Through an initiative to meet new accessibility standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), new practices for communicating service disruptions at the university are being introduced.
Western now has a central website where broad public disruptions in physical facilities (such as elevators and buildings), Information Technology web and data services, and Campus Recreation are posted in calendar format.
In addition, Physical Plant staff or contractors are now posting standard service interruption signs on facilities they maintain or service. The notices indicate the reason for the disruption, the anticipated duration, and if there is an alternate service or facility available.
To view current and planned service disruptions go to https://accessibility.uwo.ca/disruptions.htm.
To help meet AODA requirements, units are asked to communicate local disruptions (such as a class cancellation or department closure) directly to their own audiences using their own websites, email lists, etc. when they know who will be affected.
You are asked to indicate the reason for the disruption, the anticipated duration, and if there is an alternate service or facility available.
In addition to your local communication, units should request that a disruption notice be posted on the central website if you cannot reach all of those affected directly. This can be done by submitting the form found on the service disruption website at https://accessibility.uwo.ca/disruption_reporting_form.htm.
If you have any questions about service disruption notifications at Western, contact Laura Hamilton, HR Coordinator/AODA Project Specialist, Learning and Development Services, at 519-661-2111 ext. 86412 or lhamil24@uwo.ca.