Planning Accessible Meetings (Disability Issues)

As the  2007–08  federation  year  gets  into  full swing, both the provincial office and ETFO locals will begin planning and holding numerous conferences and meetings. But will these events be fully inclusive and accessible for  ETFO’s members living and working with a disability?

As members who self-identify as persons with a disability become more involved in our organization, it is important to take issues surrounding  workplace  accommodations   and   overall accessibility into consideration. No longer is it acceptable to hold a meeting in a venue where members  using wheelchairs or scooters have to be carried up several flights of stairs. Moreover, simply installing a ramp to the front door does not make a venue accessible if the door frame is too narrow or the door isn’t equipped with an automatic opener.

How do our members determine whether their venue and/or meeting room is accessible, and if the venue and/or meeting room is thought to be inaccessible, what measures need to be put in place?

One way to answer these questions is to obtain a  copy  of  ETFO’s  new  protocol  on  planning accessible meetings, Access Without Borders: Planing Accessible Meetings in the Local. This document, along with the supplementary brochure, provides organizers with explicit strategies and recommendations on how to plan and conduct an inclusive and accessible meeting.

The  structure  of  the  protocol  is  framed  by three central questions:

• Can the member enter the meeting space?
• Can the member navigate the meeting space?
• Can the member fully participate in the meeting?

The recommendations set out  in the protocol will be put into place in two phases. In the first phase,  organizing  committees will make every attempt to schedule all meetings and events in a venue that meets  basic  accessibility standards (e.g.,  ramps,  automatic  door  openers,  Braille signage, elevators, etc.). Beyond these standards, the onus is on the member to request additional accommodations. The second phase sees a shift from members requesting accommodations to a concept of universal design.

The protocol document also contains a number of appendices, which provide specific information about accessibility, including ETFO’s disability policy; a resource list of local, provincial, and national disability  organizations; an accessibility checklist; a template for creating accessible registration forms; and costs for several key accommodations.

Every local president received a copy of  the protocol  document  and  brochure  at  the  2007 Annual Meeting. As well, those  attending  the 2007 Fall Leaders’ Training learned how to use these documents effectively.

If you would like to obtain a copy of the pro- tocol  document  and  brochure,  please  contact your local  ETFO  office or visit etfo.ca, click on Advocacy and Action> Social Justice and Equity, to download an electronic version of Access Without Borders.