CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARD

Reasonable efforts will be made by the Centre, including its employees, volunteers and individuals providing services on its behalf, to ensure that:

• persons with disabilities are provided equal opportunity to obtain, use and benefit from the Centre’s services;
• the Centre’s services are provided in a manner the respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities;
• services provided to persons with disabilities are integrated with the services provided to others unless an alternative measure is necessary to allow a person with a disability to benefit from the services;
• communications with a person with a disability are conducted in a respectful manner that takes the person’s disability into account;
• persons with disabilities may use assistive devices, service animals and support persons as is necessary to access the Centre’s offices and services.

Assistive Devices

We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our services.

It is our policy to allow people to use their personal assistive devices to access our services wherever possible. Assistive devices may encompass a broad range of devices, including but not limited to wheelchairs, walkers, or respirators. In the event the Centre provides assistive devices, we will ensure that our Staff is trained and familiar with those assistive devices to assist our customers in accessing our services.

If a person with a disability is unable to use their personal assistive device or one provided by the Centre, we will use our best effort to provide an alternative means of assistance to allow that person to access our services.

Communication

The Centre will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that consider their disabilities. The Centre may request information regarding an individual’s limitations and/or restrictions as is reasonable and necessary for the purpose of determining the feasibility of an accommodation or providing the most appropriate accommodation up to the point of undue hardship. Any information provided will be held in strict confidence and only shared with the Executive Director and/or Supervisor for the purposes of assessing and/or providing an appropriate accommodation up to the point of undue hardship.

Service Animals

We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities that are accompanied by a service animal.

If a person with a disability is accompanied by a service animal, we will ensure that the person is permitted to enter the premises with the animal and to keep the animal with them unless the service animal is otherwise excluded by law.

Where a service animal must be excluded, the Centre will explain why this is the case and attempt, to the extent possible, to use other methods to provide assistance to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use and benefit from the Centre’s services. The service animal must be under the care and control of the individual at all times.

If a health and safety concern presents itself, for example in the form of a severe allergy to the animal, the Centre will make all reasonable efforts to meet the needs of all individuals.

All staff, volunteers and others dealing with the public will be properly trained on how to assist individuals with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.

Support Persons

A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person accompany them on our premises and, when possible, on field trips.

Where there are costs or admission fees associated with field trips or other events either on or off the Centre premises, notice regarding the requirement of such payment and the amount of the payment will be provided in advance.

Accommodations may be made for individuals with support persons in advance of training seminars or events at the discretion of the Executive Director/Supervisor.

We may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when at the Centre, 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 in the facility.

All staff, volunteers and others dealing with the public will be properly trained on how to assist individuals with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person.

Facilities and Notice of Temporary Disruption

The Centre is committed to ensuring that its facilities, premises, and related services are welcoming and accessible to individuals with disabilities.

The Centre will communicate to the public when facilities or services that people with disabilities usually use to access the Centre’s programs and services are unavailable.

Any notice of disruption will include the following information:

a) That a service is unavailable;

b) The reason for the disruption;

c) The anticipated duration of the disruption;

d) Alternative services, if available.

The Centre’s staff will provide such notice by posting the information in a conspicuous location within the Centre’s premises, including entrances of the affected premises, as well as by other means such as on our website that will ensure that the notice reaches those persons potentially affected by the temporary disruption.

Feedback Process

To ensure the best service possible, the Centre invites individuals who wish to provide feedback and, if necessary, file a complaint about the way the Centre provides services to people with disabilities.

Feedback may be provided to the Executive Director or Designate of the Centre in writing via email and/or hard copy, in-person via a meeting or videoconference, or on the phone, with the Executive Director or Designate taking notes of the meeting or call to ensure the feedback is properly documented.

Complaints should be made in writing or if needed, using one of the methods outlined in the above paragraph, and directly submitted to the Executive Director. If an employee receives any feedback about our service to customers with disabilities, or an inquiry as to how to leave feedback, they should be advised to contact the Executive Director, either in person, in writing, by telephone or by e-mail.

Complaints will be addressed according to the Centre’s regular complaint management/conflict resolution policies and procedures. These policies are available to any member of the public upon request.

Clients can expect a written response to their feedback and/or complaint within thirty (30) days.

Notice of Availability of Documents

We will provide the public notice of the availability of the documents These requests should be forwarded to the Executive Director. These documents will include:

• The Centre’s policies, practices, and procedures about offering of services to people with disabilities.
• The Centre’s policies, practices, and procedures about the use of service animals and support persons.
• The steps the Centre will take to notify people about a temporary disruption of facilities or services usually used by people with disabilities.
• The Centre’s policy on providing training on accessible customer service.
• The Centre’s process for receiving and responding to feedback on the offering of goods and/or services to people with disabilities.

Notice of availability will be provided on our website and/or will be posted at a conspicuous location at the Centre.

Format of Documents

If we are required by the AODA to give a copy of a document to a person with a disability, we will take into account the person’s ability to access the information and will provide the document or information contained in the document in a format that meets the accessibility needs as agreed upon with the person.