The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is a law that was passed in 2005 with the goal of making Ontario fully accessible for people with disabilities by 2025. One aspect of this law is the customer service standard, which sets out specific requirements for organizations to provide accessible customer service to people with disabilities.
In this article, we will outline the requirements of the customer service standard and provide some tips for organizations to ensure that they are meeting these requirements.
What is the customer service standard?
The customer service standard is one of five standards under the AODA. It applies to organizations that provide goods or services to the public or other third parties. This includes businesses, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.
The customer service standard has two main goals:
- To establish clear rules for providing accessible customer service to people with disabilities
- To ensure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to access the goods and services offered by organizations
What are the requirements of the customer service standard?
The customer service standard has several requirements that organizations must follow, including:
- Establishing policies, practices, and procedures for providing accessible customer service
- Providing training to staff on the provision of accessible customer service
- Communicating with people with disabilities in a way that takes into account their disability
- Providing accessible customer service in a timely manner
- Ensuring that any third parties that provide goods or services on behalf of the organization also meet the requirements of the customer service standard
How can organizations meet the requirements of the customer service standard?
Here are some tips for organizations to ensure that they are meeting the requirements of the customer service standard:
- Develop clear policies, practices, and procedures for providing accessible customer service. This could include guidelines on how to communicate with people with disabilities, how to provide assistance with accessing goods or services, and how to handle feedback from people with disabilities.
- Provide training to staff on the provision of accessible customer service. This training should cover the requirements of the customer service standard, as well as practical skills for interacting with people with disabilities.
- Communicate with people with disabilities in a way that takes into account their disability. This could include offering to provide information in an alternative format, such as large print or audio, or using assistive technology to facilitate communication.
- Provide accessible customer service in a timely manner. This means ensuring that people with disabilities are able to access the organization’s goods or services in the same time frame as other customers.
- Ensure that any third parties that provide goods or services on behalf of the organization also meet the requirements of the customer service standard. This could include requiring third parties to provide accessible customer service training to their staff, or requiring them to have policies and procedures in place to support accessible customer service.
Stay Ahead of Regulations with AODA Training by OSG
The customer service standard under the AODA is an important step towards making Ontario fully accessible for people with disabilities. By following the requirements of the standard, organizations can ensure that they are providing accessible customer service to people with disabilities and giving them the same opportunities to access their goods and services as everyone else. Stay compliant with AODA training from OSG.