Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Plan

The purpose of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (ODA) is to improve opportunities for people with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the province.  To this end, the ODA requires each hospital to prepare an annual accessibility plan; to consult with people with disabilities in the preparation of this plan; and to make the plan public.

This annual plan (2009-2010) was prepared by the Accessibility Working Group of the Manitouwadge General Hospital.  The plan describes achievements of last year’s plan and the measures that the Hospital will take in the coming year.

The Manitouwadge General Hospital will continue its commitment to the continual improvement of access to hospital facilities, policies, programs, practices and services for patients and their family members, staff, health care practitioners, volunteers and members of the community with disabilities; the participation of people with disabilities in the development and review of its annual accessibility plans; and the provision of quality services to all patients and their family members and members of the community with disabilities.

This year, the Accessibility Working Group identified 8 barriers to people with disabilities.  For the coming year, the Working Group recommends elimination of 5 of these barriers.

Aim:
This plan describes: (1) the measures that MGH has taken in the past, and 2) the measures that MGH will take during the next year (2009-2010) to identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities who live, work in or use the hospital.

Objectives
This plan:
I.          Describes the process by which MGH will identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities.
II.         Reviews efforts at MGH to remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities over the past year.
III.       Describes the measures MGH will take in the coming year to identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities.
IV.       Describes how MGH will make this accessibility plan available to the public.

Description of the Manitouwadge General Hospital

Manitouwadge General Hospital is an 18 bed community hospital with both acute and long term care wings. The hospital also hosts various community programs such as North of Superior Counseling Programs, the Thunder Bay District Public Health Unit and others who rent space from the hospital.
 
The MGH was established to serve the health care needs of the residents of Manitouwadge and area and is operated by the Manitouwadge General Hospital Corporation under the authority granted to it by the Province of Ontario.
The hospital’s mission statement states that the MGH is committed to “meeting the changing health care needs of our community with excellence”.  Our vision states:

We are in the business of caring for people and making their lives better.  As a leader in the provision of health care services, we are relentless in our efforts to deliver quality services closer to home, and to seek out new and innovative ways to meet the healthcare needs of the people we serve

The Accessibility Working Group
The Accessibility Working Group was established to identify barriers disabled individuals face in accessing our facility and services and to recommend solutions.  Members from administration, staff and the public will constitute the core working group.  The group is free to invite other members for specific input as needed.

Hospital Commitment to Accessibility Planning

The MGH Board of Directors is committed to meeting the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act  and has adopted the Accessibility Planning Policy.  It states that the MGH Board of Directors is committed to accessibility planning which will include:

1. The continual improvement of access to our facilities, policies, programs, practices and services for patients and their family members, staff, health care practitioners, volunteers and members of the community;
2. The participation of people with disabilities in the development and review of our annual accessibility plans;
3. We are committed to ensuring our by-laws and policies are consistent with the principles of accessibility; and
4. We are committed to the establishment of an Accessibility Working Group at our hospital.

Barrier Removals of the Previous Year
During the past year, one barrier to people with disabilities was removed:
A fire alarm system was installed with a visual emergency notification system for those hearing impaired.
Current Barrier Identification

Review and Monitoring Process
The Accessibility Working Group will meet a minimum of once per year to review the progress.  Any exigent circumstances, which arise, will be dealt with by holding an emergency meeting.
Communication of the Plan
The hospital’s accessibility plan will be available from Administration.  On request, the plan can be made available in alternative formats, such as computer disc in electronic text or in large print.  The plan will be posted on the staff bulletin boards and the public will be advised about the plan through the local media. The plan and updates will be posted on the hospitals web site.