Independent Living Centre Kingston
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

What will the accessible customer service standard require organizations to do? All organizations with at least one employee that provide service to customers in Ontario will have to:
* establish policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities, including a policy about the use of assistive devices
* use reasonable efforts to ensure that their policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the following principles:
o the goods or services must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities
o the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities and others must be integrated unless an alternative 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 (for example, assisting a person with a disability to reach items on a shelf)
o persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods or services
* communicate with customers with disabilities in a manner that takes into account the customer’s disability (for example, providing a publication in an alternative format, such as audio or Braille)
* train their customer service staff, volunteers and people responsible for developing the organization’s customer service policies, practices and procedures in the provision of accessible customer service
* permit customers with disabilities who have support persons or service animals to use them while accessing goods or services in premises open to the public and, where admission fees are charged, provide advance notice concerning what admission, if any, would be charged with respect to a support person
* provide notice when accessibility to services or facilities for customers with disabilities is temporarily disrupted (for example, posting signs at the entrance of a building to let customers know that one or more elevators is temporarily out of service)
* establish a mechanism for customers to provide feedback respecting the provision of customer services to persons with disabilities and for the organization to take action on complaints.

Who is covered by the accessible customer service standard?
* All organizations that provide goods or services to the public and have at least one employee will be covered by the standard. 
* This includes private businesses, non-profit organizations, provincial and municipal governments, universities, colleges, hospitals, school boards and public transit organizations.  

For more information call or visit
Independent Living Centre Kingston
298 Concession St., Kingston, ON K7K 2C1
Ph: 613-542-8353 * TTY: 613-542-8371 * Fax: 613-542-4783
Email: info@ilckingston.com * Web: www.ilckingston.com