Accessible and Sustainable Procurement

Laurentian University recognizes the importance of ensuring accessible goods and services are readily available to our community. We are committed to helping create environments that remove barriers to individuals living with visible and invisible disabilities by ensuring accessibility is considered for purchases of all sizes.  Through our accessible procurement plan, developed in coordination with on-campus experts, we remain aligned with the needs of the University, as well as the requirements set out by the provincial government.

The province of Ontario promotes inclusivity by requiring that individuals consider accessibility when making purchases.  Developed by the government of Ontario, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is a law that sets out processes for developing and enforcing accessibility standards that identifies, removes, and prevents barriers for people with disabilities. Persons with disabilities and industry representatives have worked with the provincial government in developing accessibility standards for the purchasing of goods, services and facilities – that public sector organizations are required to follow.

In its simplest form, accessible procurement means intentionally considering how to make your purchase usable by the greatest variety of community members. Considerations may include: 

• Mitigating any attributes or characteristics of your procurement that might limit usability for persons with visible or invisible disabilities, or
• Design options to make your purchase usable by the greatest variety of people possible.