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Accessibility Strategic Plan Progress Report: Actions Completed in 2024

1. Improve accessibility of facilities, technology, services and collections 

  1. Accessibility improvements to the Library web site:
    1. Improvements to automated accessibility checking. 
      1. A number of small accessibility improvements, some prompted by the automated tests and some by manual inspection. 
      2. Used an external reviewer to review the accessibility of some pages to identify possible improvements.
  2. Accessibility improvements to instruction sessions by individual librarians:
    1. Modified teaching methods to incorporate more accessible teaching strategies.
    2. Improved accessibility on some course guides.
    3. Undertook a cleanup project to ensure instruction videos had both accompanying audio and text files available.
    4. Improvements in accessibility for PowerPoint and PDF teaching materials.
  3. Improvements to accessibility services:
    1. After creating a new accessible format service in 2023 and making links to the service in Omni, hired an Accessibility Associate position to provide accessible format services. Trained this position to reformat and remediate materials to meet user needs.
    2. Revised accessible format services to improve quality and turnaround time, for example with increased in-house scanning and moving scans to the Accessibility Associate.
    3. Created an accessibility tools collection at the main floor Help Desk, making tools available for circulation and use within the building (e.g. headphones, magnifiers, footstool).
    4. Developed procedures to keep the Accessible Study Rooms cleaner.
  4. Accessibility in Library planning:
    1. Ensured Accessibility was reflected in Library Strategic Planning processes (Roadmaps) and in our new Mission and Values statement.
    2. Completed the first Library Accessibility Strategic Plan.
  5. Improved accessibility of Library processes:
    1. Ensured that accessibility was reflected in all job descriptions and accessibility-related questions were part of the hiring process.
    2. Ensured the Library is meeting accessibility requirements for new signage.
    3. Reformatted the Librarian Annual Activities Report Template to be more accessible.
    4. Supported the acquisition of a book scanner to improve efficiency and accessibility of scanning done in the library.
    5. Incorporated accessibility considerations into Library space updates, including:
    6. “Reading nook” refresh
    7. Office and cubicle reconfigurations (selected)
    8. Mailroom/114 reorganization
    9. Improved emergency wayfinding (painting of exit doors and trim in contrasting colour)
  6. Improvements to processes at the Press to improve accessibility of Press publications and communications, including:
    1. Participated in EBOUND Canada’s Equitable Access to Reading Program to update backlist ebooks with current accessibility features (ongoing).
    2. Developed more robust accessibility metadata for our EPUB editions in response to feedback from EBSCO and other vendors, in collaboration with eBOUND Canada.
    3. Incorporated author instructions for the production of alt text into final manuscript preparation guidelines.
    4. Standardized use of a sans serif font (Calibri) at a larger print size for all author correspondence, including email, publishing guidelines, readers’ reports, contracts, etc.
    5. Adopted practices to ensure accessibility of audio publications (e.g. podcasts), including audio quality and accessible transcripts. 
    6. Adjusted the design of a book cover by enlarging type in a way that maximized readability but did not sacrifice design.
    7. Supported the conversion of our audiobooks into DAISY format in partnership with CNIB.
    8. Refined and documented the process of heading and style tagging in rough manuscripts to make sure that all downstream products (print books, ebooks, audiobooks) can be made accessible.
    9. Tagged non-English words in rough manuscripts to ensure downstream products work well with screen readers and audio transcriptions. 

2. Strengthen our capacity for accessibility work

  1. Development & pilot of an accessible lens toolkit to help Library employees incorporate accessibility into their activities.
  2. Participation of Library employees in various accessibility training sessions & webinars.
  3. Creation of a bi-monthly accessibility newsletter shared with the User Services team.
  4. Onboarding introduction to accessibility for new staff members.
  5. Offered a workshop about screen readers to help Library employees understand this technology.
  6. Licensed SensusAccess for campus site license to remediate documents 

3. Improve our awareness and take direction from our community 

  1. Arranged for a blind grad student to tell an Ontario Evidence Synthesis community of practice about obstacles in scoping review methodologies that has affected her. This involved inviting members of the blind research community.
  2. Hosted meetings of blind members of the Canadian academy to support building a user community. 

4. Build partnerships, advocate and communicate 

  1. Actively participated in the Ontario OCUL ACE Community to help ensure best practices in our alternate format services. 
  2. Submitted books scanned in-house to the Scholars Portal ACE service as community submissions to improve the number of ACE books available for users.
  3. Chaired the Ontario OCUL Collaborative Futures Accessibility Working Group to coordinate removal of accessibility problems in Omni/Alma.
  4. Helped organize the OCUL Accessibility Symposium.
  5. Co-facilitated the CAPAL Digital Accessibility in Academic Libraries community of practice.
  6. Created a web accessibility peer-support network within the OCUL Accessibility Community.
  7. Presented on the accessible lens toolkit at the Guelph Accessibility Conference, 2024.
  8. Communications with Library staff, including all staff meeting presentations on new accessible format services and the 2024 Accessibility Year in Review.
  9. Advocated for accessible goals and prioritization in Library consortia, including OCUL and CRKN.
  10. Published: Weiler, M., Whiting, A., Sajid, W., Dewan, N., & Dutta, T. (2024). Accessibility of national parks and other natural protected areas for people with disabilities: a scoping review of the academic literature. World Leisure Journal, 1-28.
  11. Reported accessibility issues and obstacles to Library vendors, including Omni and Zotero.
  12. Provided feedback on eBOUND Canada’s proposed whole file health certification service, which is intended as a substitute for and extension of Benetech accessibility certification for publishers.  

Page Owner: Joanne Oud

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