About AVTA

In operation since 1990, Assistive Vocational Technology Associates is a partnership between Inge Martin and Monica Ackermann, who, together, have over 25 years experience with job accommodation and assistive technology. Helping to improve student and employee accessibility through accommodations all across Canada, AVTA has worked with the federal, provincial and municipal governments, as well as in academic, legal and private settings.

Inge Martin

Inge is a workplace accommodation specialist. Her specialty areas include; job accommodation, ergonomics, work site evaluation, functional ability evaluation and Life Skills counselling. Inge worked as a consultant to the University of Toronto disAbility Services for almost 10 years assisting students with disabilities develop and implement academic accommodation plans.

Monica Ackermann, P.Eng., MA

Monica is a Professional Systems Design Engineer and member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario. Her specialty areas include; job accommodation, assistive technology, business and home computer applications and specialized computer training. She is a registered Assistive Technology Practitioner and member of RESNA.

Client List

Sector	Company Name
Banking	Royal Bank Bank of Montreal ScotiaBank TD/Canada Trust American Express
Private	Accenture Consumers Gas Union Gas The Toronto Star
Federal Government	Human Resources Development Canada Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Customs and Revenue Agency Public Works & Government Services
Provincial Government	Business Transformation Project Automating Social Assistance Project Ontario Disability Supports Branch Community and Social Services Ministry of the Attorney General
Municipal Government	City of Toronto Social Services City of Thunder Bay Region of Peel City of Owen Sound Region of Muskoka
Ontario Works SDM, CWT & OWT	City of Toronto City of Peterborough City of Thunder Bay Region of Peel Halton Region Ontario Works City of Hamilton
Insurance and Rehabilitation	Cooperators ATF Canada Mutual Life of Canada Sun Life Crawford Adjustors
Other	LinkUp Canadian Paraplegic Association Canadian Hearing Society Neil Squire Foundation
Academic	University of Toronto York University Ontario College of Art and Design Trent University Ryerson University George Brown College
Legal	Lerner and Associates Thomson Rodgers McCarthy Tetrault

Special Projects

Accessibility of the Ontario Works SDM

The Business Transformation Project and Accenture hired AVTA to complete an Accessibility Audit to ensure that the new Service Delivery Model (SDM) software being used by Social Service Agencies across the province was accessible to users of assistive technology.
AVTA specified assistive technology standards to be used with the SDM and works with individual municipalities to accommodate their workers. We have implemented customized Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition solutions for Ontario Works Caseworkers, Eligibility Review Officers and others using the SDM. We will also configure the SDM to work for users with visual impairments or blindness.

Automating Social Assistance Project

AVTA was the accommodations consultant for the Province of Ontario accommodating all employees with disabilities that were required to use a computerized database for the delivery of social services in Ontario (CWT and OW). AVTA completed individual ergonomic and technical accommodations for employees of municipal and provincial offices across Ontario. Caseworker Technology and Ontario Works Technology was also regularly tested by AVTA to ensure accessibility for users of voice recognition, text-to-speech and large print.

City of Toronto

Provision of ongoing technical support to users of assistive technology within the Social Services Division. AVTA has been the primary accessibility consultants to the City of Toronto Social Services since 1999.

City of Toronto

Provision of ongoing technical support to users of assistive technology within the Social Services Division. AVTA has been the primary accessibility consultants to the City of Toronto Social Services since 1999.

Career and Resource Centre (Discoverability)

Pilot project in conjunction with the Bloorview Macmillan Centre and the North York Career Centre. The project spawned what is now known as Discoverability.

Design of An Accessible Computer Lab - Ontario College of Art and Design

The report was commissioned by OCAD to analyze the computer centres at the school and make recommendations on how to make them accessible to students with disabilities.

Link-Up - Employer Advisory Committee

Link-Up - Training Committee