Accessibility Plan

Goods and Services

Our commitment: Students, employees, and visitors with disabilities or others who experience barriers to accessibility have equitable access to goods and services provided by Dalhousie University.

Recommendations

3.1

 Develop and regularly audit comprehensive customer service accessibility standards and associated guidelines that are:
  • Informed by existing gaps between the standard and the current state of existing customer services spaces
  • Aligned with CSA B651 and the newly established provincial built environment standards and guidelines for new construction and renovation of customer service spaces
  • Monitored and evaluated, with appropriate mechanisms, resourcing and staffing in place

3.2

Ensure all customer service spaces meet accessibility standards by identifying short-term and long-term renovations that are required

3.3

Develop a multi-year budget and annual allocation process for accessible goods and services initiatives, identifying potential funding mechanisms for physical space improvements of current customer service spaces to meet the accessibility standard

3.4

Collaborate with government to develop a provincial customer service training module, specific to accessibility and consisting of post-secondary institution representatives and the Nova Scotia Accessibility Directorate 

3.5

Complementing the provincial module, develop an accessible customer/client service training module customized for Dalhousie 

3.6

Provide training for procurement teams on the relevance of accessibility to their work - map out the stages of the procurement process and identify relevant decision points for accessibility consideration

3.7

Designate a specific unit(s) in Dal governance structure to execute training

3.8

Collect current customer service space accessibility information by mining data from existing assessment surveys and begin collecting other data not previously collected

3.9

 Develop a University Accessibility Procurement Guide and regularly audit comprehensive procurement accessibility standards for Dal that are:
  • Accessible to all users, in addition to Procurement Office staff
  • Based on best practices that are communicated through the purchase application process (forms) and RFPs
  • Aligned with the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act and revised to ensure compliance
  • Managed through Dalhousie staff members who are responsible for updating and overseeing tools for record-keeping, monitoring compliance, and evaluating the progress on accessible procurement practices