Accessible Horizons - Supporting Employees with Diverse Needs - Creative Tools and Innovative SolutionsPodcast

Welcome to Accessible Horizons, a podcast series about how to build a barrier free and inclusive public service. Join your hosts. Accessibility experts Nadine Charron and Luna Bengio from the Accessibility, Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology AAACT program for a lively discussion and lots of practical tips.

Luna
Welcome to this episode. The second episode of our live webinars and podcast series called Accessible Horizons. And it’s a pleasure to be here with all of you this afternoon. Nadine, you’re going to start us by describing this wonderful boardroom we’re in with all of its accessibility features.

I will remind everyone that this podcast, we’ve attempted to make it as accessible as possible. If you are encountering any accessibility barriers, please put a comment in the chat or let us know via email and we’ll give you all the information on how to reach us. So Nadine, tell us about this boardroom. What is so different? What is what are some of the amenities that we’ve built into this boardroom?

Nadine
So thanks, Luna. And thanks everybody forfor tuning in. So this will be, recorded so that we can show you in a video and also through an audio podcast that will be, online shortly. So, as you know, last week we went we were in one of the closed offices here at 219 Laurier. We are now in the boardroom, as you said, this is the biggest boardroom that we have, and it has quite a few features which are pretty cool.

So I’m going to show, a few of them that you see behind me. So this boardroom is, is great because it has a lot of accessibility features. One of my favourite accessibility features is the lighting. So as you see behind me, there’s a big rectangular box. And in that big rectangular box there is different lights up at the top.

So Luna is going to demonstrate what the light does. And then I’ll demonstrate how I can make all of the lights adjustable within the, the space that’s there.

Luna
So this light that has been removed from its track. Once it’s put back in its track it, it can be activated, but basically it folds. It’s it’s two pieces articulated.

It folds at different angles so that you can project the light wherever it’s needed, and away from people who may be sensitive to the light. Is that correct?

Nadine
Yeah, correct. And it’s so easy to put up and take off. That’s what I’m going to get up and, show you it’s a magnetic track.

Luna
So here you go.

Nadine
So with the magnetic track, I can put the table the way that I want. The other thing that’s really good in this room, and I’m going to demonstrate that.

In the lighting, person in this room is probably really upset with me right now, because I have turned off all of the lights so I can turn on specific lights. I can take them all off. I can also turn off all of the square lights that are there. So in order for the lighting in the video, I’ll go put them back on as we continue to describe some of the different things.

So Luna, I’m going to ask you to talk about the microphones and the audio in this room.

Luna
So we have a number of microphones.They are mobile, they are wireless. And so you can, put them in front of people. People can have them on their fingertips so that they can, participate in the meetings, the way that it’s more convenient for them is that the accurate description?

Nadine
That is an accurate description.

We have more, though, because if you see behind me at the top of the, rectangular lighting fixture, there is a big white box and that big white box is a speaker. Above my head. There’s a sensor, and there is in front of me in the open area where people can actually work, there’s another speaker. So when we’re having meetings in here, I can open up the wall.

So we are sitting right now where a wall should be, and normally that’s where the wall is. We can close it. We can open it to have a bigger space for the wall and for the speakers to carry sound into two different rooms, which is really great. The other, audio feature that we have, and that’s coming and not quite here yet, is the loop system will also be installed in this boardroom making audio and video.

Pretty great. When we’re sitting in the room, if you see behind me as well, there’s two different, screens. One’s bigger and one’s a little bit smaller. Both of them are on remote control stands so they can go up and down, and I can project what I’m doing in a meeting on the main screen, on a smaller screen, and then in the room that is in front of us that you don’t always see, there’s another screen

So I have three different screens for large audiences in this boardroom, which makes it really, really great.

For that. And, that’s what we have. And that’s why this boardroom is so special. The fact that the room can be divided and can be, made bigger makes it a great addition to a bigger teams, smaller teams. And the fact that we can do a lot of team building all at the same time within the room.

Luna
Excellent. It’s a wonderful asset to have, especially because we do have lots of meetings. We are in government after all, and we also, have a number of opportunities to bring in different speakers so that and have different interactive activities. So that’s great. Excellent. So we’re going to move on to the next segment in our webinar today. A demonstration of some of the tools that we have available from the Lending Library at the Accessibility, Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology Program.

Those tools can be made available. The characteristic of the tools that we’re going to show you today is that they can be customized. Why can they be customized? Nadine, how do we create these tools that we’re going to show?

Nadine
So before we show them how, because we make them ourselves.

One of the great things that we have here is a 3D printer.

And there are so many accessibility features and accessibility tools and patterns out there that we can use to create specific tools for different people. Every time somebody comes to us and say, we can’t find anything to help us out, and this is what we want this to look for, our research and development team sort of looks and sees what they can develop and design within a 3D printed environment to customize the tools that somebody would need as adaptive tech.

So, I’m going to hand you one, Luna, and you can talk about this one. And then I will talk about the other one that I have.

Luna
So this part was created with a 3D printer, and it’s designed to help hold the pen. So for someone who may need that in order to be able to write with a pen, it’s it’s fantastic.

And again, it is customized to the individual. And the only limit to this obviously, is the creativity, of our technical analysts and what you can do with a 3D printer. And as we know, 3D printing is is evolving, at the speed of light. So this is a great opportunity. Why is the reason we chose to show you these tools today, Nadine?

Nadine
Besides the fact that they’re cool.

So one of the things that we do a lot of kiosks and these tools are always looked at, by everyone that visits us to see how they can customize something that can’t be bought in the market. They’re super easy to do. And you know how procurement works. You know how we have to wait for different tools when we actually buy something.

This can be made within five, ten, 15 minutes depending on how much 3D printing we’re doing. So that’s why it’s really important. Now you showed one with a pen. Yes. Show another one, Luna, that’s a little bit different. So this one fits differently in my hand. And it gives me, the information to be able to use my whole hand when I want to print.

So again there are three or 4 or 5 different, iterations of this tool. They cost they’re quite cheap. They don’t cost much money to make. And it doesn’t take long. It just takes that creativity. So there’s there’s one more I have in my hand. And, we haven’t talked about this. I am handing to you and you can tell what it’s used for.

Luna
So. Yes. So just to describe it, it’s it’s a rectangle. It’s the size of a credit card I would say. And it has different slot. So this is to guide for example, it could be a signature guide. It could be to guide someone to find a spot on a document, etc… And it’s super useful having used them myself, I know they are great, and the fact that they can be customized means that you you can create them to really, suit the situation that the employee is.

What are their tasks and what do they need to do where they could benefit from a tool like this? And basically our message today is that if we can find creative solutions to adjust, the workplace and and the procedure so that many, many people can hold productive and satisfying jobs in the federal public service and I’m almost tempted to say the sky’s the limit.

It’s not. But definitely, as one of my colleagues would say, if you can breathe, we can find an adaptive solution for you.  what we wanted to talk about to show you today. We have so many of these goodies. We can’t wait to show you more.

Nadine
Before we move on to the next segment, one of the things I want to ask you is a lot of the tools that we show today have to do with a pen.
Yes, we work in a digital environment. We do a lot of this stuff that we do is online. We use teams, we use word, we use a computer. So can you give us an idea of why we would use something that’s so manual?

Luna
Well, you know, definitely the signature guide.If I had had one this week, I was signing some forms that the individual, insisted that had to be physically signed.

And so I would have, instead of following her finger to put my signature, I could have definitely used that that great signature guide. Right.

In terms of using a pen. Well, people use pens all the time. Proof of that is that pens continue to sell in the market. It’s a lucrative business because people write notes, people doodle on their pieces of paper.

So why not make it possible for as many people as possible to use a pen?

Nadine
So last time we talked about an interview, we did an interview that was super simple. And I’m going back to the last podcast, and we did a simulation of an interview that was ideal. It was easy. Now Luna is going to tell us how we’re going to connect it to the last segment, and we’re still going to use that same format and do a little bit of an interview with something different.

Luna
Right, and please remember, this is a bit of a simulation. And what we’re trying to do is demonstrate what can be done. That’s the whole purpose of our podcast is to demonstrate what can be done. So we just talked about these simple tools, 3D printed that enabled individuals to do, whatever they want to do, whatever is important for them in their workplace.

What we’re going to talk about now is a is this a bit of this in the same vein? It’s a little bit out of the ordinary, but it’s definitely something that is used frequently in the federal public service over the years. So I am going to interview you, Nadine. Who is here. She just obtained a position where the main task, her main task is to conduct research into massive volumes of data and web information that is scientific in nature, and that can create some barriers.

So, Nadine, it’s great to have you here. We are going to have this conversation to find ways that we can put you in the best position to do the work that you have to do. We know you have the skills. We know you have the experience. What we need to do is to equip you with the right tools to do that job.

So what in your view are the barriers that you’re facing? Briefly tell us.

Nadine
First of all, I am really happy to be here. So thank you for hiring me. I think my skill set will,work really well with this job. And you talked about all of the massive documents. So in my work and the way that I synthesize information to do an analysis.

And sometimes there’s loads and loads of data in those documents for me. Those websites are not always accessible. So I do have some of the tools on my computer I use, for example, I use ABBYY Finereader when I’m doing,
PDFs. But PDFs are not always set up properly for ABBYY finereader to be able to read. I’ve also found barriers with websites, even though we have WCAG and we have all of those different things to make websites accessible.

They’re not all government websites. There’s sometimes private industry and things like that. And they’re really important because the data that’s there allows me to do a more thorough interview and a more thorough analysis of the documentation. So I don’t know, since it’s my first time in the government, I don’t know what else I could get that would help me do that work and be as productive as possible, because when I’ve access to the documents, I’m quite fast.

This is my skill set. Not having access to that allows me to slow down, not be as productive. So it’s there’s something that you may be able to suggest that’s more creative?

Luna
So we are going to, work to explore different technologies that are going to improve your access to those massive volumes of information. But those technologies are going to require you to learn how to use them. So it’s going to take a little bit of time to become as effective and as as fast as you as you can be. In the meantime, how about we explore the possibility of having an individual, someone who can make those documents accessible instantaneously for you. How about an individual who can maybe, help you navigate through those complex tables and so that you can have the information much faster at your fingertips and you can,  then do your job.

What do you think of that idea? And this could be a temporary solution while you are getting the training and you’re becoming proficient with the adaptive technology.

Nadine
You know, Luna, I didn’t think that was possible.

So I think as a person who really likes to be independent, learning how to use the tools will allow me to be more independent.

But you’re right, it will take me some time. It took me some time to adapt to the ones I have now. Is that a possibility to have a personal attendant and knowing myself, it’s not something I would need full time or all of the time, or for the rest of my career. But what is the possibility? Because I think that would really help me just to navigate as I get started in this position, and that would also allow me to be productive from day one, which,  is what I would like, because I find it’s really difficult for me to think that I’ll be a month waiting for something instead of just hitting the ground running, which is what I’m used to.

Luna
Yes, absolutely. And the objective when we think about accommodation and workplace accommodation is to have the employee, in this case, you, to have you up and running and productive as quickly as possible. And even if that requires a combination of solutions, and I know some people in our audience or people could ask, well, there’s a cost to that. And is that something that we can support as a government of Canada? Well, I can tell you it’s done. It’s been done in many departments. I’m sure there are some of our participants in our live webinar today that I’ve heard of that. So it can be done. And we can remind people that the employer has a duty to provide reasonable accommodation to the point of undue hardship, and cost is for is estimated not vis-a-vis a manager’s budget, but vis-a-vis the Government of Canada.

So it is worth it. It would be so much worth it to give you Nadine three hours, let’s say every couple of days or or four hours every week for somebody to, support you in doing that research and analysis while you are becoming more and more proficient with the technology. It’s a temporary solution, and it’s one that is going to help you achieve your objective much faster.

Nadine
That’s great to know. I like I said, I didn’t think this was something that was possible for me. So I’m really, really happy. And there’s one more thing I’d like to ask you.

For my job, though, you told me at the beginning when I you we were first interviewing, that there’s going to be some travel that I’m going to need to do, to do my analysis and to see what’s going on in different provinces and things like that.

Is that, part and parcel of having an attendant like that that could also travel with me while I go, because what I’ve seen in the past in this kind of job is that there are things that people will give me and show me that are going to be more paperwork that, you know, it’s going to be a little bit more difficult for me.

Is that would that extend to that or is that something different?

Luna
Well, definitely. It’s something that we could look into. So that you are again, the whole idea is to create a level playing field. If a colleague of yours has the same responsibilities and is going to do this job, but is not facing the same barriers you are, we have a responsibility to equip you so that we remove those barriers.

So let’s  continue to explore those solutions to see what is feasible and what would work for you.

Nadine
Thank you so much. And I’ve already given you my passport. So as we continue on this journey, I guess we will update my passport as we go. So thank you,so very much. And I look forward to the work and getting all of the tools I need to do my job.

Luna
Great. Thank you. So to our audience today, as you could see, Nadine and I are playing roles obviously, this is in an ideal situation. Unfortunately, it’s not always that. We encourage employees and managers to build that kind of relation in shape, to build that trust, to use the government, the Canada Workplace Accessibility Passport, to have these conversations.

Nadine
So that will bring our second episode to to a close.

It’s so much fun to be able to do something like this, different and in different communication medium. And if you haven’t seen it, everybody who is here today, you will receive an email from me as soon as this is up and running. It will be available on our website.

It will be available through the different podcasting, platforms and also available on a YouTube as a video. Because we use it a lot of description today, and it’s great to hear it, but sometimes it’s also nice to be able to visualize it in a Youtube video.

Luna
Yes, absolutely. And so with Nadine’s email, you’ll receive a link to the web page. As we said at the beginning, if you have any questions or encountered any accessibility barriers, please feel free to contact the email address that will be on that webpage.

Nadine
I am Nadine

Luna
and I’m Luna and it’s a pleasure to be with you again. Until next time.

Nadine
Bye everyone.

That’s a wrap on this episode of Accessible Horizons. We hope you picked up some practical tips along the way. Thanks for tuning in. Together we are building a more inclusive and barrier free public service. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a rating and review. It helps others discover the podcast. Join us next time for more conversations with your hosts, Nadine Charron and Luna Bengio.