Accessibility to Persons with Disabilities Policy No. 2019-10 — full text

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Page 1 of 3 Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone 14 DENNIS STREET - BOX 150 - GLADSTONE, MB R0J 0T0 PH.204.385.2332- [email protected] FAX.204.385.2391 Accessibility to Persons with Disabilities Policy No. 2019-10 Adopted By: Date Adopted: Reviewed by Council: Amended: Resolution No. 2019 37 October 16, 2019 Statement The Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone is committed to achieving and meeting the needs and abilities of all. Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone values diversity and believes in inclusion. The Municipality strives to provide its goods and services and access to its premises in a way that respects the dignity and independence of its citizens and employees. The Municipality is committed to meeting the requirements of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act. Meeting Communication Needs The Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone will meet the communications needs presented by their customers and employees through training and by offering to communicate in different ways and taking time to understand and respond to what is needed. Signs, documents and electronic communication will use plain language and be easy to read. Assistive Devices Persons with disabilities may use their own assistive devices when accessing the Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone's goods, services or premises and WestLake- Gladstone will train its employees in appropriate interactions involving an assistive device. In cases where the assistive devices present significant and unavoidable health or safety concerns, WestLake-Gladstone will attempt to use other measures to ensure that the person can have meaningful access. Page 2 of 3 Service Animals The Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone will welcome people with disabilities and their service animals. A customer with a disability who is accompanied by a guide dog or service animal will be allowed access to premises that are open to the public unless otherwise excluded by law. If a service animal is prohibited by law from the premises, the Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone will ensure that other measures are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from our services. The customer who is accompanied by a guide dog or service animal is responsible for maintaining care and control of the animal at all times. WestLake-Gladstone reserves the right to ask an out-of-control service animal to be removed from the premises. If a health and safety concern present itself, for example in the form of a severe allergy to the animal, the Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone will make all reasonable efforts to meet the needs of all individuals, up to the point of undue hardship. If it is not obvious that an animal is a service animal and there are concerns about the need for the animal to be accompanying the customer or employee onto the premises, the Municipality WestLake-Gladstone may ask whether the dog is assisting the customer with a disability or what benefit the dog has been trained to provide. Support Persons The Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone welcomes support persons. Space is made available for support persons so that the customer always has access to their support person. Support persons are required to pay admissions fees. Employees are trained to deal with both the customer and the support person respectfully, which includes addressing the customer directly unless requested by the customer to do otherwise. If confidential information may be discussed, the Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone will obtain the customer's consent to have that discussion in the presence of the support person. Maintaining Accessibility Features To ensure barrier free access to our goods, services and premises, the Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone maintains accessibility features so that they can be used as intended. Our accessibility features include: Municipal Administration Building: - Automatic door openers - Wheelchair accessible entrance and reception area Page 3 of 3 - Wheelchair accessible meeting room If a Municipal service is creating a barrier for person(s) with disabilities, reasonable requests to change the method of delivery will be granted by the Municipality, up to the point of undue hardship. Notice of Service Disruptions If the Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone's ability to provide accessibility features is disrupted, the Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone will do its best to provide notice of that disruption including the reason for the disruption, the anticipated duration and whether there are other ways to access our goods, services and/or premises. The notices will be provided by: Posting in conspicuous places including at the point of disruption, at the main entrance and the nearest accessible entrance to the disruption, and if appropriate on the applicable website. Customer Feedback The Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone shall provide customers with the opportunity to provide feedback on the service provided to customers with disabilities. Verbal feedback (in person or by telephone) or written (handwritten, delivered, website, or email) will be welcomed. Customers who provide formal feedback will receive acknowledgement of their feedback, along with any resulting actions based on concerns or complaints that were submitted. Training Training is provided to employees and management covering the following: - How to interact and communicate with people who face barriers to accessing goods, services and premises, use assistive devices, are assisted by a support person and/or are assisted by a service animal; - An overview of The Accessibility for Manitobans Act, The Human Rights Code (Manitoba) and the Customer Service Standard; - The Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone policies and practices, including updates or changes. Training is provided as part of the onboarding process and is regularly refreshed with existing employees and management. Feedback on the Municipality of WestLake- Gladstone accessibility features and practices is addressed in regular staff meetings.