Accessibility

 

Purpose

PSHSA will strive to ensure that its policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the following core principles as outlined in the AODA.

Dignity: Goods and services are provided in a manner that is respectful to persons with a disability and does not diminish the person’s importance.

Independence: Accommodating a person’s disability means respecting their right to do for themselves and to choose the way they wish to receive goods and services.

Integration: Persons with disabilities can access all goods and services. They may require alternative formats and flexible approaches. It means inclusiveness and full participation; when communicating with a person with a disability, PSHSA representatives shall do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability This is a fundamental human right.

Equal Opportunity: Service is provided to persons with disabilities in a way that their opportunity to access goods and services is equal to that given to others.

 

Statement of Commitment

PSHSA is committed to providing services to our clients, the public and our staff that are free of barriers and biases. PSHSA strives to ensure that key principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity are reflected and valued in our learning and working environments. We strive to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in a prompt manner, and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility. In addition, we will endeavor to meet accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Our conduct will demonstrate our belief in the strength diversity brings to our communities.

 

Related Documents and Resources

Multi-Year Plan

 

Training

PSHSA shall provide all PSHSA Representatives with a review of the purpose of the AODA and the requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service.

More in-depth training will be provided to those PSHSA Representatives who:

  • Deal with the public or other third parties on their behalf or
  • Are involved in the development and approval of customer service policies, practices and procedures

In-depth training will include:

  • A review of how to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disabilities;
  • How to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person;
  • How to use PSHSA’s available equipment or devices that may assist with the provision of services to persons with disabilities:
  • What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing PSHSA goods and/or services;
  • PSHSA’s policies, procedures and practices related to the provision of services to persons with disabilities.

New PSHSA Representatives will be provided such training as part of their orientation. Documentation of training of PSHSA Representatives shall be maintained by the Human Resources Department.

 

Availability and Format of Documents (Alternative Formats)

All documents required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, including PSHSA’s Accessible Customer Service Policy, notices of temporary disruptions, training records, and written feedback process are available upon request. When providing these documents to a person with a disability, and by request, PSHSA will endeavor to provide the document, or the information contained in the document, in a format that takes the person’s disability into account.

 

Policy Modification

Any policy of PSHSA that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed.

 

Customer Service Standard

Communication with Persons with Disabilities

When communicating with a person with a disability, PSHSA will do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability. PSHSA commits to provide training on customer service to all current and future employees, volunteers and contract trainers. This training will include how to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disabilities.

 

Notice of Disruption in Services

In the event of a service disruption affecting access, PSHSA will take reasonable steps to report such disruption to those impacted in a timely fashion through appropriate information channels. Such channels include, but are not limited to, PSHSA’s website, physical postings and/or communication via email or phone call to affected individuals. The required information necessary for any communication of a temporary disruption may include:

  • The time, date and location of the disruption;
  • Information about the reason for the disruption;
  • Anticipated duration of the disruption; and
  • Descriptions of alternative facilities or services, if any.

 

Assistive Devices

Personal assistive devices are permitted in all PSHSA offices and training facilities except when subject to operator safety. PSHSA will train its current and future employees, volunteers and contract trainers on the use of various assistive devices available at PSHSA. It should be noted that the provision, use and safety of personal assistive devices is the responsibility of the person with a disability.

So that adherence to this policy can be achieved efficiently and effectively, PSHSA will take into account the impact on persons with disabilities when purchasing new equipment, designing new systems or planning a new initiative.

 

Service Animals

Persons with a disability who are accompanied by a service animal may access premises owned and operated by PSHSA provided the public has access to such premises and the animal is not otherwise excluded by law. If a service animal is excluded by law, PSHSA will ensure that alternate means are available within reasonable time and location to provide persons with a disability access to PSHSA’s services.

There may be rare circumstances where, for reasons of health and safety of another person, allowing a person with a disability to enter a premises accompanied by a service animal needs to be considered. An example of such a situation may include where a person is allergic to animals and adversely affected if they are in close proximity to a service animal. If deemed necessary, a risk assessment will be conducted by the PSHSA Representative.

The risk assessment will include identifying the risks inherent with the service animal being in the area of concern and identify alternate measures available to enable the person with a disability to access the service.

If the PSHSA Representative cannot easily identify that the animal is a service animal, they can ask the person to provide documentation from a regulated health professional. The documentation must confirm that the person needs the service animal for reasons relating to their disability. The use, safety and clean-up of the service animal is the responsibility of the person with a disability.

 

Support Persons

PSHSA welcomes individuals who are accompanied by a support person, when the support person has been hired or chosen by the person with a disability to accompany them in order to assist in accessing goods or services and/or for the purpose of providing support with mobility, personal assistance and/or communication.

Individuals who are accompanied by a support person are encouraged to inform relevant PSHSA persons of their participation.

In certain cases, PSHSA may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person for health and safety reasons. Before making the decision PSHSA will complete the following:

  • Consult with the person with a disability to understand their needs.
  • Consider health or safety reasons based on available evidence.
  • Determine if there is no other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person or others on the premises.

Support persons shall be permitted entry to all PSHSA facilities and meeting rooms that are open to the public. Where there are admission fees for an event or training session organized by PSHSA, persons with a disability shall be expected to pay the same fees as other attendees, but no admission fee shall be charged to their support person. Please note that Support Persons will not receive certification or documentation of course completion, although they have attended a training session, they are not considered an active participant.

 

Feedback

Feedback about the delivery of services to persons with disabilities is welcomed, as it may identify areas that require change and assist in continuous service improvement. Such feedback may be by telephone, in person, in writing or by email. PSHSA will arrange for accessible formats and communication supports, on request and will make best efforts to provide a response in the same format in which the feedback was received.

Where possible, feedback will be addressed immediately. Some feedback may, however, require more effort to address and may need to be reviewed before an action is taken.

 

Feedback may be provided directly to Customer Service:
4950 Yonge Street, Suite 1800
Toronto, ON
M2N 6K1

Telephone Number: 1-877-250-7444
Email: AODA@pshsa.ca