Accessibility

LifeWays’ Accessibility Plan

The LifeWays Accessibility Statement:

LifeWays addresses accessibility issues in order to enhance the quality of life for those served in our programs and services, implement nondiscriminatory employment practices, meet legal and regulatory requirements, and to meet the expectations of stakeholders in the area of accessibility.

The Purpose of LifeWays’ Accessibility Plan:

Promote accessibility and removal of barriers for the persons served, personnel, and other stakeholders that may hinder full and effective participation on an equal basis with others.

Types of Barriers that LifeWays proactively champions:

• Architectural Barriers: Architectural or physical barriers are generally easy to identify and may include steps that prevent access to a building for an individual who uses a wheelchair, narrow doorways that need to be widened, bathrooms that need to be made accessible, the absence of light alarms for individuals who have a hearing impairment, and the absence of signs in Braille for individuals who have visual impairments. These are identified by annual inspections, monthly safety inspections, and observing day-to-day activities.

• Environmental Barriers: Any location or characteristic of the setting that compromises, hinders, or impedes service delivery and the benefits to be gained. Some service sites may be located in areas where the person served and/or personnel do not feel safe or feel that confidentiality may be risked. In addition to such external environmental barriers, internal barriers may include noise level, lack of soundproof counseling rooms, highly trafficked areas used for service delivery, or type or lack of furnishings that impact the comfort level of the persons served and personnel.

• Attitudinal Barriers: May include but are not limited to: terminology and language that the organization uses in its literature or when it communicates with persons with disabilities, other stakeholders, and the public. How persons with disabilities are viewed and treated by the organization, their families, and the community. Whether or not the consumer input is solicited and used. Whether or not the eligibility criteria of the organization screen out individuals with specific types of disabilities.

• Finance Barriers: may include insufficient funding for services.

• Employment Barriers: may include discrimination in employment practices including job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment including recruitment, advertising, tenure, layoff, leave, fringe benefits, and all other employment-related activities.

• Communication Barriers: may include the absence of a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) and the absence of material in a language or format that is understood by the persons served.

• Transportation Barriers: may include persons being unable to reach service locations at all or to participate in the full range of services and other activities.

• Community Integration Barriers: include any barrier that would keep the persons served from returning to full participation in their community of choice.

• Technology Barriers: could include the evolving technology, the upkeep of equipment, assistive technology, and issues more specific to the populations served.

• Other Barriers: may include those raised by evolving technology, upkeep of previous repairs or change, or issues more specific to the populations to whom the organization provides services