Accessibility Standards | Accessibility at Seneca | Seneca Polytechnic

The Accessibility standards apply to 5 key areas of daily living

• Customer Service
• Information and Communications
• Employment
• Transportation
• Built Environment (Design of Public Spaces)

Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) became law in June 2011 and combined Information and Communications, Employment, Transportation & Built Environment (Design of Public Spaces) standards.

Customer service standard

(Regulation 429/07)

The Customer Service Standard became law January 1, 2008 and required compliance by January 1, 2010. Seneca College has met the requirements to comply with the Regulation (429/07) as follows:

• Establish policies, practices and procedures
• Use of service animals and support persons
• Notice of temporary disruptions
• Feedback process
• Training for all employees (Faculty, Staff and those providing service to the public on behalf of Seneca College)

For more information about this standard, please refer to the Ministry’s Website.

Policies, practices and procedures

Seneca College has established policies, practices and procedures that outline the provision of its goods and services to people with disabilities. The policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the four core principles:

• Independence:
  Recognizing when a person is able to do things on their own without unnecessary help or interference from others.
• Dignity:
  Providing service in a way that allows the individual to maintain self-respect and the respect of other persons.
• Integration:
  Providing service in a way that allows the individual to benefit from the same services, in the same place, and in the same or similar way as other students, employees, and visitors, unless an alternate measure is necessary.
• Equality:
  Providing service to individuals in such a way that they have an opportunity to access goods or services equal to that given to others.

Use of assistive devices

Personal assistive devices are often used by persons with disabilities to help them with daily living. They are usually devices that people bring with them to Seneca and may consist of a variety of aids such as communication aids, cognition aids, personal mobility aids and/or medical aids.

As part of Seneca’s commitment to enhancing accessibility for an inclusive teaching, learning and working environment, websites, telecommunications and other infrastructure, Seneca allows the use of personal assistive devices to access goods and services at all Seneca campuses, subject to reasonable limitations.

Assistive devices may include but are not limited to:

• manual and motorized wheelchairs, scooters, canes, crutches, walkers
• hearing aids and personal TTYs
• magnifiers
• oxygen tanks
• computers and adaptive technology

Where an assistive device or support does not exist on campus, Seneca will make every effort to ensure that appropriate devices or supports are made available, subject to reasonable limitations.

Use of service animals and support persons

Service animals and support persons required to assist a person with a disability are welcome at all campus locations.

Notice of temporary disruptions

Seneca College will provide notice to students, employees and the public when there is a temporary disruption of facilities or services (planned or unexpected) that are usually used by people with disabilities at Seneca. Where a service disruption is unavoidable, Seneca shall:

• Post a notice at the location
• Provide advance notice, where possible, to all building occupants and/or affected participants using a variety of communication methods, including email distribution lists, website and internal electronic signage.

All service disruption notices will include:

• name of the service/event impacted
• expected duration of disruption
• any alternate means of accessing the facility or service
• who to contact for assistance
• any other relevant information for accessing the facility or service

Feedback process

Seneca College is committed to receiving and responding to feedback from all persons with disabilities regarding how Seneca provides accessible services to them. If a person with a disability has concerns or feedback regarding the services provided by Seneca, they can provide this feedback in a variety of methods:

Students

• provide input/feedback to College office/personnel

Employees

• provide feedback to Manager or Supervisor

Feedback may be submitted in person, by telephone, in writing, or via e-mail. All efforts will be made to provide any follow-up documentation in a format that takes into account the person's disability.

Training

A requirement of the Customer Service Standard is that Seneca will train all employees (faculty and staff) in addition to student leaders and volunteers.

The training is available online through MyPD. For more information, view AODA Training

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Information and communication standard

The Information and Communication Standard outlines how organizations will be required to create, provide and receive public information in an accessible manner and in various formats, including:

• online
• print
• verbal

Within the Seneca environment, this Standard will have a significant impact to positively change teaching methods and practices. Through this Standard and technological advancements, Seneca will endeavour to provide improvements for people with disabilities in the format and use of:

• online learning systems
• textbooks and educational software
• classroom teaching technologies and equipment

For more information on the Information and Communication Standard, please visit the Ministry’s Website.

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Employment standard

The Employment Standard is to help employers create equal employment opportunities for all people with disabilities. The Employment Standard will set out detailed rules for all people with disabilities with regards to recruitment, assessment, selection and hiring.

A requirement of this standard is to develop, document and maintain a procedure to ensure that accommodation shall be provided to applicants with disabilities. Seneca will endeavour to inform applicants that accommodation will be provided to applicants with disabilities to enable their participation in the recruitment, assessment, selection and hiring stages of the employment life cycle.

Retention

Providing individual accommodation plans for employees, to inform them on:

• how an accommodation may be requested
• how individual employees requesting accommodation can participate in the process
• adopt or develop, document and maintain a procedure for the establishment of individual accommodation plans for employees.

Accommodation in the workplace

The procedure shall define:

• how an accommodation may be requested
• how individual employees requesting accommodation can participate in the development of an accommodation plan
• how the privacy of accommodation plan information will be managed and protected
• how individual accommodation plans will be reviewed and modified
• how and when input will be considered form workplace, medical and/or other experts
• the role of the bargaining agent
• how disputes related to individual accommodation plans may be resolved.

For more information on the Employment Standard, please visit the Ministry's Website.

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Transportation standard

The Transportation Standard is the only standard that is sector specific - so it relates specifically to modes of transportation that fall under the jurisdiction of the local government.

Transportation regulations that apply to modes of transportation under the jurisdiction of municipal and provincial governments. However, if/when Seneca provides transportation services, it is required to provide accessible vehicles or equivalent services upon request.

For more information on the Transportation Standard, please visit the Ministry's Website.

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Built environment standard (design of public spaces)

The standard for the Built Environment focuses on removing barriers and making public spaces accessible, such as:

• recreational trails and beach access routes
• outdoor public use eating areas
• outdoor play spaces
• public outdoor paths of travel
• on and off street parking areas
• service counters
• fixed queuing guides
• waiting areas with fixed seating

For more information on the development of the Built Environment Standard, please visit the Ministry's Website.

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