Accessibility - Customer Service Policy — full text

This is an automated transcription (OCR) of the captured official document — minor recognition errors are possible; the source document governs. Snapshot 774efea0582d · verified 2026-06-09 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

## The Corporation of the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands ## Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Policy ## PURPOSE: Ontario Regulation 429-07 made under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 came into force on January 1, 2008. The purpose of this Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Policy is to fulfill the requirements set out in Regulation 429/07 to establish a policy for the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands for governing the provision of its goods or services to persons with disabilities. ## EXCLUSIONS: This Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Policy shall not apply during any period where Council has declared a "State of Emergency" as defined under the Emergency Management Act. ## POLICY: ## 1. Establishment of Policies, Practices and Procedures - a) The Town shall establish policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of its goods or services to persons with disabilities. - b) The Town shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the following principles: 3. The goods or services must be provided in a manner that respects he dignity and independence of persons with disabilitie 4. ii) The provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities an 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. 5. ili) Persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods or services. - c) When communicating with a person with a disability, a provider shall do so in a manner that takes into account the person's disability. ## 2. Use of Service Animals - a) If a person with a disability is accompanied by a guide dog or other service animal, the Town shall ensure that the person is permitted to enter the premises with the animal and to keep the animal with him or her unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law from the premises. - b) If a service animal is excluded by law from the premises, the Town shall ensure that other measures are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the Town's goods or services. - c) In this section. 4. 'guide dog' means a guide dog as defined in section 1 of the Blind Persons Rights' Act - 'service animal' means a service animal for a person with a disability - d) For the purposes of this section, an animal is a service animal for a person with a disability: - if it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability; or - if the person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability ## 3. Use of Support Persons - a) If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, the Town shall ensure that both persons are permitted to enter the premises together and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person while on the premises. - b) The Town may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when on the premises, but only if a support person is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health or safety of others on the premises. - c) If an amount is payable by a person for admission to the premises or in connection with a person's presence at the premises, the Town shall ensure that notice is given in advance about the amount, if any, in respect of the support person. - d) In this section: 5. 'support person' means in relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies him or her in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods and services. Page .... .............З ## 4. Notice of Temporary Disruption - a) If, in order to obtain, use or benefit from a Town's goods or services, persons with disabilities usually use particular facilities or services of the Town and if there is a temporary disruption in those facilities or services in whole or in part, the Town shall give notice of the disruption to the public. - b) Notice of the disruption must include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative facilities or services, if any, that are available. - c) Notice may be given by posting the information at a conspicuous place on the premises owned or operated by the Town, by posting it on the Town's website or by such other method as is reasonable in the circumstances. ## 5. Training of Staff - a) The Town shall ensure that the following persons receive training about the provision of its goods or services to persons with disabilities: - i) Every person who deals with members of the public or other third parties on behalf of the Town, whether the person does so as an employee, agent, volunteer or otherwise. 3. Every person who participates in developing the Town's policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to members of the public or other third party. - b) The training must include a review of the purposes of the Act and the requirements of this policy and instruction about the following matters: 5. і) How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disability. 6. її) How to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a support person. 7. ili) How to use equipment or devices available on the Town's premises or otherwise provided by the Town that may help with the provision of goods or services to a person with a disability. - v) The training must be provided to each person as soon as practicable after he or she is assigned the applicable duties. 9. iv) What to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty accessing the Town's goods or services. 10. vi) Training must also be provided on an ongoing basis in connection with changes to the policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities. Page 4 ## 6. Feedback Process for the Town - a) The Town shall establish a process for receiving and responding to feedback about the manner in which it provides goods or services to persons with disabilities and shall make information about the process readily available to the public. - b) The feedback process must permit persons to provide their feedback in 3. person, by telephone, in writing, or by delivering an electronic copy by email or on diskette or Janet Moore, Clerk by any other method to: Phone: Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands Postal Bag 2000 LITTLE CURRENT, ON POP 1KO [email protected] 705-368-3500 ext 228 - c) The feedback process must specify the actions that the Town is required to take if a complaint is received. ## 7. Notice of Availability of Documents - a) The Town shall notify persons to whom it provides goods or services that the documents required by this policy are available upon request. - b) The notice may be given by posting information at a conspicuous place on premises owned or operated by the Town, by posting it on the Town's website, or by such other method as is reasonable in the circumstances. Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Policy Page ......... ......5 ## 8. Format of Documents - a) If the Town is required by this policy to give a copy of a document to a person with a disability, it shall give the person the document, or the information contained in the document, in a format that takes into account the person's disability. - b) The Town and the person with a disability may agree upon the format to be used for the document or information. ## 9. Non-Compliance Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action as per the Town's Disciplinary Policy.