ACC-001 Accessible Customer Service Standards Policy — full text

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot 1f9eecbc2c96 · verified 2026-06-10 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

TITLE: Accessible Customer Service Standards Policy NUMBER: ACC-001 CATEGORY: Accessibility DATE: October 21, 2019 REFERENCES: The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 By-Law 2019-71 1.0 Policy Statement The Municipality of Centre Hastings recognizes that persons with disabilities should be provided with an equal opportunity to access goods and information in a manner consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality as stated in the regulations of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. 2.0 Purpose The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005 provides for the establishment of accessibility standards. Accordingly, Ontario Regulation 429/07, Accessible Standards for Customer Service, was enacted. Under this Regulation municipalities must establish policies, procedures and practices governing the provision of its goods or services to persons with disabilities. In addition, the municipality must use all reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies, procedures and practices provide accessible customer services to people with various kinds of disabilities and that the core principles of independence, dignity, integration and equal opportunity, as defined herein, are respected. The purpose of this policy is to fulfill certain requirements as set out in Ontario Regulation 429/07 made under the AODA and other relevant sections of that Act as well as the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. In support of this policy, corresponding procedures and practices will be set out to support the policy and may be amended from time to time. 3.0 Definitions 3.1 "Agents" shall mean a person or business providing goods or services on behalf of the Municipality of Centre Hastings through a contract or agreement. 3.2 "Assistive Devices" shall mean an auxiliary aid such as communication aids, cognition aids, personal mobility aids, and medical aids (i.e. canes, crutches, wheelchairs, or hearing aids etc.) to access and benefit from the goods and services of Municipality of Centre Hastings. 3.3 "Barrier" shall mean anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of the disability. Barriers may include a physical, architectural and attitudinal barrier as well as, an information or communication barrier, technological barriers, a policy, procedure or a practice. 3.4 "Customer Service Representatives" (CSR) An employee, agent, volunteer or otherwise who, on behalf of the Municipality of Centre Hastings, provides or oversees the provision of municipal goods or services to members of the public or other third parties. 3.5 "Disability" shall be defined as found in the Ontario Human Rights Code (Part II, Section 10. (1) of the OHRC): - Any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device. - A condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability. - A learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language - A mental disorder, or an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997; ("handicap") 3.6 "Guide Dogs or Service Animal" shall mean any animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. 3.7 "Policies" shall mean the policies the Municipality of Centre Hastings intends to implement including any rules for CSRs. 3.8 "Procedures" shall mean how the Municipality of Centre Hastings will go about implementing their policy and the steps CSRs will be expected to take. 3.9 "Practices" shall mean what the Municipality of Centre Hastings does on a day to day basis, including how CSRs actually offer or deliver the services. 3.10 "Principle of Dignity" shall mean the policies, procedures and practices that respect the dignity of a person with a disability are those that treat them as customers and clients who are as valued and as deserving of effective and full service as any other customer. People with disabilities will not be treated as an afterthought or be forced to accept lesser service, quality or convenience. 3.11 "Principle of Independence" in some instances, independence means freedom from control or influence of others - freedom to make your own choices. In other situations, it may mean the freedom to do things in your own way. 3.12 "Principle of Integration" shall mean integrated services are those that allow people with disabilities to fully benefit from the same services, in the same place and in the same, or similar way, as other customers. 3.13 "Principle of Equal Opportunity" equal opportunity means having the same chances, options, benefits and results as others. In the case of services it means that people with disabilities have the same opportunity to benefit from the way you provide goods or services as others. They should not have to make significantly more effort to access or obtain service. They should also not have to accept lesser quality or more inconvenience. 3.14 "Support Person" shall mean any person whether a paid professional, volunteer, family member or friend who accompanies a person with a disability to aid him or her with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods and services. 3.15 "Third Party" a representative of a business or organization who is receiving Municipality of Centre Hastings goods or services or acting in an official capacity. Examples include: Provincial inspectors, vendors, local media, agencies, boards or commissions 4.0 Administration Procedures and Practices may be amended or added to the Accessible Customer Service Standards Policy as necessary and appropriate in order to ensure that it is current and applicable. Such amendments or additions shall be approved by Resolution of Council and be coordinated with, and form part of this Policy. 5.0 Establishment of Policies, Practices and Procedures The Municipality of Centre Hastings shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies, procedures and practices are consistent with the following principles: The goods or services must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. The provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities and others must be integrated unless an alternate measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the goods or services. Persons with a disability must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods or services provided by the Municipality of Centre Hastings. CSRs, when communicating with a person with a disability shall do so in a manner that accommodates the person's disability. 6.0 Implementation Assistive Devices The Municipality of Centre Hastings permits persons with a disability to use and keep with them their own personal assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from the goods or services offered by the municipality. Appropriate CSRs will be trained and knowledgeable of the presence and use of municipally owned assistive devices within their working department. CSRs will be available to assist with the assistive devices if requested for use by an individual. Service Animals and Support Persons The Municipality of Centre Hastings shall allow persons with disabilities, who require to be accompanied by a support person, into all Municipal premises that are owned and operated public facilities. Both persons are permitted to enter the premises together and the person with a disability will have access to their support person. The Municipality allows a person with a disability to be accompanied by a guide dog or other service animal onto all facilities that are owned and operated by the Municipality for public use and will ensure that the person is permitted to keep the animal with him or her unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law. In the event that admission fees are charged, advanced notice concerning what admission, if any, would be charged to a support person shall be posted in a conspicuous place. If the service animal is excluded by law from the facility, the municipality will make every effort to ensure that other measures are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the municipality's goods and services. 7.0 Feedback Process The municipality will have a mechanism to allow the public to provide feedback on the accessibility of the provision of goods and services. 8.0 Training The Municipality of Centre Hastings will provide training to its customer service representatives about the provision of its goods and services to persons with disabilities. All CSRs who deal with the public or other third parties, and those involved in developing customer service policies, practices, and procedures, will receive Accessibility Awareness Training as soon as practicable after beginning their employment. The municipality will also provide ongoing training with respect to changes in its policies, practices, and procedures to those individuals who require such training as soon as practicable. The municipality will keep records of the training provided. Agents hired by the Municipality of Centre Hastings who deal with the public during their work will provide proof of Accessibility Awareness training (as part of their contractual agreement) prior to their work for the municipality. If the agent is not required to meet the requirements of Regulation 429/07, the municipality may, at its discretion, provide the necessary training. Record of all training must be sent to the appropriate department for documentation. 9.0 Related Procedures/Resources Planned Service Disruption Form (ACC-001 Schedule A) Unexpected Service Disruption Form (ACC-001 Schedule B) Customer Request - Feedback (ACC-001 Schedule C) Record of Customer Feedback (ACC-001 Schedule D) ACC-001 Schedule A Notice Scheduled Service Disruption There will be a scheduled service disruption at the _____________________________. The disruption will be from _________________ until _________________. These disruptions include: - __________________________ (repairs to doors) - __________________________ (repairs to technology) - _________________________________________________ On behalf of the Municipality of Centre Hastings, we would like to Thank-you for your patience in this matter. For further information, please contact: The Municipality of Centre Hastings P.O. Box 900 Madoc, ON K0K 2K0 (613) 473-4030 www.centrehastings.com ACC-001 Schedule B Notice Unscheduled Service Disruption There is currently an unexpected service disruption at this location. The estimated time of the service disruption will be from __________________________ until______________________. These disruptions include: - __________________________ (repairs to doors) - __________________________ (repairs to technology) - _________________________________________________ On behalf of the Municipality of Centre Hastings, we would like to Thank-you for your patience in this matter. For further information, please contact: The Municipality of Centre Hastings P.O. Box 900 Madoc, ON K0K 2K0 (613) 473-4030 www.centrehastings.com ACC-001 Schedule C Customer Feedback Form Thank you for visiting the Municipality of Centre Hastings. We value all of our customers and strive to meet everyone's needs. Please tell us the date and time of your visit: _________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Did we respond to your customer service needs today? ____ Yes ____ No Was our customer service provided to you in an accessible manner? ____ Yes ____ Somewhat ____ No ____ (Please explain) ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Did you have any problems accessing our goods and services? Yes____ (please explain) ____________________________________________________________ Somewhat _____ (please explain) ____________________________________________________ No______ (please explain) ____________________________________________________________ Please add any other comments you may have: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Contact Information ( Optional ): ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Please submit this form to: The Municipality of Centre Hastings P.O. Box 900 Madoc, ON K0K 2K0 (613) 473-4030 www.centrehastings.com ACC-001 Schedule D Record of Customer Feedback Date feedback received ______________________________________________________ Name of customer (Optional) ________________________________________________ Contact Information (if appropriate)*: ________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Details: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Follow-up: __________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Action to be taken: __________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Staff member: _______________________________________________________________ Date: ________________________________________________________________________