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.

Statistics Canada has released data on measuring disability in Canada. This infographic  provides easy to understand information about the data collected by the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability and highlights gender, age, disability type and the percentage of persons with disabilities in Canada. 

Laurentian University is committed to the principles of responsible environmental stewardship through all of the University’s lands, activities, and functions. As an institution of higher learning, Laurentian University has a responsibility and commits itself by its actions to provide leadership and to serve as a role model in actively promoting the preservation of a healthy environment for current and future generations.

In collaboration with Laurentian University Office of Sustainability, the Department of Purchasing and Contract Management will support Laurentian University’s goal of realizing a more sustainable campus by promoting the development and use of environmentally friendly products and services.

The purpose of this guideline is to promote Laurentian University’s accountability for its use of public funds in the acquisition of goods and services within the University’s objectives and mission statement. The University will establish guidelines which all departments are encouraged to adhere to for the acquisition of goods and services. The University will also assist faculties and departments to acquire value-added, appropriate, institutional quality goods and services that meet the immediate and long-term needs for the best overall value with minimum impact on the environment.