Principles of Accessibility

Monday, May 26, 2014

Communicating with Customers with Disabilities

The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service Standard states that all business must communicate with persons with disabilities in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.

Let’s discuss how take into account a person with a Hearing Loss.

There are many degrees of hearing loss. As many people age, they develop a hearing loss to a certain degree. People who have hearing loss may be deaf (a person with profound hearing loss) or hard of hearing (a person with some hearing loss). People with profound hearing loss may communicate using sign language, while others may use assistive devices such as hearing aids to help them communicate.

Here are some tips on how to interact with people with a hearing loss.

Attract the person's attention before speaking. The best way is a gentle touch on the shoulder or gently waving your hand.
Look at and speak directly to the person. Address them, not their interpreter.
If necessary, ask if another method of communicating would be easier, for example a pen and paper.
Don't put your hands in front of your face when speaking.
Be clear and precise when giving directions, and repeat or rephrase if necessary. Make sure you have been understood.
Be patient. Communication for people who are deaf may be different because their first language may not be English. It may be American Sign Language (ASL) or Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ).
If the person uses a hearing aid, try to speak in a quiet area. Background noise can be distracting.

What else can you do to help a customer with a hearing loss feel more welcomed and served? Do you know someone with a hearing loss?? How can this help you when communicating with them?

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

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Communicating with Customers with Disabilities

The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service Standard states that all business must communicate with persons with disabilities in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability. Let’s discuss how take into account a person with a Visual Disability.

Visual disabilities reduce a person's ability to see clearly. There are many degrees of vision loss. Few people with vision loss are totally blind. Many have limited vision. People with vision loss may use a guide dog or a white cane. Others may not. You may not always be able to tell if a person has vision loss. As people age, some may lose their vision slowly.

Here are some tips on how to interact with people with a visual disability.

• Identify yourself when you approach the person and speak directly to them.

• Speak normally and clearly

• Never touch the person without asking permission, unless it's an emergency.

• Offer your arm (the elbow) to guide the person and walk slowly.

• Don't touch or address service animals — they are working and have to pay attention at all times.

• If you're giving directions or verbal information, be precise and clear. For example, if you're approaching a door or an obstacle, say so.

• Identify landmarks or other details to orient the person to the environment around them.

• Don't walk away without saying good-bye.

What else can you do to help a customer with a visual disability feel more welcomed and served? Do you know someone with a visual disability?? How can this help you when communicating with them?

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

Friday, April 25, 2014

Principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians for Disabilities Act

The Standards of the AODA and the Accessibility for Ontarians for Disabilities Act talk about principles of Accessibilities. These principles are important for people with disabilities as they help achieve accessibility. These principles as they move to practices that help with full inclusion. These principles include dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity. We must start to discuss the meaning and practice of each principle to help form the practices of a barrier free Ontario. Organizations must create policies, practices and procedures that are guided by the principles.

What does the principle of independence mean?

For many people, independence means freedom from control or influence of others. This often happens naturally at certain points for many people. For people with disabilities, independence is even more important. Independence means the ability make your own choices and to do things their own way. This may mean that all people have an opportunity to participate in a program or service because of this factor.

In terms of Customer Service, it is important to listen and respond respectfully to the needs of individual customers. This could mean speaking directly to the person and listening to their needs.

Can you share any examples of how a good or service is designed to respect the principle of independence for people with disabilities?

Principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians for Disabilities Act

What does the principle of dignity mean?

Policies, procedures and practices that respect the dignity of a person with a disability are those that treat them as customers and clients who are as valued and as deserving of effective and full service as any other customer. They do not treat people with disabilities as an afterthought or force them to accept lesser service, quality or convenience. Service delivery needs to take into account how people with disabilities can effectively access and use services and show respect for these methods. By respecting the idea of dignity, the person with a disability is not being interfered.

Can you share any examples of how a good or service is designed to respect the principle of dignity for people with disabilities?

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Small employers are not complying with Ontario’s new accessibility and employment laws

According to an AODA Alliance news release and a November 18, 2013, Toronto Star article, (published previously on this blog) the Ontario government knows fully that 70 percent of Ontario private sector organizations with at least 20 employees have not complied with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act’s (AODA) reporting requirements. Reports were due December 31, 2012.

This is not surprising because in my experience, most small businesses are simply not aware of the law. It is not a pressing issue for small businesses on a day-to-day basis. In fact, I suspect very few small businesses are ever asked to accommodate a person with a disability. And those that have been asked have done so in an informal low/no cost way without reference to any particular law.

Small employers do not comply with other employment laws as well.

As of July 1, 2014, all employers must provide mandatory health and safety awareness training to almost all employees under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Another example, most salaried employees who work more than 44 hours a week are entitled to receive overtime pay for all weekly hours in excess of 44 under the Employment Standards Act (ESA).

Similarly, employers with more than 20 employees are required to establish a joint health and safety committee under the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) and the worker and management representatives must receive certain training and carry out numerous duties. Many such employers do not comply with this statutory requirement.

The reason for this high rate of non-compliance is because small employers simply do not know all of their statutory obligations.

The AODA, the ESA, the OHSA, and the Pay Equity Act (and their many regulations) are only four of many employment laws that apply to Ontario workplaces. The Ontario government regularly amends these laws.

The Ontario government will initially try to increase employer awareness of new employment laws through public education and workplace audits. Enforcement will come later, if at all.

The Ontario government has a small number of inspectors to enforce employment laws. Unless an employee complains or an employer is audited, most statutory violations will not be identified or remedied.

The Ontario government needs to decide whether all of these new laws need to apply to small business. For example, is the AODA really needed when we already have the Ontario Human Rights Code? Is mandatory health and safety awareness training needed when an employer already has training obligations under OHSA?

In a perfect world, small employers would have the time to keep up to date on new laws and have the resources to comply with these laws. They don’t.

The choice is clear: As a law-abiding society, do we pass laws that are widely known, accepted and enforced, or do we keep introducing new laws that we know will not be known, followed, or enforced?

How far are you with complying with the Customer Service and Integrated Accessibility Standards?

Friday, March 14, 2014

What are Accommodations?

I recently had to ask for accommodations at work. They were little bits changes are known as accommodations to ensure that the workplace suits the needs of employees. Accommodations are often a topic of conversation when it comes to recruiting people with disabilities. In fact, it is one of the main barriers they face when they have the desire to enter the workforce.

Abilities in Mind: Beyond the Myths

According to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005), people with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in the workforce compared to those without disabilities. It may be because of the many myths that have been around for years relating to employment and people with disabilities, such as the need to retrofit an office to ensure accessibility. Because of the myths and perceptions of employing people with disabilities in the workforce, the Employment Standard of the Integrated Accessibility Standard was created.

There are many negative perceptions and attitudes towards people with disabilities and this is a key barrier to finding work. Disability is a big and complex category which affects each person differently. One individual may use a one-handed keyboard because one side of their body is paralyzed; another may need the assistance of a ‘to-do’ list because they have short term memory loss. People with disabilities are often unfairly stereotyped and can be the recipients of negative assumptions such as requiring extra training for the job or being unable to perform job duties successfully. They can also be mistakenly viewed as objects of pity or deserving charity.

Exposure, Awareness and Education

To this day, there is a level of fear when discussing the ‘elephant in the room’ and being around people with disabilities. Many people don’t know how to talk about it openly and candidly, preferring to look at disabilities as limitations and something to fear. It is the fear of the unknown. Unless, employers have a personal connection or story with people with disabilities, they are often left with their social influences or media portrayals, which can support false assumptions.

Embracing Ability

The shifting perception of disability in the workforce will be highlighted by the targets of the Integrated Accessibility Standard. This approach not all discusses accommodations but also the barriers in the hiring, acquiring and retaining of employers. . It will bring together forward-thinking employers, innovative service providers and dynamic individuals with disabilities to focus on best practices for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workforce.

What accommodations are present in your work/life place? Some are not visible!!