OCASI's Accessibility Initiative Request for Proposals (National Accessibility Training Course)

About OCASI

The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants is a registered charity governed by a volunteer board of directors. Formed in 1978, OCASI acts as a collective voice for immigrant-serving agencies and coordinates responses to shared needs and concerns. Its membership comprises more than 246 community-based organizations in the province of Ontario.

About the Accessibility Initiative

The Accessibility Initiative (AI) aims to enhance the knowledge and skills of settlement sector professionals across Canada by building their capacity to serve immigrants and refugees with in/visible disabilities and d/Deaf newcomers using an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, critical disability studies lens.

Project Overview

Informed by a recent national training needs assessment, this training course will equip the settlement sector with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools necessary to advance accessible, inclusive, and equitable services for im/migrants with disabilities and D/deaf people.

• Level 1 will involve redeveloping course content, which will need to be condensed and reframed into four modules from the existing seven-module curriculum.
• Level 2 will include entirely new, action-oriented modules focused on practical, adaptable, and inclusive strategies to improve system navigation and service delivery to im/migrants with disabilities and D/deaf people.

Desired Skills and Competencies

1. A bilingual (French/English) consultant, organization, or team is preferred
2. Curriculum and Instructional Design
   1. Experience and expertise in curriculum development and/or instructional design, particularly with adult learners (popular education models an asset)
   2. Experience and expertise in e-learning and/or distance learning, involving the use of innovative (online and offline) pedagogical methods
3. Equity, Diversity, and Anti-Oppression Knowledge
   1. A strong understanding and awareness of the historical and present-day experiences of Indigenous people in Canada
   2. Thorough understanding of anti-racist/anti-oppressive (ARAO), anti-ableist, and anti-colonial frameworks; anti-Black racism
   3. Strong understanding of race, class, gender, and ability, particularly as they intersect with immigration, refugee status, and precarious status
   4. Familiarity with non-Western understanding of disability
   5. Solid understanding of the specific needs of newcomers with disabilities
4. Accessibility and Legal Frameworks
   1. Thorough understanding of international, national, provincial, and territorial accessibility laws across Canada and their applications (including competing rights, employer/service provider responsibilities, race and disability intersectionality)
5. Lived experience as im/migrant(s) or refugee(s) with in/visible disabilities is asset
6. Research and Evaluation
   1. Experience related to applied research and needs assessments within community-based and/or government-funded projects
   2. Strong consultation background (e-learning and in-person) with ability to
      conduct interviews, focus groups, on/offline
7. Project Management
   1. Strong project management skills (evidenced through successful, on-time/on-budget project completion)
   2. Track record in managing assignments of similar size and scope
8. Sector-Specific Knowledge
   1. Knowledge of im/migrant and refugee-serving sectors across Canada (strengths, needs, gaps, knowledge base)
   2. Knowledge about the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
9. Critical Thinking and Communication Skills
   1. Excellent critical analysis skills (ability to grasp theoretical concepts, problematize oppressive practices, and construct solutions)
   2. Excellent written communication skills; highly organized with an editor’s eye for detail
10. Strong ability to work with and engage multiple stakeholders and manage competing interests with integrity