Meeting the customer service standard: restaurant menus

All businesses with at least one employee will have to comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Customer Service Standard  taking effect January 1, 2012.

Restaurants need to have a policy on allowing people to use their own assistive devices to access your goods and services, and that includes your menu or menu board hung high on the wall.  Some restaurants might have Braille and large print menus, but what if your potential customer can’t read either?
 A MENU also has a number of different options:

• Regular and large print, black text on a white background
• Regular and large print (high contrast), white text on a black background
• Off-white for those with Dyslexia
• Mobile versions of regular and high contrast

All of a sudden, your menu has become accessible to a larger market of clients.

Think about the new Integrated Accessibility Standard; the Communication Strand.  The new standard isn’t designed to turn business upside down, just do things differently to accommodate, in the end we all benefit

What do you think an accessible menu should will look like?  Will it be helpful? 

If you are interested in learning more about Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) or how to make accessibility a natural part of your business through the application of Corporate Social Responsibility, please contact Sandra Broekhof @ 416-579-1035 or sandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca or visit www.accessibilitycompliance.ca

Common Myths and Realities about People with Disabilities

The Integrated Accessibility Standard sets out requirements for each of the three standards (i.e., Information and Communication, Employment and Transportation), as well as general requirements that apply to all public, private, large, small and medium businesses in Ontario. 

In order to plan for compliance it is important to explore some of the common myths and realities about people with disabilities. 

Myth	Reality
People with disabilities are inferior and their lives are very different.	People with disabilities go to school, get married, work, have families, play, do laundry, go shopping, eat out, travel, volunteer, vote, pay taxes, laugh, cry, plan and dream — just like everyone else.
We need to feel sorry for people with disabilities.	That's patronizing. People with disabilities don't need pity. They need access to opportunities.
People with disabilities are brave and courageous.	Adjusting to a disability requires adapting to a lifestyle, not bravery and courage.
It's not a good idea to hire people with disabilities. They have a higher turnover rate and they take sick days more often.	Many studies show that employees with disabilities are often more productive, dependable and loyal than their co-workers without disabilities and that staff retention.
You have to be careful when you're talking to a person with a disability, because they are easily offended if you use the wrong word.	You just need to be as polite and respectful as you would when speaking to anyone. If you're not sure what to say or do, it's okay to ask.
It's difficult serving customers with disabilities.	Customers with disabilities have the same preferences, perceptions, attitudes, habits, and needs as customers without disabilities, and they are looking for the same quality of products and services. Everyone, regardless of ability, deserves to be treated with the same dignity and respect.

Dates to Consider

The requirements will be phased in over time between 2011 and 2015. This will give organizations the time they need to make accessibility a natural part of their business processes.

 Do you have any myths or realities about people with disability?

If you are interested in learning more about Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) or how to make accessibility a natural part of your business through the application of Corporate Social Responsibility, please contact Sandra Broekhof @ 416-579-1035 or sandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca or visit www.accessibilitycompliance.ca