Program

9:00 A.M. - 9:15 A.M.

Refreshments & registration

9:15 A.M. - 9:30 A.M.

Opening remarks

Welcome address from Joy Kirchner, Dean of Libraries, York University

9:30 A.M. - 10:45 A.M.

Keynote

Academic Ableism and Open Access(ibility)

Jay Dolmage Ph.D, Editor, Canadian Journal of Disability Studies Associate Professor of English, University of Waterloo

In this presentation, we will address the ableist attitudes, policies, and practices that are built into higher education. We will also interrogate the minimal and temporary means we have been given to address inequities and provide accessibility, and the cost such an approach has for disabled students and faculty. Finally, we will explore our own ableist biases, apologies and defenses in an effort to build tools for anti-ableist education.

10:45 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.

Break & refreshments

11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

Canadian perspectives on the Marrakesh Treaty: From inception to implementation

Victoria Owen, Information Policy Scholar-Practitioner, University of Toronto

Katya Pereyaslavska, Scholars Portal, Ontario Council of University Libraries

Asako Yoshida, Liaison Librarian Social Science, University of Manitoba

Althea Wheeler, Copyright Strategy Manager, University of Manitoba

This panel will share the story of how the Marrakesh treaty made its way to take its place amongst the WIPO body of copyright treaties, and the affordances it offers for access to published works for the blind, visually impaired and print-disabled community. In addition, panelists from Manitoba and Ontario will share regional Canadian successes, challenges, and opportunities with respect to implementing the Treaty in the context of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

12:00 P.M. 12:45 P.M.

Lunch break (lunch is provided)

12:45 P.M. - 1:15 P.M.

Accessible Copying and Copyright: Section 32 and the Copyright Act Review

Heather Martin, Copyright Officer, Manager, E-Learning and Reserve Services, University of Guelph Library

Copyright concerns often present an obstacle when providing content in accessible formats. Even with a specific Copyright Act exception intended to enable the provision of accessible material to those who need it, there are still restrictions on when, how, and what kinds of copies can be made. This presentation examines the finer points of Section 32 of the Copyright Act, and the ways in which it facilitates (or doesn’t!) accessible copying. It also looks at Canada’s recent Copyright Act review, which provided an opportunity to raise awareness of the problems that Section 32 presents, and to advocate for changes that would remove barriers for persons with disabilities as well as for those who provide accessible services.

1:15 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.

Building Accessibility Infrastructure

Brick by Brick:

Library eResources Accessibility Project (LEAP)

Siobán Linnen, Virtual Reference and Accessibility, Ontario Colleges Library Service

Corinne Abba, AODA Coordinator - Diversity, Equity and Human Rights Services, George Brown College

In 2015, Ontario’s college libraries launched a project to identify a solution that meets and exceeds the AODA requirement for accessible multimedia resources by the January 2020 deadline. In this presentation you will learn about the Library eResources Accessibility Project (LEAP) and the tool that we’re building to support the collaborative assessment of library eresources.

Assessing the Accessible Content Provider Landscape in North America

Andrea Kosavic, Associate Dean Digital Engagement and Strategy, York University Libraries

Meredith Hatton, Manager Access Services and Library Accessibility Services, York University Libraries

This presentation will share the results of a survey distributed across North America to the accessible content provider community in higher education. The intent of the study was to capture the current state of the accessible content provider landscape to glean best practices in the field as well as identify future areas of collaboration and research concentration. Questions posed to the community focused on sources of funding, policies, workflows, technological infrastructure, and publisher relations.

2:30 P.M. - 2:45 P.M.

Break & refreshments

2:45 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.

Student panel: Obtaining accessible content at post-secondary institutions

A panel of student representatives have been invited to speak to their lived experience with obtaining accessible content at post-secondary institutions in Ontario. They will speak to challenges and coping strategies, and will offer suggestions for improving user experience.

3:30 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Takeaways from the discussion and next steps

4:00 P.M.

Closing remarks