Actions Planned
Accessibility Survey 2023/2024
Each year, the Accessibility Committee conducts a survey, open to all faculty, staff and students, to measure Langara’s progress toward improving the accessibility of our campus and services. The Accessibility Survey was first conducted in November/December 2023 and allowed us to benchmark our current state. A second survey was conducted during the last quarter of 2024.
Below are three documents with key findings from the survey conducted in 2024.
Short version
This version provides a high-level overview of the College community’s awareness of the different types of barriers experienced.
Complete quantitative results
Read through the complete survey results, including the set of questions asked and the data received.
Complete qualitative results
Read through comments and feedback from survey participants on what they feel are barriers around campus.
College Accessibility Processes
- Develop a workflow for receiving, responding to, and actioning barriers identified through the annual survey, feedback mechanisms, and accessibility audits.
- Launch feedback mechanisms.
- Launch annual survey in the fall of 2023.
- Undertake accessibility audits across the College in the fall of 2023.
Built Environment / Facilities
- Facilities has completed a high-level assessment for the Child Development Centre (daycare). Powered door openers will be installed and there are plans to apply for additional funding to improve accessibility.
- Non-accessible door handles and light switches will be replaced with lever door handles and flat panel light switches.
- Installation of wheelchair accessible sinks with motion sensor faucets in the cafeteria and RMT classrooms.
- Installation of automatic door openers in the T Building washrooms.
Teaching and Learning
Promote accessibility and UDL through the continuing work of the UDL working group including learning sessions for members of the Accessibility Committee, to offer regular, college-wide workshops through EdTech and TCDC, and enhance accessibility resources on the Ed Tech and TCDC webpages.
Communications and Marketing
Langara College will take action to ensure that it presents information and communications accessible to persons with disabilities, starting with implementing accessibility solutions to problems already identified, including:
What We Have Found
Although we have identified several accessibility issues with our current Langara communications ecosystem, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the barriers facing persons with disabilities when engaging with communication and information from Langara.
The Langara brand needs updating to eliminate problems related to accessibility that were not considered when the brand guidelines were originally created.
The Langara web presence needs updating to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level AA accessibility standards.
Langara print materials, video, digital signage, social media, and advertising must be updated to meet AA accessibility standards.
Intended Actions
- Identify the accessibility barriers with the college’s communications and marketing ecosystem, using external and internal research and usability testing.
- Identify the cost of implementing American Sign Language (ASL) in digital media communication.
- Revise and expand our Langara brand colour palettes.
- Redesign Langara websites/webpages to ensure they meet The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, level AA.
- Review, streamline, and update information about Langara programs, courses, and services, including reformatting and updating content to plain language.
- Ensure webpages, images, and digital PDFs (portable digital documents) are accessible to any screen reader.
- Optimize web performance as a best practice to ensure accessibility to users without high-speed Internet.
- Ensure our communications and marketing materials are designed and written to support AA accessibility standards.
- Include closed captioning on videos.