Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service require employers to provide accessible customer service to persons with disabilities. In order to comply with the legislation, all businesses and organizations providing goods or services to the public with at least one employee in Ontario must meet several requirements by January 1, 2012. These requirements include:
- Establishing policies and procedures relating to the provision of it s goods and services to persons with disabilities, including persons using service animals or accompanied by a support person
- Developing alternate modes of communication with persons with disabilities
- Developing a process to notify customers of a disruption in service
- Providing training to all staff who participate in the development of customer service policies and procedures or deal with members of the public pertaining to the AODA and its requirements, including how to use assistive devices on the premises, what to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing goods or services and how to interact with persons with disabilities who use assistive devices, support persons, service animals
- Developing a process for receiving and responding to feedback about the manner in which it provides goods and services to persons with disabilities
- Where the employer or organization has more than 20 employees, documenting actions related to the standards and filing an accessibility report with the Government of Ontario.
Failure to meet these requirements by January 1, 2012 can result in significant monetary penalties. Rubin Thomlinson can help you fulfill these requirements by assisting in the development of policies and procedures and by delivering customized training directly to your workplace.
This is AODA compliance made simple.
We can meet the needs of your workplace through on-site training or through the teleseminar format. Contact us to find out how we can help you to stay up-todate without ever leaving your office.
