All Forest Hill Village BIA businesses are required by law to comply with this Act.

If your company/organization/business provides goods or services and has a minimum of one employee in Ontario, then it must comply with AODA's Customer Service Standard, by January 1st, 2012. The Customer Service Standard requires all companies/organizations/businesses to develop and implement accessible customer service policies, practices and procedures that apply to persons with disabilities.

• Both you and your employees can take a short online course to help you better serve customers with disabilities

Accessibility Standard for Customer Service

Becoming accessible:

Accessible customer service is not about ramps or automatic door openers. It’s about understanding that people with disabilities may have different needs.
The 'Getting Started guide' will help you:

• understand the standard and what you need to do

• create your plan on accessible customer service

• train your staff.

The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service applies to all people or organizations in Ontario that:

• Provide goods or services, and

• Have one or more employees.

It affects these sectors:

• Private

• Non-profit

• Public

To provide accessible customer service, organizations need to:

Step 1: Create and put in place an plan that:

• Considers a person’s disability when communicating with them

• Allows assistive devices in your workplace, like wheelchairs, walkers and oxygen tanks

• Allows service animals

• Welcomes support persons

• Lets customers know when accessible services aren’t available

• Invites customers to provide feedback

Step 2: Train staff

...

Questions?

For more detailed information, you can request a copy of the 'Getting started guide', and also read the Employer Handbook.

Visit http://www.ontario.ca/AccessON.

Or contact:

Toll-free: 1-866-515-2025

TTY: 416-325-3408 / Toll-free: 1-800-268-7095

Fax: 416-325-3407