Accessibility

POLICY

Whenever possible, Community Support Centre-NW is committed to providing services that are accessible to all persons who wish to use the Agency’s services, resources and facilities.

PROCEDURE

Guiding Principles

• Community Support Centre-NW is responsive to the needs of its users.
• Services are provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
• Community Support Centre-NW strives to provide services for all people to the greatest extent possible, within the Agency’s limitations to do so.
• All service locations are accessible by persons with disabilities.
• When communicating with a person with a disability, Agency staff will do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.

Temporary Service Disruptions

The Agency will make reasonable efforts to provide notice of planned or unplanned disruption of service to the public, including information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative service, if any, that may be available.

Assistive Devices

A person with a disability may provide their own assistive device for the purpose of accessing or using Community Support Centre-NW services. Exceptions may occur in situations where the Agency has determined that the assistive device may pose a risk to the health and safety of the person with a disability or to the health and safety of others on the premises. In these situations, the Agency may offer a person with a disability other reasonable measures to assist them to use the services.

It is the responsibility of the person with a disability to ensure that any assistive device is operated in a safe and controlled manner at all times.

Service Animals and Guide Dogs

Persons with a disability may enter the Community Support Centre-NW premises accompanied by a service animal if the animal is not otherwise excluded by law. It is the responsibility of the person with a disability to ensure that the service animal or guide dog is kept in control at all times.

Support Persons

A person with a disability may use the services of a support person to access and/or use the services of Community Support Centre-NW.

Due to the confidential nature of the services provided by Community Support Centre-NW, the user may be requested to provide authorization for the release of confidential information to the support person, if deemed necessary.

Training

Community Support Centre-NW will ensure that all persons to whom this policy applies (i.e. staff, students, volunteers, etc.) receives training as required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service.

Accessibility training is part of the Agency’s orientation process. A record of the training will be kept as part of the employee’s personnel file.