Extension of reference period for action plan to increase service accessibility for handicapped persons

Under section 61.1 of the Act to secure the handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration, the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale produced annual action plans to increase service accessibility for handicapped persons for 2006 and 2007.

For 2008, the Department has chosen to adjust the period covered by the action plan to the period corresponding to its fiscal year, i.e. April 1, 2008 – March 31, 2009, which would extend the period covered by the 2007 action plan until March 31, 2008.

This adjustment will make it easier to dovetail this annual action plan and Emploi-Québec’s and the Department’s other planning exercises. It will make it possible to have the 2008 action plan reflect the measures the Department selects to help implement the national strategy for the labour market integration and maintenance of handicapped persons. This strategy was also developed under the Act to secure the handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration, which is the responsibility of the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity and with regard to which work is currently under way.

As stipulated in the guide designed to help government departments, public bodies and municipalities produce their annual action plan for handicapped persons, the Department hereby makes public the decision to extend the duration of the 2007 action plan to March 31, 2008 and agrees to produce the action plan on an annual basis after the transitional period. The Department will also send a notice on this subject to the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec.

Pursuit of work carried out under commitments made under 2007 action plan

In the meantime, the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale continues implementing the commitments made in the 2007 action plan, namely:

• produce various information documents on programs and services intended directly for handicapped persons in adapted media;
• make the information websites comply with Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) level 3 (AAA) before the end of 2007;
• make the interactive websites comply with Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) level 1 (A) before the end of 2008 and level 2 (AA) before the end of 2009;
• perform technical analyses making it possible to define a plan for incorporating accessibility standards into intranet sites intended for Department staff;
• gradually continue adapting local employment centre service premises to make them physically accessible for handicapped persons;
• improve handicapped persons’ progress in programs and measures of the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux and other government departments and agencies in order to discern favourable factors and obstacles to job-related transitions as the employability of handicapped persons increases;
• review employment guides and services to include reasonable support measures for participating handicapped persons based on existing provisions;
• update and disseminate the departmental management framework for labour force diversity.