Accessibility and Our Mission
MJMA is committed to elevating the civic experience through well-designed public spaces that serve as civic, social and recreational pillars of the local community and which reflect the goals and pursuits of all citizens.
It is always our objective to ensure that our projects are accessible to the needs of all users in the community. To deliver on this goal, we strive to collaborate with clients and communities to create spaces that are informed directly by the expressed priorities of those they serve, and which not only meet but exceed accessibility obligations as required by law to provide truly accessible civic spaces.
Compliance
MJMA’s Accessibility Commitment applies to all MJMA employees, contractors, consultants, and other third parties who interact with the public or provide services on behalf of MJMA.
MJMA is committed to excellence in serving all individuals, including people with disabilities, across our organization and our portfolio of projects. As a firm based in Ontario, our accessibility efforts are governed principally by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR), which are intended to reduce and remove barriers for people with disabilities so that Ontario can become more accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Accessibility requirements and best practices in the built environment are informed by building codes, standards, and legislation, which vary by jurisdiction. MJMA is committed to meeting applicable accessibility requirements in our work and to advancing universal and inclusive design principles wherever possible.
Our Accessibility Commitment is intended to align with the existing standards of the AODA and the IASR, including requirements related to:
Customer service
Information and communication
Transportation
Employment
Design of public spaces
For more information about the AODA and accessibility legislation in Ontario, please visit the Government of Ontario’s accessibility website.
Core Tenets
Our organization and work must consider and support the needs of all individuals, including people with disabilities, in everything we do.
We believe our projects play a vitally important role in shaping the experience of accessibility in communities and should support inclusive, accessible, and dignified public life.
Realizing our vision of accessibility at MJMA should be informed by collaboration and partnership with people with disabilities, accessibility experts, and disability communities.
Living out accessibility as a core value is an ongoing journey requiring the commitment of our entire team and continuous improvement.
Our Accessibility Journey and Multi-Year Plan
MJMA is committed to maintaining a safe, dignified, inclusive, and welcoming environment for our clients, employees, collaborators, and communities. To support this commitment, we strive to integrate applicable accessibility requirements, best practices in universal and inclusive design, professional accessibility expertise, and the lived experience of people with disabilities into our policies, procedures, training, services, communications, and operations.
This Multi-Year Accessibility Plan outlines MJMA’s ongoing and planned accessibility initiatives. MJMA will review and update this plan at least once every five years and will provide it in an accessible format upon request.
Ongoing Commitments
Reviewing this Accessibility Commitment and Multi-Year Accessibility Plan on a regular basis
Providing accessibility training to staff, including training related to the AODA, the IASR, the Ontario Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities, and MJMA’s accessibility policies and practices
Engaging and collaborating with accessibility experts, consultants, and community partners, where appropriate
Reviewing MJMA’s website and digital assets for accessibility
Providing or arranging accessible formats and communication supports upon request, in consultation with the person making the request
Integrating accessibility considerations into MJMA’s project work, design processes, and deliverables, as appropriate to each project and jurisdiction
Filing Accessibility Compliance Reports as required by law
Accessibility Plan Initiatives
MJMA’s accessibility plan initiatives include:
Monitoring developments in federal accessibility standards, including the Accessible Canada Act, 2019, where applicable
Monitoring developments in Ontario’s accessibility standards, including the Design of Public Spaces standard
Supporting the advancement of best practices in accessibility, universal design, and inclusive design in the built environment
Reviewing and expanding MJMA’s accessibility-related policies and procedures
Reviewing the accessibility of MJMA’s office environment and identifying opportunities for improvement
Reviewing and expanding employment policies and practices to support the recruitment, retention, and advancement of people with disabilities
Expanding accessibility training to include specialized training in areas such as presentations and public consultations, digital media, accessible communications, and universal and inclusive design
Website Accessibility and Accessible Information
MJMA is committed to making our public website and digital content accessible. We strive to ensure that our website and web content conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA, as required under the AODA, except where exemptions apply.
MJMA will provide or arrange accessible formats and communication supports upon request, in consultation with the person making the request. This includes publicly available information about our services, policies, feedback process, accessibility commitments, and Multi-Year Accessibility Plan.
Feedback Process and Contact Information
MJMA welcomes feedback about our Accessibility Commitment, Multi-Year Accessibility Plan, services, communications, website, and accessibility practices.
Feedback, questions, or requests for accessible formats or communication supports may be directed to:
MJMA will provide or arrange accessible formats and communication supports upon request, in a timely manner and at no additional cost, in consultation with the person making the request. MJMA will ensure that our feedback process is accessible to people with disabilities by providing or arranging accessible formats and communication supports upon request.