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Accessibility in North Huron

Accessibility Disclaimer

The Township of North Huron is committed to responding to the accessibility needs of the community. This commitment extends to our website. The Township's website has been designed to be WCAG 2.0 level AA compliant and meets the Province of Ontario's Accessible Information and Communications Standards (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005).

Whenever possible, documents (PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint) are posted to the website as accessible documents. An ongoing effort is being made to make historical documents available and compliant with the standard, although there are some limits in our ability to do so.

The Township recognizes situations where it is not practicable or possible to present content in an accessible format. In these cases, best efforts are used to provide citizens an accessible alternative or assistance in acquiring the information they need. Should you need assistance in obtaining an accessible alternative for non accessible content, contact the Township of North Huron by dialing 519-357-3550, or emailing info@northhuron.ca.

Examples of such exceptions include:

Mapping or GIS data
Engineering drawings or complex technical data
Legacy applications or data that cannot be updated with reasonable effort/expense
Vendor web applications where the Township was unable to negotiate contractual obligation to maintain accessiblity
Presentation content where rendering accessibility would hinder the ability to achieve its intended purpose
Content that cannot be rendered accessible without significant impact
Excel documents i.e. financial information

The inclusion of everyone in all aspects of the community is important. Accessibility Ontario has created an Accessible Event Planning Guide that provides information on no-cost and low-cost actions that can help reduce barriers for people with disabilities and make all types of events more inclusive. If you are planning an event be sure to check out this guide.

We welcome your feedback on North Huron's accessibility initiatives.

Standards for External Contributors

In order to maintain its accessibility standards, the Township expects all content provided by external contributors to be delivered in compliance with the WCAG 2.0 Level A and the Province of Ontario's Accessible Information and Communications Standard.

The Township will accept no responsibility for converting non accessible content provided by external contributors, train external contributors on accessibility or incur costs related to acquiring tools required to meet the requirement.

Integrated Accessibility Standards Policy

Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), all public and private sector organizations must meet the requirements of accessibility standards established by regulation. With the adoption of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Policy, the Township of North Huron can ensure its commitment to equal access and participation for people with disabilities and be aligned with the requirements as mandated under the Integrated Accessibility Standards (Ontario Regulation 191/11 and Ontario Regulation 413/12).

Background

The Province of Ontario enacted the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) on June 13, 2005.

The AODA focuses on improving accessibility in areas such as buildings, public spaces, employment, customer service, communications and transportation.

The AODA includes:

Development of mandatory standards to address the full range of disabilities and barriers
Introduction of timelines to ensure that the standards are implemented
Allowance for the standards to be incorporated in business and capital planning cycles to help manage the cost impact
Development and implementation of an enforcement tool to ensure compliance with the AODA

The Ministry of Community and Social Services is currently developing standards for the areas identified in the AODA. The proposed standards are intended to make it possible for persons with disabilities to participate fully in the social and economic life of our community and throughout the province.

Accessibility Plan and Accessibility Compliance Reports

Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) North Huron is required to plan and implement a multi-year accessibility plan. North Huron is a member of the Huron County Accessibility Advisory Committee and has adopted Huron County's Accessibility Plan.

The Annual Accessibility Project Status Update is available here.

North Huron is responsible for filing a bi-annual Accessibility Compliance Report with the Provincial Government. North Huron's 2023 accessibility compliance report is available here. Other accessibility compliance reports for North Huron are available to the Public on request by contacting the Clerk's Department.