Accessibility and Human Rights and AODA

From Ontario Emergency Preparedness training 2023-07-28

About Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA):

• The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is a provincial law.
• Ontario to be Accessible by 2025, by removing and preventing barriers.
• Core principles of the AODA are independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity for people with disabilities.
• As part of the AODA, the Government of Ontario is developing and enforcing mandatory province-wide accessibility standards in key areas of daily life.
• The AODA sets accessibility standards that organizations must meet.

Disabilities

Can be people with or without visible disabilities.

• Physical disabilities
• Vision
• Hearing
• Speech
• Developmental
• Learning and mental health disabilities

Customer Service Standard

• Requires organizations and businesses to provide accessible customer service to people with disabilities.

• Training on providing accessible customer service and how to interact with people with disabilities is a key requirement of the standard and should include all employees and volunteers, anyone involved in developing the organization’s policies and anyone who provides goods, services or facilities to customers on the organization’s behalf.

• Customer is anyone accessing good, services, and facilities of the organization.

• Remove visible and non-visible barriers like:

  • Physical barriers like narrow doorways, high shelves, and steep ramps, stairs, poor reading formats
  • Attitude barriers like bias, lack of understanding

Requirements for organizations:

1. Create accessible customer service policies
2. Consider a person’s disability when communicating with them
3. Allow assistive devices
4. Allow service animals
5. Welcome support persons
6. Inform the public when accessible facilities or services are temporarily unavailable
7. Invite customers to provide feedback
8. Train staff and others

Serving People with Disabilities

Accessible customer service is about:

• Not making assumptions about what a person can or cannot do because of their disability
• Inclusion, making everyone feel welcome and included
• Understanding that people with disabilities may have different needs

Good Practices

People with Physical or Mobility Disabilities

• Ask before you help. People with disabilities often have their own ways of doing things.

• Don’t touch or move a person’s equipment (for example, wheelchair or walker) without permission.

• If you have permission to move a person’s wheelchair, don’t leave them in an awkward, dangerous or undignified position, such as facing a wall or in the path of opening doors.

• If you need to have a lengthy conversation with someone who uses a wheelchair or scooter, consider sitting so you can make eye contact at the same level.

• If it applies, inform your customer of the accessible features in the immediate area (such as automatic doors, accessible washrooms, elevators or ramps).

• Think ahead and remove any items that may cause a physical barrier, such as boxes left in an aisle.

• If the service counter at your place of business is too high for a person using a wheelchair to see over, step around it to provide service. Have a clipboard handy if filling in forms or providing a signature is required.

• Keep in mind that a person’s physical disability may not be visible or obvious. For example, a person may have difficulty standing for long periods of time and may ask to sit while waiting to be served.

  People with Vision Loss

• When you know someone has vision loss, don’t assume the person can’t see you. Not everyone with vision loss is totally blind. Many have some vision.

• Identify yourself when you approach and speak directly to your customer if they are with a companion.

• Ask if they would like you to read any printed information out loud to them, such as a menu, a bill or schedule of fees.

• When providing directions or instructions, be precise and descriptive (for example, “two steps in front of you” or “a metre to your left”). Don’t say “over there” or point in the direction indicated.

• Offer your elbow to guide them if needed. If they accept, lead - don’t pull.

• Identify landmarks or other details to orient the person to the surroundings. For example, if you’re approaching stairs or an obstacle, say so.

• If you need to leave the customer, let them know by telling them you’ll be back or saying goodbye.

• Don’t leave your customer in the middle of a room — guide them to a comfortable location.

People with Hearing Loss

• Once a customer has self-identified as having hearing loss, make sure you face the customer when talking and that you are in a well-lit area so the person can see you clearly.
• As needed, attract the person’s attention before speaking. Try a gentle touch on the shoulder or wave of your hand.
• Maintain eye contact. Use body language, gestures and facial expression to help you communicate.
• If the person uses a hearing aid, reduce background noise or if possible, move to a quieter area.
• Don’t assume that the customer knows sign language or reads lips.
• If necessary, ask if another method of communicating would be easier (for example, using a pen and paper).
• When using a sign language interpreter, look and speak directly to the customer, not the sign language interpreter. For example, say “What would you like?” not “Ask her what she’d like.”

People who are Deafblind

• Speak directly to your customer, not to the intervenor.
• The customer is likely to explain to you how to communicate with them or give you an assistance card or note.
• Don’t assume what a person can or cannot do. Some people who are deafblind have some sight or hearing, while others have neither.

People with Speech or Language Impairments

• Don’t assume that a person who has difficulty speaking doesn’t understand you.
• Speak directly to the customer and not to their companion or support person.
  • Whenever possible, ask questions that can be answered “yes” or “no.”

~ If the person uses a communication device, take a moment to read visible instructions for communicating with them.

• Be patient. Don’t interrupt or finish your customer’s sentences.
• Confirm what the person has said by summarizing or repeating what you’ve understood and allow the person to respond — don’t pretend if you’re not sure.
• If necessary, provide other ways for the customer to contact you, such as email.

People with Learning Disabilities

• Be patient and allow extra time if needed. People with learning disabilities may take a little longer to process information or to understand and respond.
• Try to provide information in a way that works for your customer. For example, some people with learning disabilities find written words difficult to understand, while others may have problems with numbers and math.
• Be willing to rephrase or explain something again in another way, if needed.

People with Developmental Disabilities

• Don’t make assumptions about what a person can or cannot do.
• Don’t exaggerate your speech or speak in a patronizing way.
• Use plain language.
• Provide one piece of information at a time.
• If you’re not sure of what is being said to you, confirm by summarizing or repeating what was said, or politely ask them to repeat it - don’t pretend if you’re not sure.
• Ask the customer if they would like help reading your material or completing a form and wait for them to accept the offer of assistance.
• Be patient and allow extra time if needed.

People with Mental Health Disabilities

• If you sense or know that a customer has a mental health disability, treat them with the same respect and consideration you have for everyone else.
• Be confident, calm and reassuring.
• Listen carefully, and work with the customer to meet their needs. For example, acknowledge that you have heard and understood what the person

has said or asked.

• Respect your customer’s personal space.
• Limit distractions that could affect your customer’s ability to focus or concentrate. For example, loud noise, crowded areas and interruptions

could cause stress.

• Respond to the person’s immediate behaviour and needs. Don’t be confrontational. If needed, set limits with the person as you would others.

For example, “lf you scream, I will not be able to talk to you.”

Other supports

• Service Animals
• Support person
• Assistive devices