Ontario’s new Accessibility Standards for customer service take effect for universities on Jan. 1.
By law, each person who interacts with students, alumni, visitors, or retirees is obligated to know the requirements of these new standards and communicate with persons with disabilities in a manner that takes the person’s disability into account.
Several resources have been made available to inform the Western community about these obligations and requirements. The resources can be found at https://accessibility.uwo.ca/AODA/resources.htm.
Tips for providing accessible service
Basic strategies for interacting with persons with disabilities (visible or invisible), whether the interaction is in-person, over the phone, via e-mail, at an event, or in a classroom What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing service at Western
The best place to start is to ask, “How may I help you?” and let the other person identify his/her needs.
Accessible service: Summary of requirements
This highlights the requirements of the new legislation, Western’s response, and questions and tips to help implement these new requirements in daily work.
Take note:
There are specific practices for the use of assistive devices, service animals, and support persons at Western There are new processes to communicate Service Disruptions and to receive accessibility feedback We are required to consider a person’s dignity, independence, and opportunity for integration and equality in how we design and deliver our services or learning experiences
Western’s new accessibility video:
https://accessibility.uwo.ca/AODA/docs/Accessibility_at_WesternCC.wmv
Accessibility learning sessions
Faculty members and GTAs will be offered opportunities to learn more in the new year through faculty-sponsored sessions. The focus will be on best practices in the teaching-learning relationship. More information will be provided in the coming weeks.
More than 500 leaders and 2500 staff participated in learning sessions in November and December. An additional learning session will be held during Western’s Staff and Leaders’ Conference in February.
Speak with your unit leader or chair about the implementation of the accessibility standards in your area.
For general information about the AODA go to https://accessibility.uwo.ca.
For questions regarding accessibility learning sessions or materials, contact Laura Hamilton, AODA Project Specialist, at lhamil24@uwo.ca.