Here is a Quizlet revision activity covering key terms on the topic of public goods and market failure Show
Club goods: Goods that are excludable but not rival in consumption e.g. streamed video online Common pool resources: Goods that are available to everyone, but one user's consumption reduces the amount available for others Cooperation: Participating in a common project that is intended to produce mutual benefits. Excludability: Property of a good where a person can be prevented from using it if they do not pay Free rider: When we benefit from consuming a product without contributing to the cost of supply Global public bad: Something with severe negative externalities on communities leading to a loss of social welfare Global public goods: Public goods that benefit every country, irrespective of which ones provide them Marginal cost: The cost of producing one more unit of a good or service Market failure: When markets allocate resources in a socially-inefficient way. Missing market: Occurs when the private sector fails to provide certain products at all Non-excludability: When benefits from pure public goods cannot be confined solely to those who have paid Non-rivalrous: When consumption of a good by one person does not reduce the amount available for others Private good: A good that is both rival, and from which others can be excluded. Quasi public good: A near-public good which is at times semi-rival and semi-excludable Tragedy of the commons: When no one owns a resource, it may get over-used, for example fish stocks Public Goods and Market Failure I A Level and IB Economics
This Guide gives a basic overview of the requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07. This Ontario law came into force on January 1, 2008. It is the first accessibility standard created under The Guide is designed to help people or organizations that provide goods or services to the public or other third parties to understand their obligations under the customer service standard. It explains the standard in plain terms. The word “organization(s)” is used to refer to the phrase “persons and organizations”. Providing services includes providing goods or services. The Guide is not legal advice. Many sections of the standard regulation are included in this document but not all. To obtain a copy of the official version of the standard regulation, please see Chapter 12. Chapter 12 also provides This document contains examples of how a provider might comply with the standard. The examples are fictional, though many are based on real situations. They are designed to help explain the standard, but not to suggest a specific solution for the type of organization mentioned. Many of the requirements can be met in a variety of ways depending on the services an organization offers, its structure or size. In addition, new accessibility solutions that are not mentioned here may become available as time passes. Back to Table of Contents 2. Backgrounda. Why Does Ontario Need Accessibility Standards?Several laws in Ontario address accessibility and some requirements have existed since the 1980s. Since then, progress on accessibility has been made in some areas and by some organizations. Despite this, accessibility remains limited. People with disabilities still do not have equal access to services, employment, transportation, information or buildings that others in Ontario enjoy. They cannot count on accessibility b. What is the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA)?AODA Section 1. Recognizing the history of discrimination against persons with disabilities in Ontario, the purpose of this Act is to benefit all Ontarians by,
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), is a law passed by the Ontario legislature that allows the government to develop specific standards of accessibility and to enforce them. The standards are made into laws called regulations, and they provide the details to help meet the goal of the AODA. The AODA is the foundation on which the standards are built. The purpose of the accessibility standards is to move organizations in Ontario forward on accessibility. The standards will set requirements in a number of key areas and will be reviewed at least every five years. New requirements may be added. Ontario will move step by step towards accessibility that is widespread and commonplace, accessibility that people with disabilities can count on, on a daily basis. In this way Ontario will fully benefit from the contributions, involvement and spending power of people with disabilities. Further, increasing accessibility will help prepare Ontario for the future. As the population ages, the number of people with disabilities will increase. Visitors and tourists, along with their friends and family will need to travel, shop, use programs, services, and information and to access buildings, parks, and other places in a way that is accessible to them. c. What Other Accessibility Standards are Expected?The customer service standard is the first standard developed under the AODA. Other proposed standards are being developed in the areas of transportation, information and communications, employment and the built environment. Like the customer service standard, the other proposed standards are being developed by standards development committees. The committees are made up of people with disabilities or their representatives, representatives of the business community, the broader public sector and the Ontario government. d. How Does the AODA Relate to the Customer Service Standard? In addition to being the foundation for the customer service standard, the AODA has some specific requirements and rules that must be considered when reading the standard. The key areas of the AODA that should be considered are outlined (i) Who is a Person with a Disability?The definition of disability under the AODA is the same as the definition of disability in the Ontario Human Rights Code. This is the definition of disability that applies to the customer service standard. AODA Section 2. In this Act, …
The definition includes disabilities of different severity, visible as well as non-visible disabilities, and disabilities the effects of which may come and go.
It is important to understand that information about a disability is personal and private and must be treated confidentially. In most cases it will not be necessary to ask for proof of a disability. Through implementing the customer (ii) The Customer Service Standard and Other Laws AODA Section 3. Nothing in this Act or in the regulations diminishes in any way the legal obligations of the Government of Ontario or of any person or organization with respect to persons with disabilities that are imposed under any other Act AODA Section 38. If a provision of this Act, of an accessibility standard or of any other regulation conflicts with a provision of any other Act or regulation, the provision that provides the highest level of accessibility for persons with There are other laws related to accessibility that may apply to organizations covered by the customer service standard, such as the Ontario Building Code Act, 1992 and the Ontario Human Rights Code. The AODA and the customer service standard do not replace or change what you must do under these and any other laws. For example a provider must still comply with the Ontario Human Rights Code, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in goods, services or facilities, accommodations, contracts, employment, and vocational organizations. The AODA and the customer service standard have not changed the rules that exist under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Where the standard sets different rules than other laws, a provider may have to comply with both. For example, a provider must comply with the rules of the Ontario Human Rights Code, in addition to new rules under the AODA and the standard such as to provide a process for receiving feedback about how it provides service to people with disabilities. (iii) What if the Standard Conflicts with Other Laws?If two laws conflict with one another, Section 38 of the AODA states that the law that provides the higher level of accessibility is the law that must be followed. (iv) How Will This Standard be Enforced?The AODA allows for enforcement of the customer service standard through inspections, compliance orders and administrative penalties. Details of enforcement will be set out in a new regulation that is planned for 2008. Back to Table of Contents 3. Summary Of Requirements of the Standard All providers that are covered by the customer service standard must comply with the 11 requirements summarized below. Providers with 20 or more employees and all designated public sector organizations have three additional requirements Please note that this list is a plain language summary of the requirements. In several cases, it does not include the full details of the requirement. a. What Requirements Apply to All Providers?The following requirements of the customer service standard apply to all providers that are covered by the standard. If you are a provider, you must:
Each of these requirements and the terms used are described in greater detail in the chapters that follow. b. What Additional Requirements Apply to Designated Public Sector Organizations and providers with 20 or more employees?If you are a designated public sector organization or other provider with 20 or more employees, you must:
Each of these requirements and the terms used are described in greater detail in the following chapters. Back to Table of Contents 4. Who Must Comply?
The customer service standard applies to all organizations, both public and private that provide goods or services either directly to the public or to other organizations in Ontario (third parties) and that have one or more employees in Ontario. This chapter discusses all the factors that need to be considered in determining whether an organization must comply with the customer service standard as well as some situations when the standard does not apply. a. Which Public Sector Providers are Designated?
The customer service standard identifies the following people or organizations as a designated public sector organization in the standard:
Designated public sector organizations, regardless of their size, must comply with all the requirements of the standard. Public and broader public sector organizations that are not designated in the standard are addressed in the category b. Who Else is a Provider of Goods or Services Under the Standard?In addition to designated public sector organizations, the standard applies to every other organization that provides goods or services to the public or other third parties and has at least one employee in Ontario. Examples of Providers of Goods or ServicesThe types of organizations that provide goods or services include, but are not limited to:
(i) What Does it Mean to Provide Goods or Services to the Public? Organizations use many different words to describe the members of the public they serve, including customers, clients, members, patients, constituents, parishioners, congregants, patrons and consumers. Under the standard, providing services to Even if you only provide goods or services to the members of the public who meet your eligibility criteria, for the purposes of the customer service standard, you are still providing goods or services to the public and you must still meet
(ii) What Does it Mean to Provide Goods or Services to Third Parties? The customer service standard also applies to persons or organizations who make goods or services available to other third parties – other businesses, the government or other organizations. This includes consultants, manufacturers and wholesalers as well as providers of other business and professional services. Under the customer service standard, providers of goods or services to third parties must comply with the same requirements as the providers who serve the
(iii) Why Does the Customer Service Standard Apply to Third Party Services?The rules on the accessible provision of goods or services to third parties exist to help ensure that people with disabilities in the organizations receiving the goods or services are not prevented from receiving them. For example, individuals with disabilities should be able to benefit from the services their organization purchases from a training firm. A retailer whose buyer has a disability should be able to expect that the business services offered c. What are the Requirements for Counting Employees Under the Standard? The customer service standard applies to all providers of goods or services with at least one employee in Ontario. However, there are additional requirements for providers with 20 or more employees and all providers that are designated Providers must determine if they have one or more employees and, if so, how many. (i) How do I Count My Employees?All full-time, part-time, seasonal and contract employees, regardless of status, must be counted when determining the number of employees an organization has. An employee is someone in an employee-employer relationship with an employer. An employer needs to determine who is included as an employee based on the individual situation or circumstances. In most situations it is clear whether someone is You do not include volunteers and independent contractors in the count. However, depending on the work they do for you, they may have to comply with requirements of the standard. Obligated organizations are responsible for ensuring that the Example: A charity that works with youth from low-income families has 50 volunteers and three part-time employees. The charity recently entered into a contract with an independent contractor for janitorial services. For the purposes of (ii) What if I am Self-Employed?If you are self-employed, either as a sole proprietor or in a partnership, you should not count yourself as an employee in determining how many employees you have. In this situation you and any business partner that you may have are not employees. However, any other individuals who work for you may be considered employees depending on the nature of the relationship. If you run your own business and it is incorporated, you may be an employee of the corporation along with other employees you have. Example: Monica and her business partner Rafia run a graphic design company from Monica’s home. When they first opened the business, they had no employees, no one else worked with them and they were not incorporated. At that time they did not have Last year they hired Raphael to work with them. Therefore, they had one employee and had to comply with the customer service standard. Next month they will be incorporating the business and they may have three employees: Monica, Rafia and Raphael. (iii) When Do I Count the Number of Employees That I Have?The customer service standard does not set a date when you must count your employees. What you must do under the standard may change during the year, or from one year to the next as the number of your employees changes. At any point in time that you have one or more employees in Ontario, you must comply with the customer service standard. At any point in time that you have 20 or more employees, you will have to comply with the additional requirements to prepare certain documents explained in Chapter 11. Example: A snow removal business has 20 part-time employees in the winter and two employees who work full-time throughout the year. For the purpose of the customer service standard, this business has 22 employees in the winter and d. Are There Situations Where the Standard Does Not Apply?i) Provision of Goods or Services under federal jurisdiction This is an Ontario law. It applies only to the provision of goods or services of providers that are under the jurisdiction of the provincial government. Some providers may have services that are only under federal jurisdiction and they (ii) Services to EmployeesThe customer service standard does not apply to services provided internally within an organization (for example, services to employees or an in-house legal branch of a corporation). It addresses only those provided externally to the public (customers, clients, members, etc.) or other third parties (other businesses, organizations, etc.) When a person is both an employee and a customer, you must comply with the customer service standard in your role as a service provider, not in your role as an employer. Other laws address the employment relationship and an employment standard is anticipated under the AODA as well. Example: A university graduate student is employed as a teaching assistant. The student is therefore a university customer and an employee of the university. The university must comply with the customer service standard in the provision of its goods or services to the student, but the standard does not apply to its employment of the student. (iii) Do My Goods Have to be Accessible?The standard does not set accessibility requirements for the goods themselves, but rather the way that they are provided to customers. In other words, it is the provision of goods or services to the public or other third parties that must comply with the customer service standard. Example: A store that carries printed forms and templates for drafting wills must comply with the customer service standard in how it serves its customers and sells those documents. It is not required to provide accessible goods, such Back to Table of Contents 5. What Are The Deadlines For Compliance?
a. What are the Deadlines for Complying with the Standard?The deadlines for complying with the customer service standard are based on the two categories of organizations described in the previous chapter:
These dates will allow providers to meet the requirements of the standard and train employees, volunteers, independent contractors, and other people who interact with the public on their behalf. It also allows providers to gain experience Compliance by January 1, 2010:Example: The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the City of Greater Sudbury are designated public sector organizations since the first is a government ministry and the second is a municipality. They must meet all of the requirements Example: The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and the Fire Safety Commission are designated public sector organizations because they are listed in Schedule 1. They must meet all of the requirements of the standard by January 1, 2010. Example: An organization defined as a hospital under the Public Hospitals Act is a designated public sector organization under Schedule 2. It must meet all the requirements of the standard by January 1, 2010. Compliance by January 1, 2012:Example: A private career college is not a designated public sector organization because it does not fit the definition under the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act, 2002. It must meet all of the requirements of the standard Example: A children’s aid society is not a designated public sector organization under the customer service standard. It must meet all of the requirements of the standard by January 1, 2012. Example: A non-profit professional organization is an “other” provider of goods or services. It must meet all of the requirements of the standard by January 1, 2012. Example: A convenience store is an “other” provider of goods or services. It must meet the requirements of the standard by January 1, 2012. Back to Table of Contents 6. Policies, Practices And Procedures
The customer service standard has both specific requirements and general requirements. Specific requirements tell providers what they must do and general requirements tell them what they must achieve, but allow them to decide how to go about it. Subsections 3(1), 3(2) and 3(3) of the standard have general requirements about the policies, procedures and practices that you have to establish to direct how you provide goods or services to people with disabilities. The rest of the standard after these subsections deals with specific requirements and policies about them. a. What Are Policies, Practices and Procedures?The customer service standard sets rules about policies, practices and procedures on providing goods or services to people with disabilities. Policies, procedures and practices may be defined as follows:
Many providers of goods or services will already have a range of policies, practices and procedures on how they provide goods or services every day. Such policies, practices, and procedures include everything from how staff interact
b. What Policies, Practices and Procedures Have to be Established?The customer service standard requires that all providers of goods or services do the following:
To view a presentation on how Restaurant owners can meet this section visit www.amenu.ca/presentation The policies, practices and procedures on providing goods or services to people with disabilities can be integrated into your current policies and procedures on providing goods or services or you can create separate policies, practices and procedures. However, integrating accessibility into standard policies, practices and procedures often ensures that they are not overlooked or allowed to become out of date. Example: A clothing store with changing rooms that were not accessible had a policy that did not allow exchanges or returns. After evaluating whether this policy was consistent with the principles in the customer service standard, This requirement does not tell you how to make your services accessible. Rather this section of the standard leaves it up to each organization to determine how to provide its general services in a way that is accessible to people with Example: The owner of a small store with front steps might decide that she cannot alter the steps in the near future. Instead she considers how else she can meet the needs of those people with disabilities who are unable to use the steps. An option might include installing a door bell in an accessible external location and posting a sign outside the store that the clerk will come out to serve people with disabilities if they ring the bell. The store might also offer to do business by phone. In developing any policies, practices and procedures for the purposes of this standard, you may also want to include any other legal obligations you have that are relevant such as obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code. c. What are the Principles?
Providers must use reasonable efforts to ensure that the policies, procedures and practices they establish because of subsections 3(1) and 3(3) of the standard are consistent with the following principles:
(i) What Does “Use Reasonable Efforts to be Consistent with the Principles” Mean? The principles are key components to achieving accessibility. Being consistent with the principles will help guide an organization in creating policies, practices and procedures that establish accessible services. The standard does not specify There is no single way to provide accessibility. Accessibility can often be achieved in a variety of different ways; by changing a procedure or installing an assistive device or simply by considering the needs of people with disabilities when you create services. Each organization needs to consider how they can provide goods or services to people with disabilities in light of their services, type Building accessibility into decision-making processes, short- and long- term planning, purchasing, and development of new systems or services, will help to ensure costly accessibility mistakes are not made nor that unintentional barriers to people with disabilities are created. If there are accessibility measures that an organization wishes to use but can’t make at the current time, they should plan for future implementation, and use other methods of providing accessibility in the short-term. Example: A customer who is blind and reads Braille may need to know exactly what is on her bill but be unable to read a print copy. Different organizations may approach this situation in a range of ways. At a small coffee shop, a waiter or cashier might read the bill to the person. A florist shop might offer to read a bill by phone. A mid-sized utility company might offer monthly bills in Braille to customers who register for the service and then might hire another company to print and send the Braille bills. A larger utility with more customers who use Braille and in-house technical expertise Example: A person with severe arthritis is unable to stand in a line-up for a length of time due to their disability. A store with long line-ups at the cash register might offer a chair to the side and then serve the person in their order in the line. A non-profit service agency might offer to complete an intake form by phone rather than having the person travel to their site. A municipal office might install a separate service counter with a chair if putting a chair near the waiting line would result in As you plan your policies, practices and procedures consider whether they address the principles which are each explained below. (ii) 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 Example: A person with a disability seeks assistance at a government office. When he is asked for identification he slowly and carefully pulls out his wallet and begins to locate his identification. The individual at the counter offers him assistance. When he indicates that he does not require help, the individual at the counter does not rush him and allows the line behind him to get longer because of the delay. By respecting his wishes and not interfering with the man’s efforts to get his wallet and identification on his own, the organization is respecting the dignity of this person. Example: A museum’s phone lines are usually answered in person. The museum has a TTY(Telephone Teletype) device for use by people who are Deaf or who have a speech impairment. However, the TTY line is left on its answering machine and the messages are only checked and responded to once a day. In this example, (iii) What Does the Principle of Independence Mean? In some instances, independence means freedom from control or influence of others – freedom to make your own choices. In other situations, it may mean the freedom to do things in your own way. People who may move or speak more slowly Example: A clerk is helping a customer to buy lemonade which is served in a thin paper cup. The customer paying for the drink has very short arms. The clerk tries to hand the drink to the customer’s companion. If this customer had Example: A person with a developmental disability wishes to get a divorce from his wife. His mother drives him to a lawyer’s office and then sits in the waiting area while her son approaches the reception desk to explain why he is (iv) What Does the Principle of Integration Mean? Integrated services are those that allow people with disabilities to fully benefit from the same services, in the same place and in the same or similar way as other customers. Integration means that policies, practices and procedures are Sometimes integration does not serve the needs of all people with disabilities. In these cases it is necessary to use alternate measures to provide goods or services. Alternate measures are ways of serving people with disabilities that are not completely integrated into the regular business activities of the organization. It might be that goods or services are provided to people with disabilities in a different place or in a different way than other customers. For example, using TTYs or e-mail to communicate with customers who are Deaf or have speech impairments is one way of offering phone services to them. Alternative measures, rather than integration, might be necessary because the person with a disability requires it or because you cannot provide another option at the time. If you are unable to remove a barrier to accessibility, you need Example: A bookstore provides services only through the Internet and doesn’t have a physical location. If its website is fully accessible to customers who use screen readers (software that reads text aloud), its services are integrated as customers with low vision, for example, are able to access its goods in the same way as other customers. If the bookstore’s website is not accessible to customers who use screen readers, but instead the bookstore makes its telephone customer service centre available to assist customers who have vision disabilities make purchases and review merchandise, it is providing an alternative measure to integration. (v) What Does the Principle of Equal Opportunity Mean?Equal opportunity means having the same chances, options, benefits and results as others. In the case of services it means that people with disabilities have the same opportunity to benefit from the way you provide goods or services as others. They should not have to make significantly more effort to access or obtain service. They should also not have to accept lesser quality or more inconvenience. Sometimes this may mean that you have to treat individuals slightly differently so that they can benefit fully from your services. Equal opportunity can best be reached by taking steps to ensure that individual needs are taken into account Sometimes the principles need to be balanced in order to achieve the outcome that meets the needs of the person with a disability. Example: A bakery advertises its products available for sale through visual displays. If its staff fail to assist people with vision disabilities to understand the variety of products available, they are preventing people with disabilities Example: A coffee shop has a customer with a mental health disability that makes it difficult for him to be crowded by other people. The customer explains his disability-related needs and is offered a table apart from others. This supports the principle of equality of opportunity as it allows him to have the equal opportunity to enjoy his food and drink. While it may appear to be contrary to the principle of integration, it is not, as the person is most integrated by being allowed to sit apart. d. How Should My Policies Deal with the Use of Assistive Devices?It is important that providers are prepared to serve people with disabilities. This includes having policies that address the use of personal assistive devices and the availability of other assistive measures. As with the other policies required in Section 3, the standard does not outline what a provider’s policies must say. The rule is that your policies address these two topics as they relate to the use of your services and that the policies are consistent with the principles discussed above. Personal assistive devices are usually devices that people bring with them, such as a walker or a personal oxygen tank. Your policy might be general such as a policy allowing people to use their personal assistive devices to use your Example: Some people with low vision use magnification devices called monoculars to see large screens or other things at a distance. At a seminar or show that restricts recording devices, a staff person might assume the monocular is a recording device and restrict a person from using one. A provider’s policy might address this. If you offer any other assistive measures that enable people with disabilities to use your services (such as assistive devices, services or alternate service methods), you must include information on them in your policies, practices and procedures. Some examples include TTY (Telephone Teletype), amplification systems, services such as real-time captioning, or the assistance of a staff person in reaching products. Example: A self-service gas station with several staff on hand has a policy that it will assist drivers with disabilities in pumping their gas. It also posts a sign so that motorists will know about the policy. Example: A hotel offers manual wheelchairs in case a person’s wheelchair breaks down, alarm detectors, amplifiers and TTYs upon request to guests. It posts a sign about the availability of these assistive devices at the front e. What if Another Company Provides Some of My Services? If you are a provider with responsibilities under the customer service standard, you must ensure that the policies, procedures and practices that govern the provision of your goods or services are compliant with the standard regardless For example, a provider may contract or pay another company to provide billing and collections services or delivery and installation services on its behalf. As the provider that contracts to another company you must still ensure the second company fulfills your obligation under the standard. You would need to ensure, for example, that the second company providing delivery and installation services, meets your obligations under the standard. If the goods or services are provided in Ontario, this applies even if the second company has no staff in Ontario. Example: An Ontario company has contracted with an overseas company to operate a call centre to respond to customer inquiries. The Ontario company must ensure that the services provided on its behalf by the call centre to customers in f. What Must I do When Communicating?
Communication is a process of providing, sending, receiving and understanding information. This section of the regulation is a specific requirement to communicate with an individual with a disability in a way that takes the person’s disability Taking someone’s disability into account requires you to take that particular individual’s needs and circumstances into consideration. Don’t make assumptions based on his or her disability. What may be a very effective way of providing information for one person with a disability may not be for another. Different people with the same type of disability may communicate in different ways because of different skills or resources. For example, only a small percentage of people who are blind use Braille. Where possible, it is helpful to ask the person directly how to communicate with them. (i) What are Accessible Communications?Depending on the situation and the person’s needs, there are a variety of ways to make communications more accessible. These include:
1) Make the Original Communication More AccessibleSometimes communication can be made accessible if the needs of people with disabilities were considered during the planning stage of services. Using plain language can help to make a document easier to read for people with certain Example: Internet websites are a key channel of communication for many organizations. Many people with disabilities use computers and the Internet. Some people with disabilities use assistive devices such as screen readers (devices that speak the contents of the screen), speech input systems (which allow you to talk into a microphone to control the computer and enter text) and a variety of other devices to operate their computer. If Internet sites and applications are created in a way that considers how assistive devices operate and how people with disabilities use them, the sites will be accessible to people with disabilities. 2) Change the Usual Method of Communication to Meet an Individual’s NeedCommunications that occur as part of providing goods or services can occur in a variety of ways such as in person, by phone, online, through print signs, handouts, brochures and through television or media advertisements. A second method of making communications accessible is to offer the information in a different medium. For example, if a staff person in a store needs to communicate with a person who is Deaf or hard of hearing about a product rather than talking, they may want to handwrite or type information back and forth. A written handout of commonly-used information, such as a return policy, might also assist in the communication. This changes the format from a verbal conversation to a communication that uses text. Other examples include offering alternate formats of print documents such as:
3) Use Assistive Devices or ServicesThere are a variety of assistive devices or services that a provider might want to consider in communicating with customers with disabilities. For example, an amusement park that has glassed ticket booths may want to add amplification devices to the booths to assist people who are hard of hearing. An organization that offers conferences might offer real-time captioning services (on-screen typing of what speakers are saying), sign language interpreters or deaf-blind intervenors upon request so that people who are hard of hearing, Deaf, deafened or deaf-blind may participate effectively in the conference seminars. A government office that provides detailed and sometimes lengthy information by phone might use a TTY to communicate with its clients who are Deaf, hard of hearing, have speech impairments or are deaf-blind. (ii) Consider the Nature of the CommunicationFinding a suitable communication method may require consideration of the situation or circumstances of the provider and of the person with a disability. Quite often, a person with a disability will have a range of ways in which they can communicate. Someone who is unable to speak or has difficulty speaking, for example, may use gestures, pen and paper or typing back and forth, when the information being exchanged is simple or straightforward. Other people with speech disabilities may use electronic communication systems, and though it might be difficult to understand the synthetic voice, taking the time to listen carefully or to observe a visual display of the information will often allow effective communication. In some situations, where the information being exchanged is complex, lengthy or very important, it may be more effective to involve someone who can facilitate or interpret the communication. Where options exist, a provider may use any communication method that takes into account the person’s disability in the particular situation. Example: A music studio provides its schedule of classes electronically to a senior with a vision disability so that he can use his computer’s screen reader to understand the information. When another customer with a vision disability asks for the schedule in Braille, the studio explains that it does not have it available in Braille, but can provide it electronically. As this customer has an accessible computer and is able to read the electronic document, they accept the offer of an electronic document although it was not their preferred format. Example: A hospital provides sign language interpreters to Deaf patients who use American Sign Language (ASL) or langue des signes québécoise (LSQ). When a Deaf patient is admitted who does not understand ASL or LSQ, the hospital learns from her that she is comfortable communicating back and forth In the case of individuals who have limited options of communication or where ongoing services are required, such as an individual who will be receiving weekly services for an extended period of time, not all providers may be able to meet g. What Documents are Required?See Chapter 11 for documentation requirements for all designated public sector organizations and other organizations with 20 or more employees. Back to Table of Contents 7. Service Animals and Support Persons Service animals and support persons are used by people with many different kinds of disabilities. Examples of service animals include dogs used by people who are blind, hearing alert animals for people who are Deaf, deafened or hard of Some people with disabilities rely on support persons for certain services or assistance, such as using the washroom or a person with a speech impairment may use a support person to facilitate communication. A support person may be a. Does This Section Apply to You?
Schedule 1: Boards, Commisions, Authorities andAgencies
O. Reg. 429/07, Sched. 1; O. Reg. 373/08, s. 1. Back to Contents Schedule 2: Broader Public Sector
O. Reg. 429/07, Sched. 2. Back to Table of Contents Appendix B Excerpts of Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 562, ss.
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