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Changes to Ontario’s Accessible Customer Service Standard are Now in Effect

Changes to the customer service standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act came into effect on July 1, 2016.

As a result of these changes:

  • All employees (including volunteers, interns, students, etc.) must be trained on accessible customer service.
  • More types of regulated health professionals can provide documentation of a need for a service animal.
  • More specific information is provided to clarify that an organization can only require a support person to accompany someone with a disability for the purposes of health or safety and in consultation with the person. If it’s determined a support person is required, the fee or fare (if applicable) for the support person must be waived.
  • All accessibility standards including the accessible customer service standard are now part of one Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation. This means that the requirements are now better aligned to make it easier for organizations to understand their obligations.
  • Private sector and non-profit organizations with 20-49 employees no longer need to document policies (does not remove compliance or reporting requirements).

All organizations in Ontario with one or more employees must comply with the changes effective July 1, 2016.

All public sector organizations, and businesses and non-profits with 20 or more employees must submit their 2017 accessibility compliance report by December 31, 2017.

Learn more about how to make customer service accessible.

2016 Requirements recap

New accessibility requirements came into effect on January 1. Here’s what you need to do: If you have 1-49 employees:

If you have 50+ employees:

Learn more about your current and upcoming requirements at http://www.ontario.ca/accessibility.

Reproduced from http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=c0c14c37aeafba38714735e2a&id=443cb3edec&e=6d1a78f453&utm_source=August+1%2C+2016+CWDO+Newsletter&utm_campaign=August+1%2C+2016+CWDO+newsletter&utm_medium=email