Step 4: Environmental Scan

Before diving into the planning process, it is helpful to take a step back and see:

  • What has been done in the past?
  • How have Accessibility Committees worked with your organization previously?
  • What is being done now?
  • Are there existing plans that incorporate much of what will go into your plan? After all, it doesn’t make sense to re-invent the wheel!

The focus of your committee and its plan will determine where to look for these answers. Some examples are:

  • Consider conducting an environmental audit if physical accessibility is a major concern
  • Examine your staff on-boarding and training materials if there are attitudinal barriers
  • Develop a customer experience map of the touchpoints with your services with people with disabilities
  • Conduct a website accessibility audit if online interactions are essential to your service delivery