Accessibility

Accessibility Policy

 View our Accessibility Policy

Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

Accessible Customer Service Policy

Purpose

Ontario Regulation 429/07 made under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 came into force on January 1, 2008.

This regulation establishes accessibility standards for customer service and it applies to every designated public sector organization and to every other person or organization that provides goods or services to members of the public or other third parties and that has at least one employee in Ontario.

The accessibility standards for customer service apply to the designated public sector organizations on and after January 1, 2010 and to other providers of goods or services on and after January 1, 2012.

The regulation requires the Township of Champlain to establish policy governing the following;

Policy

1. Establishment of Policies, Practices and Procedures
   1. The Township of Champlain shall establish policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of its goods or services to persons with disabilities.
   2. The Township shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the following principles:
      1. The goods or services must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
      2. The provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities and others must be integrated unless an alternate measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the goods or services.
      3. Persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods or service3s.
   3. When communicating with a person with a disability, a provider shall do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.
   4. The Township Of Champlain will notify the public and staff that, when requested, we will accommodate disabilities during recruitment and assessment processes and when people are hired.
   5. If needed, we will provide customized workplace emergency information to employees who have a disability.
   6. If using performance management, career development and redeployment processes, we will take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities.

Use of Service Animals

1. If a person with a disability is accompanied by a guide dog or other service animal, the Township of Champlain shall ensure that the person is permitted to enter the premises with the animal and to keep the animal with him or her unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law from the premises.
2. If a service animal is excluded by law from the premises, the Township shall ensure that other measures are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the Township’s goods or services.
3. In this section:
   • guide dog means a guide dog as defined in section 1 of the Blind Persons Rights Act
   • service animal means a service animal for a person with a disability
4. For the purposes of this section, an animal is a service animal for a person with a disability:
   1. If it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability; or
   2. If the person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability.

  Use of Support Persons

1. If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, the Township of Champlain shall ensure that both persons are permitted to enter the premises together and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person while on the premises.
2. The Township may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when on the premises, but only if a support person is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health or safety of others on the premises.
3. If an amount is payable by a person for admission to the premises or in connection with a person’s presence at the premises, the Township shall ensure that the support person is not charged this fee.
4. In this section, Support person means, in relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies him or her in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods or services.

Notice of Temporary Disruptions

1. If, in order to obtain, use or benefit from a Township of Champlain’s goods or services, persons with disabilities usually use particular facilities or services of the Township and if there is a temporary disruption in those facilities or services in whole or in part, the Township shall give notice of the disruption to the public.
2. Notice of the disruption must include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative facilities or services, if any, that are available.
3. Notice may be given by posting the information at a conspicuous place on premises owned or operated by the Township of Champlain of goods or services available, by posting it on the Township’s website or by such other method as is reasonable in the circumstances.

Training for Staff

1.  The Township of Champlain shall ensure that the following persons receive training about the provision of its goods or services to persons with disabilities:
   1. Every person who deals with members of the public or other third parties on behalf of the Township, whether the person does so as an employee, agent, volunteer or otherwise.
   2. Every person who participates in developing the Township’s policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to members of the public or other third parties.
2. The training must include a review of the purposes of the Act and the requirements of this regulation and instruction about the following matters:
   1. How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disability.
   2. How to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a guide dog or other service animal or the assistance of a support person.
   3. How to use equipment or devices available on the Township’s premises or otherwise provided by the Township that may help with the provision of goods or services to a person with a disability.
   4. What to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty accessing the Township’s goods or services.
3. The training must be provided to each person as soon as practicable after he or she is assigned the applicable duties.
4. Training must also be provided on an ongoing basis in connection with changes to the policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities. 

Feedback Process for the Township of Champlain

1. The Township of Champlain shall establish a process for receiving and responding to feedback about the manner in which it provides goods or services to persons with disabilities and shall make information about the process readily available to the public.

2. The feedback process must permit persons to provide their feedback in person, by telephone, in writing, or by delivering an electronic text by email or on diskette or otherwise.

3. The feedback process must specify the actions that the Township is required to take if a complaint is received.

Notice of Availability of Documents

1. The Township of Champlain shall notify persons to whom it provides goods or services that the documents required by this regulation are available upon request.
2. The notice may be given by posting the information at a conspicuous place on premises owned or operated by the Township, by posting it on the Township’s website, if any, or by such other method as is reasonable in the circumstances.

Format of Documents

1. If the Township of Champlain is required by this regulation to give a copy of a document to a person with a disability, it shall give the person the document, or the information contained in the document, in a format that takes into account the person’s disability.
2. The Township and the person with a disability may agree upon the format to be used for the document or information.

Accessibility Working Group

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act, 2005 states that every municipality having a population of at least 10,000 shall establish an Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) and that the majority of the members of the committee shall be persons with disabilities. Given that the population of Champlain Township is less that 10,000, Champlain Township has established an Accessibility Working Group that shall be comprised of: the Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Building Official, Communications Specialist, Director of Parks and Recreation, Director of Public Works, Senior Planner and Treasurer.  

The Champlain Accessibility Working Group’s (CAWG) key responsibilities and activities will be those defined for an Accessibility Advisory Committee under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 and are replicated in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 as:

• Identifying barriers;
• Providing Council and staff with recommendations for remediation of barriers;
• Providing comments on site plans they select for review; and
• Providing recommendations to the Township concerning public education associated with municipal accessibility.

Accessibility Compliance Reports

To ensure that businesses and organizations are complying with the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) accessibility standards, all public and private organizations are required to file online accessibility compliance reports.

Request the latest Accessibility Compliance Report from the Municipal Clerk.

Accessible Formats

The Township of Champlain notifies the public regarding the availability of accessible formats and communication supports and shall, upon request and in consultation with the person making the request, provide or make arrangements to provide accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities. Accessible formats and communication supports will be provided in a timely manner, taking into account the person’s particular accessibility needs and at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons.

This requirement applies to Township information, communications, documents and emergency procedures, plans or public safety information made available to the public.

This requirement does not apply to products and product labels, unconvertible information and communications, and information that the Township does not control directly or indirectly through a contractual relationship. If it is determined that information or communications are unconvertible, the department shall provide the person requesting the information or communication with:

• An explanation as to why the information or communications are unconvertible; and,
• A summary of the unconvertible information or communications; and
• Accessible formats and communication supports.

To request an alternate format or communication support, please contact our Municipal Clerk. We will provide you with communication support or an accessible formats that best suits your needs, upon requests.

Accessible Website and Web Content

The Township of Champlain will ensure that the official municipal website and web content conforms to the World Wide Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA, at a minimum, except where meeting this requirement is not practicable.

If you use assistive technology and the format of any content on this website interferes with your ability to access the information, please contact us and we will make every effort to provide you with a format that is accessible to you.

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accessibility of third-party documents or websites.

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