Minutes for Meeting 7 of the
Accessible Information and Communications Standards
Development Committee (IC-SDC)

Monday April 7th and Tuesday April 8th, 2008

 89 Chestnut Street,
Toronto, Ontario M5G 1R1

Present 

• Laura Talbot (Chair), Talbotallan Consulting Group
• Kelly MacKenzie, Canadian Hearing Society
• Karen Taylor, Canadian National Institute for the Blind
• Rozalyn Werner-Arce, Community Living Ontario
• Tara Jeji, Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities of Windsor and Essex County
• Diane Wagner,  Learning Disabilities of Ontario
• Sue Morgan, Independent Living Resource Centre of Waterloo Region
• Geoff Eden, (Individual) (Consumer)
• Francine Drouin, Regroupement des Parents et Amis des Enfants Sourds et Malentendants Franco-Ontarien (RESO)
• Dan Shire, IBM Canada
• Robert Pearson, Sun Life Financial
• Doug Jure, Bloor-Yorkville BIA
• Michelle Saunders, Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association
• Martha Johnson, TD Bank/Trust Companies
• Bill Munson, Information Technology Association of Canada for Ontario
• Rt. Rev. George Elliott, The Anglican Diocese of Toronto & Provincial Synod of Ontario
• Lari Langford, Ontario Library Association
• Sherrill McCall, Cambrian College of Applied Arts & Technology
• Don Halpert, Ontario Hospital Association
• Beth Cooper, Ontario Public School Boards Association
• Jeanette Parsons, Council of Ontario Universities
• Mary Reid, City of Ottawa/ Association of Municipalities of Ontario
• Elizabeth Daly, Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMTCO)
• Patricia McDonell, City of Toronto
• Rose Langhout, Ministry of Government Services
• Eileen Mahood, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
• Israel Lyon, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade/Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Stacey Young, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
• Marcia Cummings, Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC)
• Kurt Lynn, Canadian Hard of Hearing Association
• Fran Odette, Springtide Resources
• Nicole Rioux, La Table de concertation provinciale francophone du secteur des besoins speciaux
• Susan Brunet, Individual
• Giuseppina (Pina) D'Intino, Bank of Nova Scotia/ Scotiabank
• Darren Cooper
• Sharlyn Ayotte, T-Base Communications Inc
• Lynn Shaw, University of Western
• Barbara Collier, Augmentative Communications Partnerships Canada
• Mike Murphy, ASAC
• Neita (Dr.) Israelite, York University

Guests

• Patrick Parent, KPMG
• Jutta Treviranus, ATRC, University of Toronto

Support Unit

• Scot Weers, ADO
• Nelly Tion, ADO
• Sheila Mawji, ADO
• David Dilks, Lura Consulting
• Marsha Cheddi, Canadian Standards Association

Format of Committee Minutes and References:

For the purposes of referencing committee documents and items in the minutes, CSA has adopted the reference system used by ISO (International Organization of Standardization):

• N represents documents / presentations; and
• M represents the minute items / sections

IC-SDC Meeting 7 Documents and Presentation Material

ACTION 1:  Support Unit to convene subcommittees to update the draft standard in consideration of the discussions at IC-SDC Meeting 7.

M7.1 Call to Order

• L. Talbot, IC-SDC Chair convened IC-SDC Meeting 7 at 9:30 AM.

M7.2 Housekeeping and Facility Safety

• M. Cheddi reviewed the facility safety and housekeeping procedures with the committee.

M7.3 Opening Remarks

• L. Talbot, IC-SDC Chair welcomed committee members to IC-SDC Meeting 7.  The Chair stated the key objectives of this meeting is to:
  • Introduce committee members
  • Meld the team together
  • Make based progress on the draft standard;
  • Develop a common understanding of the work done to date;
  • Hear a proposal on how to reformat Section 8 of the standard; and
  • To develop a committee work plan for moving forward.
• We will keep a parking lot if issues raised and have discussions on how best to address the issues.
• The Chair reminded committee members of the committee charter (N27R3) which can be updated as we progress
• The Chair thanked committee members who attended the new member orientation
•  The Chair reminded the committee that members are required to continuously seek feedback from their constituents to validate / test the standard and to enrich the work of the committee.

M7.4 Approval of the Agenda

• The Committee approved the draft agenda (N107).

M7.5 Approval of the Minutes to the Last Meeting

• The Committee approved the minutes from IC-SDC Meeting 6 (N102).

M7.6 Review of Action Items from the Last Meeting

• M. Cheddi reviewed action items (N107) from last meeting. 

M7.7 Introductions

• Committee members introduced themselves and provided the following information about themselves: name and affiliation, where they are based, whether an existing or new member, and the single largest factor that motivated you to join the committee.

M7.8 Shared Perspectives for Moving Forward - Part 1

• Committee members shared their thoughts on the work performed to date and potential areas that need to be addressed within the standard. 
• Please Refer to Parking Lot Issues in Annex A

M7.9 IC-SDC Updated Terms of Reference / Rules and Procedures

• S. Weeres from the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario (ADO) reviewed the updated terms of reference and committee rules and procedures (N110)

M7.10 Section by Section Review of Draft Standard

• The committee received an overview discussion of Working Draft 2.0 of the Initial Proposed Information and Communications Standard (A Work in Progress).  During the discussion, members identified opportunities to enhance Working Draft 2.0, including clarification of key definitions, section-by-section revisions and reorganization of the proposed technical requirements.
• The following IC-SDC Members presented sections of the draft standard:
  • Section 6 – Mary Reid
  • Section 7 – Sherrill McCall
  • Section 8 – Jeanette Parsons
  • Section 9 – Diane Wagner
• J. Treviranus presented an alternate approach to Section 8 (N108) for the committee’s consideration which incorporates the following types of communication:
  • Adhoc communication to someone
  • Prepared communication to someone
  • Freeform communication from someone
  • Constrained selection communication from someone
• The committee agreed that a hybrid of the initial section 8 and the proposed section 8 should be developed.

M7.11 KPMG Costing Presentation

• The committee received a presentation from P. Parent of KPMG on his work to develop costing scenarios that are intended to inform the IC-SDC’s work on standards development.
• The committee agreed to revisit how KPMG’s work on costing can best inform the Committee’s work at the next IC-SDC meeting.

M7.12 Shared Perspectives for Moving Forward - Part 2

• Please Refer to Parking Lot Issues in Annex A

M7.13 IC-SDC work plan Review and Update

• Established a Sub-Committee to restructure and revisit the technical requirements in Section 8, drawing on a revised framework proposed by J. Treviranus.
• Established a Sub-Committee to review Section 6 & 7, and to refine definitions for the proposed standard.
• The committee decided to review and update the committee work plan at the next meeting.

M7.14 Communiqué Preparation

• The committee prepared the IC-SDC Meeting 7 Communiqué (N112).

M7.15 Adjournment

• IC-SDC Meeting 7 was adjourned at 4:00 PM. 
• L. Talbot announced her resignation as IC-SDC Chair and thanked the members for their attendance and active participation.

*** Next meeting: June 18th and 19th, 2008 at 89 Chestnut Street ***

Annex A

IC-SDC Feedback on Working Draft 2.0 of Initial Proposed Standard

1. Cross-cutting Issues

• Document represents a structure that looks at how to get information to people. Missing how to get the information back from people (a major gap).
• Need to ensure the standard does not require interpretation on what must be done for obligated organizations to comply.  Requirements need to be clear and measurable.
• Need to consider whether the standard addresses barriers for individuals with intellectual and speech disabilities;
• More thinking is needed on the balance between “setting the bar” (requirements that all or many organizations will have to meet) and individual accommodations.
• Need to consider the “timeliness” of meeting the minimum requirements
• Need to balance the process of specifying individual need versus planning for universal accessibility.

2. Scope and Definition Issues

• Section 3: Scope: the term “use of information” needs a definition.
• The definition for “communication” needs to be expanded to include a more two-way depiction of the flow of information.
• Update definition for “plain language” to better define what this means.
• Need a definition for “intervenor” and who is doing the communicating

3. Section 6 Issues

• Needs to be a cross-reference to the Customer Service standard

Clause 6.4
Needs to clearly address changes in jobs/environment.

Clause 6.5
How do you measure / demonstrate that you have done an adequate job of making something plain language?

4. Section 7 Issues

Still need to determine what items need to be added / deleted and how far to go versus what goes in guidance

Clause 7.1
Need to articulate clearly the right to vote privately

Clause 7.3

• Should also include elementary schools
• What about other agencies besides schools that deliver IC training (e.g., health agencies)
• Replace 2% of curriculum with X%;
• Rewrite clause to be more specific to what students are being taught to produce (review examples from other jurisdictions – e.g., California) – Susan and Jutta to provide examples

It is important to note that a post-secondary (universities and colleges) alternate format committee has been formed to find solutions to accessibility issues related to text books.

5. Section 9 Issues

• Consider “legacy” vs new information as potential information types; and / or further define external and internal types of information
• Add guidance box to ensure harmonization with compliance timelines in CS standard
• Ensure alignment with Employment Standard for internal communications by organizations.

6. Editorial Clarification Issues for Consideration

Clause 6.4:

• add training for new IT environments
• add contractors to employees and volunteers

Section 7 – Guidance on Voting

• Don’t mention names of organizations
• Update language so that individuals with disabilities are not referred to as “them…their, etc.”

7. Transmittal Letter

• Need for appropriate supports (for people with disabilities)
• Need for financial resources to assist municipalities with the delivery of alternative formats (currently costs for print documents are charged to the consumer)
• Support for agencies that have few resources around accommodation
• Need for funding resources for education for children with disabilities

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