In Ontario there is a regulation called the Accessibility Standard
for Customer Service. One of the requirements of this regulation is that
persons with disabilities are allowed to enter your organization’s public premises
with a service animal. A person should be able to remain with the animal unless
otherwise excluded by law. If the animal is excluded by law, you must have
another measure available to enable the person to obtain, use or benefit from
your organization’s goods or services. Note, a service animal is not a pet; he
or she is a working animal and must not be excluded under your no-pets policy.
Service animals are used by people with many different kinds of
disabilities. . These animals provide services to individuals helping them
function with greater self-sufficiency; prevent injuries; and summon help in a
crisis. Examples of service animals
include dogs used by people who are Blind, hearing alert animals for people who
are Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, and animals trained to alert an
individual to an oncoming seizure and lead them to safety.
If there are any areas of your premises that are open to the public
where animals are excluded by law they should be identified. You will need a
solution so you have other measures to provide service to the person with a
disability. You can decide to have your transactions take place in a separate
area. You may provide a secure area to leave the animal, if the customer is
comfortable doing so. In the latter case, you will have to provide support for
the person who requires assistance.
Other situations may arise where there are health and safety reasons of
another person by the presence of a service animal on premises open to the
public, such as people with allergies to animals. Some of the options to
consider may be creating distance between two individuals, eliminating
in-person contact, changing the time the two receive service, and any other
measures that would allow the person to use their service animal on the
premises. The organization must consider all relevant factors and options in
trying to find a solution that meets the needs of both individuals.
How are customers with Service animals treated in your
organization?
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
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