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Applying for the Excellence Canada – Ontario Accessibility Awards

Applying for the Ontario Accessibility Awards

How to apply

To receive the award, you must submit details of your initiatives to improve accessibility to people with disabilities, and how your organization has gone above and beyond compliance with the legislated standards of the AODA.

The deadline to submit your application to awards@peopleaccess.ca is June 30, 2012. For organizations that have met the criteria for the award, there may be a small verification fee of $195 per location to partly recover the cost of a site visit where the adjudicated feel it is required. Awards will be presented in the fall of 2012.

Download the Application Form here.

Any appendices or attachments should be scanned and delivered electronically with your application or delivered/couriered to “Excellence Canada Awards”.

Applications Include:

  • Application of criteria: using the attached template, outline your key actions/methods and achievements by responding to all Awards criteria points, in the order shown.
  • Responding to Awards criteria: use brief key statements (bullet points) that will give evaluators the opportunity to review specifics with examples wherever possible
  • Accessibility Report (Ministry Report): organizations with 20 or more employees must include a copy of the compliance report as required by the Ministry of Community & Social Services – Accessibility Directorate of Ontario, signed by the CEO or President.
  • Size of application: maximum five (5) pages. If you feel it beneficial to the application, you may send attachments (for example, key documents and summaries)
  • Glossary of terms: if acronyms specific to your organization are used in the application, please attach a glossary of such terms
  • Photos: Applicants may provide a few pictures of their facility/facilities

Adjudication Process

  • Applications must be received by June 30, 2012 to qualify.
  • Two evaluators – an Excellence Canada evaluator plus a community accessibility evaluator.
  • Submission review to review key strengths and any gaps, plus any follow up questions for the applicant.
  • Where required by the adjudication team, a short site visit to finalists by an accessibility verifier at a price of $195 per location, to help defer costs associated with verification.
  • Letter to applicant regarding the decision in August.
  • Structured community celebration event to present the award to maximize awareness/publicity.

Please click here to download your application package

Accessibility Awards Program

2012 Submission Package

Program Overview

The Excellence Canada – Ontario Accessibility Awards Program recognizes and congratulates organizations within our community that have shown a commitment to providing excellent accessibility initiatives to accommodate people with disabilities. The Hon. David Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, is the Honorary Patron of this award program.

In addition to meeting the legislated requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, achieving an Excellence Canada – Ontario Accessibility Award is further recognition that the organization is respected within its local community for going above and beyond basic compliance and for providing excellent accommodation for people with disabilities.

The Excellence Canada – Ontario Accessibility Awards Program supports and reinforces the core principles for providing good customer service to people with disabilities, as outlined in the Ontario Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, which are:

  • Goods or services must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
  • The provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities and others must be integrated unless an alternate measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the goods or services.
  • Persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods or services.

In addition, the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation now requires certain criteria be met around employment, information & communications, and transportation.

The Excellence Canada – Ontario Accessibility Award provides an independent, third party verification of the work being done in your organization. Recognition is a powerful tool that helps your organization reinforce positive change. Customers and Suppliers like it. Employees love it.

The award will acknowledge your organization as a role-model in this important social initiative and will motivate others in your community to step up and take positive action.

Recognition of your organization locally will publicize the great work being done and help to attract new customers and employees. And maybe, the best reason is that it is an opportunity to showcase the social consciousness of your visionary organization.

For more information on the Excellence Canada – Ontario Accessibility Awards Program, feel free to call Dave Segal, at 1.800.263.9648 ext. 244 or email Awards@peopleaccess.ca