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Request for Proposals
Toolkit Developer
To develop a National, Bilingual Toolkit for OCASI’s Accessibility Initiative (AI)
Deadline for Receipt of Submissions: Tuesday, August 31st, 2021, by 5 PM
OCASI invites qualified individuals/organizations/companies to submit a proposal for a contract to develop a national and bilingual toolkit for the Accessibility Initiative.
Organization Profile
The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants - OCASI is a registered charity governed by a volunteer board of directors. OCASI was formed in 1978 to act as a collective voice for immigrant-serving agencies and to coordinate responses to shared needs and concerns. Its membership comprises more than 220 community-based organizations in the province of Ontario.
Project Overview
The Accessibility Initiative (AI) is a national bilingual project that aims to enhance the knowledge and skills of the immigrant and refugee serving sector so that they are better equipped to serve newcomers with in/visible disabilities and Deaf newcomers, using an anti-racist, anti-oppressive and critical disability studies lens. A range of online professional development activities, tools, and resources are available to assist organizations serving newcomers in creating accessible and inclusive spaces for all newcomers. Also addressed is the need for agencies to comply with national, regional laws and legislations related to accessibility, while providing effective settlement services to newcomers with disabilities.
Project Purpose
The purpose of the project is to develop an Accessibility Toolkit that will be used by immigrant and refugee serving sector staff and volunteers across Canada.
Currently, there is a Toolkit which was developed some time ago, with an Ontario focus, as our project was provincial at the time. It served as a valuable resource to the sector who served both Francophone and/or Anglophone newcomers with in/visible disabilities and Deaf newcomers to enhance their knowledge and capacity in service delivery by equipping them with appropriate tools and best practices, using critical frameworks of analysis. In 2020, our project went national, which means we now have a need to expand our Toolkit to be relevant to a national audience. Thus, the toolkit needs to be re-developed to;
- Meet and/or exceed Accessible Canada Act (ACA) requirements, as a digital document
- Highlight the requirements of the ACA, as well as various provincial and territorial legislation
- Highlight national stories of newcomers with in/visible disabilities and/or their experiences navigating services
- Creation of national toolkit in both French and English, with the lived realities of Francophone minority communities across Canada highlighted
- Provide relevant tips and best practices from across Canada
The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals for the development of the AI Toolkit to reflect these listed criteria, as well as any other relevant criteria.
The scope of the project includes both the development and the design of the Toolkit.
The contractor will:
❏ Peruse other toolkits for the AI project to use relevant content and/or concept
❏ Do an environmental scan across Canada to identify any other toolkits that might exist, with a similar demographic highlighted
❏ Help identify and conduct interviews with folks with lived experience across Canada to develop digital stories for the toolkit
❏ Work collaboratively with AI Staff to develop and design the toolkit. Feedback will be solicited from the National Accessibility Advisory Committee and OCASI staff at various stages of the process, and incorporated into the development process
Timeline
❏ Submissions Due - Tuesday, August 31st, 2021
❏ Agreement Signed – Friday, September 17th, 2021
❏ Work Completion – Monday, January 31st, 2022
Budget
A total budget will not exceed CAD $8,000.00 (which includes HST and other costs)
Selection Criteria
❏ Experience and expertise in toolkit development and/or other relevant or similar types of resources
❏ Be able to demonstrate a decent knowledge of digital accessibility features and/or a strong digital accessibility acumen
❏ Experience developing content related to inclusivity for folks with intersecting identities (i.e. folks with disabilities, LGBTQ+, women, racialized, etc.)
❏ Knowledge and experience ensuring online resources meet and/or exceed Accessible Canada Act (ACA) requirements and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
❏ Project management skills, as evidenced through successful, on-time/on-budget completion of comparable projects
❏ Application’s history and track record managing assignments of a similar size and scope
❏ Consistency between proposed work-plan, timeframe, and budget
Proposal
The proposal should not exceed 6 pages and should include a résumé that outlines relevant qualifications, skill set and professional experience(s). In addition, the proposal should include, but not limited to, the following:
❏ Overview of the applicant’s understanding of the scope and requirements of the project
❏ A work plan that takes into account the deliverables and implementation timelines
❏ A brief description of how the applicant plans to work with the OCASI staff
❏ Examples of prior work similar to this type of project
❏ 2 References related to comparable projects
We thank all applications, however, only shortlisted individuals/organizations/companies will be contacted.
Please submit your applications by Tuesday, August 31st, 2021, at 5 PM EST
OCASI Hiring Committee – AI RFP
- E-mail: access@ocasi.org
- Please put the following in the subject line: AI Toolkit Developer RFP
- Please direct all questions to the email address listed above, no later than Friday, August 27th, 2021
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