Legal Aid Ontario through several accessible methods such as Bell Relay, TTY or through the toll‑free service for assistance in over 300 languages and dialects.	Completed
Consistent services	LAO has a comprehensive Accessible Customer Service policy for providing accessible services and programs consistently province‑wide.	Completed
Accessible materials	Materials are available upon request in accessible formats such as large font, Braille, audio, etc.	Completed

Courthouse and in‑person LAO services

Project	Project information	Due date
In-person service locations	All LAO and leased facilities will be accessible by 2025.	2025
Interpreter services	If you eligible for legal aid services, LAO will provide (and pay for) an interpreter for your meeting with legal aid staff. Contact Legal Aid Ontario toll‑free so staff can make appropriate arrangements.	Completed
Capital initiative funding	Accessibility must be a part of all capital initiatives. LAO is developing a multi‑year strategy for making sure all LAO lease space is fully accessible.	Date to be determined

Capital expenditures

Project	Project information	Due date
Purchases, acquisitions and contracts	All requests for proposals (RFPs) include accessibility requirements or take them into account.	Completed

Human resources

Project	Project information	Due date
Equality in the workplace	Clear processes for employment accommodations are in place.	Completed
Diversity training	All LAO managers and staff must complete training on accessibility employment policies and practices.	November 30, 2013.