Section 1.2: System Policies and Procedures

Approved: March 23, 2010

Revised: June 6, 2017 

ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

Procedures 

It is the objective of this policy to require that all reasonable steps be taken to ensure that: 

1.0   The Board will review all policies, practices and procedures on an on-going basis to ensure that they are consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity to all with particular attention for persons with disabilities.    

2.0   The Board will welcome all members of the school and broader community to our facilities by committing our staff and volunteers to providing services that respect the independence and dignity of persons with disabilities.  Such services are to incorporate measures that include but are not limited to the use of assistive devices and service dogs.   

3.0   The Board will provide appropriate training for all staff who deal with the public or other third parties on behalf of the board to ensure greater awareness and responsiveness to the needs of individuals with disabilities.  

4.0   Training as identified in No. 3 will be provided to all staff and to volunteers. As new staff are hired, the training will become a component of their orientation training and will be provided within a reasonable timeframe. 

5.0   The Board will ensure that its policies and procedures related to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 are made available to the public and also ensure there is capacity to provide communication about these policies and procedures in a format that takes into account a person’s disability. 

6.0   When services that are normally provided to a person with a disability are temporarily unavailable such as access to an elevator, a disruption of service notice will be posted at the site and on the Board’s website, if applicable.   

7.0   So that adherence to this policy can be achieved efficiently and effectively, the Board and all its managers and school-based administrators will take into account the impact on persons with disabilities when purchasing new equipment, designing new systems or planning a new initiative.   

8.0    In order to monitor the effectiveness of implementation of the Accessible Customer Service Standard, the Board will develop a process for receiving and responding to feedback.  Information about the feedback process will be readily available to the public and will allow people to provide feedback using a variety of methods.   

9.0    The Board will create a feedback process that will review the ongoing adherence of this policy with the Board’s various constituency groups; for example, Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC), Federations, unions and citizens’ groups.  

10.0   The Board’s Accessibility Working Group will regularly review the effectiveness of the practices and procedures established under this policy.   

References

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Ontario Human Rights Code 

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) 

Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07 

Integrated Accessibility Standards (Ontario Regulation 191/11)