Transcript Slide 1

Towards a More Inclusive
Library
Complying with the AODA
Customer Service Standard
Annie Bélanger
Janet Wason
April 2010
Why?
• The Standard
permeates every
aspect of our
public-facing work.
• It’s everyone’s
responsibility.
Overview
• AODA
– AODA Customer Service Standard
– Impacts on the Library
– The University
• Guideline Development
– Working Group
– Process for doing
• Sustainability
– Ongoing compliance
– Overview of staff sessions
– Ongoing training
Outcomes
• Understand the AODA Customer Service
Standard.
– Accessibility vs. Accommodation
– Our obligations
– Our commitment
• Know how to approach revisions of
guidelines, procedures, and practices.
• Set the direction for future training and
sustainable compliance.
Modules Q&A
• Did you have questions about the Modules?
• Anything you’d like to know more about?
• What did you take away?
One example?
Overview of AODA
Accessibility for Ontarians with
Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA)
• The Vision: to make Ontario fully accessible by
2025.
• Only jurisdiction in Canada with legislation
setting out a comprehensive goal of accessibility
in areas that affect the daily life of persons with
disabilities.
• First jurisdiction in the world to move to a
regulatory system of legislation mandating
accessibility.
AODA – The Five Standards
Now law:
• Customer Service (2008)
Under ministerial review:
• Built Environment
• Employment
• Information and Communications
• Transportation
AODA – The Standards, cont’d
• Public and private sector compliance.
• Inclusive, consensus-based approach to
developing standards:
– Persons with disabilities and their service
organizations were part of the development
process.
Accessibility
• Environment is what disables people.
• We need to design for universal access.
– Plan in order to prevent barriers.
• Accessibility is everyone’s responsibility.
Ask yourself:
Is there anything “here” that
might present a barrier?
Ontarians with Disabilities Act,
2001 (ODA)
• What is it?
– Public sector required to develop and file an
accessibility plan.
• Library’s endeavours resulted in our accessibility plan,
September 2003.
– http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/News/UWLibDocs/access/plan.html
– Highlighted the definitions of ‘disability’ and ‘barrier’.
• Why is the AODA better? The ODA:
– Has no regulations.
– Is based on the idea of accommodation.
ODA & Accommodation
• Assumption of ‘normal’ activity
• Responsibility of ‘disabilities’ office
• Modify environment one person at a time
– Reactive rectification of barriers
• Requires person to disclose
A ‘barrier’ is anything that stops a person with
a disability from fully taking part in society
because of that disability.
Shift in Approach
Accommodation
• Disability or problem is
with the person
• Reactive
• Individualized solution
Accessibility
• Problem is with the
environment
• Proactive
• Integrate accessibility in
planning
• Universal design
Note: The duty to
accommodate continues!
Barriers
• Types:
– Physical
– Architectural
– Information or communications
– Attitudinal
– Technological
– Systemic
• Key insight:
– Think in terms of barriers; don’t focus on the person’s
[dis]ability.
Can you think of an example
of each type of barrier?
Print Disabilities
• Prevent people from reading standard print.
• Can be due to a visual, perceptual or physical
disability.
– E.g., vision impairment, a learning disability or a
disability that prevents the physical holding of a book.
• For full access, ensure the provision of:
– Publications in multiple formats, such as Braille,
audio, large print and electronic text.
– Assistive technology
From: Library and Archives
Canada: Initiative for
Equitable Library Access
Full Participation
The Vision
• A video:
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWzUF293
uX0
– Steve Kuusisto
• A professor of creative writing at the University of
Iowa.
• Joint appointment in public humanities at the
Carver Center for Macular Degeneration.
• What caught your attention?
Waterloo & the AODA
Customer Service
Standard
A Closer Look
• The Vision: Ontario is the only jurisdiction
in the world to require public and private
sector organizations to train their staff on
accessible customer service.
Who is Responsible?
• Faculty & Staff
– Full-time; Part-time
– Contract; co-op; casuals
• Volunteers
• ... Anyone acting on our behalf...
Definition of
‘Customer Service’
• Interaction between a customer and a
service provider of goods and service.
• Customer is one who engages in such an
interaction in order to receive goods or
services.
– May be voluntary or involuntary.
• Providers include third parties and
volunteers.
Who are the Library’s
Customers?
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Students
Faculty & Staff
Visitors
…
Q&A – Who are Your Customers?
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Acquisitions
Cataloguing
Circulation
Facilities
Information Services
and Resources
Library Administration
Site Libraries
Special Collections
Systems
Four Principles
• DIGNITY
– Self-respect, respect of others
• INDEPENDENCE
– Do things without unnecessary help from others
• INTEGRATION
– Same service, same way
• EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY
– Same options, chances, and benefits
What is the University doing for compliance?
UNIVERSITY
What the University is Doing…
• The University has created policy
statements to comply with the AODA.
• The University is offering training using
the COU modules.
• More information available on the
homepage of the Office for Persons
with Disabilities.
– http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosa/disabiliti
es/