Barrier Free Manitoba

January 1, 2012 is the deadline for province-wide compliance with Ontario's initial accessible customer service standards. These apply to an estimated 340,0000 groups throughout the province.

This is just the start in Ontario. These standards will be supplemented by additional ones that have already been approved for communications, employment and transportation. Work also continues on standards to cover the indoor and outdoor built environment with new efforts expected in the areas of education and health.

We are pleased to provide a summary overview of Ontario's accessible customer service standards below. While not shown in the summary, the application and compliance deadlines for the standards vary by type and size of organzation. These details are presented in downloadable Word or pdf versions of this summary. You are also invited to review the actual Ontario regulation.

Accessibility Standards for Customer Service

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 / Ontario Reg. 429/07

Policies, Practices and Procedures

All providers of goods and services in Ontario will establish policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of its goods and services to persons with disabilities to ensure that these are provided in a manner that:

• respects the dignity and independence of persons with a disability.
• is the same as for all other customers unless alternative measures are required for the person with a disability to use, obtain or benefit from the goods or services .
• provides them with the same opportunity as others to use, obtain or benefit from the goods or services.
• provides for their use of assistive devices and service animals.
• considers a person's disability when communicating with them.
• provides for the person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person with the cost, if any, of admission of the support person identified in advance.
• requires that a person with a disability be accompanied by a support person if this is required to protect his/her health and safety or the health and safety of others.
• persons with a disability are advised when accessible services are not available due to a temporary disruption, including reason for and expected duration of disruption and alternative services or facilities that are available.
• will establish and make public a process for receiving and responding to feedback about the manner in which it provides goods or services to persons with a disability. 

Training

All providers of goods and services in Ontario will provide training about the provision of its goods and services to persons with disabilities to all staff and others who deal with the public, as well as those who participate in the development of policies, practices and procedures.

Training should include a review of the AODA and the customers service regulation and include instruction about

• how to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disabilities.
• how to interact with persons with a disability using assistive devices or service animals or who are accompanied by a support person.
• what to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing the provider's goods and services.

Training will be provided to each person as soon as is practicable after they are assigned duties and be provided on an ongoing basis to address changes to policies, practices and procedures

Notice of Available Documents

Providers of goods and services will prominently post public notice of the availability of the documentation outlined above. The providers will supply the documents upon request and in an accessible format that takes into account the disability, if any, of the person making the request.