Accessibility plan highlights
To achieve our inclusion and equity goals, we need to make our library fully accessible. This means ensuring disability inclusion and accessibility are key focuses of the goals and actions in our other organizational plans. In this section, we present accessibility-focused strategies for achieving our inclusion and equity goals (from the 2025-2029 Strategic Plan(7 MB)) and actions (from the Framework for Inclusion(99 KB)). These strategies are organized under the following four high-level accessibility goals.
Goal 1: Meaningful connections
Foster meaningful connections with the disability community by utilizing accessible engagement strategies to understand and address the complex needs of all community members.
- Engage the disability community
- Foster connections with the disability community
- Partner with disability-serving organizations
- Expand staff capacity to support disabled community members
- Gather input from people with disabilities on our gathering spaces
- Explore frequently accessed supports from the disability community
Goal two: Spaces and services
Ensure that all library spaces and services are inclusive, accessible, and provide equitable access for all community members.
- Focus on equitable access to library materials for all ages
- Ensure new messaging in programs and services is delivered in an accessible way
- Screen all external materials and resources for accessibility
- Include accessibility features when communicating about programs and services
- Get input from staff with disabilities on our programs
- Include accessibility considerations for new program criteria
Goal 3: Amplify representation
Amplify disability representation, including intersectional perspectives, throughout library spaces, services, and programs.
- Reflect, engage, and uplift people with disabilities
- Cultivate an organizational culture that
- prioritizes accessibility
- Showcase Indigenous authors with disabilities
- Showcase the lived experiences of staff with disabilities
- Ensure equitable access to work and volunteer experiences
Goal 4: Embed accessibility
Embed accessibility into the library’s governance structures, operations, and workplace culture, fostering proactive capacity building and a clear focus on accessibility and disability inclusion.
- Train trustees on accessibility
- Create a process for documenting and reviewing the accessibility of board meetings
- Ask board members about the accessibility of their experience
- Include lived experience of disability in the Library Board Skills Matrix
- Assess the accessibility of the trustee recruitment process
- Embed accessibility into our policy and decision-making framework
- Train leaders in accessibility
- Create a coaching and accountability process for leaders that considers accessibility Include disability-specific dates in our special dates calendar
- Train staff in disability inclusive language
- Train staff on anti-ableism
- Ensure staff with disabilities have equitable access to development opportunities
- Create an event planning process that considers accessibility
- Ensure staff always have the option to disclose disability
- Communicate the accessibility features of our recruitment, hiring, and accommodations processes
- Remain up to date on best practices for accessible recruitment and hiring Include questions on disability disclosure and barriers in our employee survey
- Create a sensory-friendly space for staff
- Collect staff feedback on the accessibility of our HR practices
- Add questions about barriers to our exit interviews
- Embed principles of accessibility into our framework for operational processes, procedures, and decision-making
- Develop a security/incident response plan that considers accessibility
- Ensure we communicate progress updates back to the disability community
We want to hear from you! Email us at accessibility-feedback@nvcl.ca.