Township of St. Joseph Accessible Customer Service Policy and Procedures
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA 2005)
Purpose
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 is Provincial legislation that sets out Standards of compliance to ensure that services provided to Ontarians with disabilities is accessible and provided in a manner that uses reasonable efforts consistent with the core principles of:
Dignity – services are provided in a respectful manner consistent with the needs of the individual.
Independence – services for persons with disabilities shall support their independence while respecting their right to safety and personal privacy.
Integration – allow people with disabilities to fully benefit from the same service, in the same place and in a similar way.
Equality of Opportunity – persons with disabilities are given the same opportunity to benefit from the services provided as other clients.
Scope
Accessible Customer Service will be provided by all employees who communicate with the public, all management and program staff who develop our policies and procedures, all volunteers and any third parties we may contract with.
Our intent is to ensure all persons with disabilities receive customer service in a manner that takes into consideration their disability and offers excellence in customer service.
Accessible Customer Service
Policy and Prodedures
Nov. 19, 2009
PDF (128KB)
Accessibility Plan 2010
Summary
The purpose of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) is to improve access and opportunities for people with disabilities and provides for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in life in the Province.
Like all municipalities in the province, the Township of St. Joseph will meet the requirements of the ODA and prepare and implement an annual Accessibility Plan. The Township of St. Joseph supports the ODA and will meet it’s obligations under the Act, however it also recognizes that accessibility plans must reflect a balance of stakeholder priorities and the municipality’s ability to achieve incremental changes within the Township’s overall priorities and budgeted resources. Through accessibility planning, the Township will over time progressively identify and remove barriers that may exist in the community.
The accessibility plan for the Township of St. Joseph was originally prepared in 2003 and is updated annually. This plan describes the measures the Township has taken to identify barriers that may exist in it’s by-laws, services, policies, procedures, programs and facilities in order to determine barriers that need to be removed and the measures taken to remove such barriers to date.
The Township has committed itself to identifying the barriers within the municipality and working toward continual improvement of access to facilities and services within the community. As barriers to people with disabilities are identified, the Township will continue to work toward their removal and prevention.
A working group established to assist Council and staff in the identification of barriers to people with disabilities also provides recommendations on the removal and prevention of such barriers.
This Plan describes the measures taken and to be taken to identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities who utilize the facilities and services in the community, including employees.
Township of St. Joseph
Accessibility Plan 2010
PDF (98KB)
