Customer Service Standard – The Requirements
Meeting the following requirements prepares your organization to provide accessible customer service to people with all types of disabilities.
- Set up policies on providing accessible customer service to people with disabilities according to the requirements of the standard.
- Make reasonable efforts to ensure that these policies are consistent with the key principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity.
- All designated public sector organizations, and businesses and not-for-profit organizations with 50 or more employees, must put their accessible customer service policies in writing and provide them on request.
- Communicate with a person with a disability in a way that takes into account their disability.
- Let people with disabilities use their personal assistive devices when accessing your goods, services or facilities.
- Identify the availability, if any, of other helpful measures your organization offers for people with disabilities to access your goods, services or facilities.
- Let people with disabilities bring their service animals with them into areas open to the public or third parties.
- In situations where the animal is prohibited by another law, provide another way for the person to access your goods, services or facilities.
- Let people with disabilities bring their support persons with them while in areas open to the public or third parties.
- If your organization charges an admission fee or fare, let people know ahead of time what, if any, admission will be charged for a support person.
- When, in limited situations, your organization might require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person for health or safety reasons, the decision must be made by consulting with the person and considering available evidence. If it’s determined a support person is required, waive any fee or fare for the support person, if one exists.
- Let the public know when facilities or services that people with disabilities usually use are temporarily unavailable (for example, an elevator or accessible washroom that is out of service).
- Notice must include the reason for the disruption, how long it will last and any alternatives, if available.
- Set up a process for receiving and responding to feedback about the way your organization provides customer service to people with disabilities, including what action will be taken if a complaint is received.
- Make information about your feedback process available to the public.
- Ensure your feedback process is accessible by providing accessible formats or communication supports.
- Train all employees and volunteers on providing accessible customer service and how to interact with people with various types of disabilities.
- All designated public sector organizations, and businesses and not-for-profit organizations with 50 or more employees, must keep a record of the training provided.
Refers to other businesses or organizations that may be your customers. This includes consultants, manufacturers and wholesalers as well as providers of other business and professional services.
Refers to rooms or spaces used to provide a service, such as a stadium or banquet hall. It does not refer to the physical structure of a building.opens in a new window
A person who accompanies a person with a disability to help with communication, mobility, personal care, medical needs, or with access to goods, services or facilities.
Allowing a person with a disability to do things on their own without unnecessary help or interference from others.
A person with a disability is valued and deserving of effective and full service and not treated as an afterthought.
Providing service in a way that allows the person with a disability to access, use and benefit from the same services, in the same place and in the same or similar way as other customers, unless a different way is necessary to enable them to access goods, services or facilities.
People with disabilities have the same opportunity as others to access, use and benefit from goods, services or facilities. They should not have to accept lesser service, quality or convenience.
Formats that are an alternative to standard print and are accessible to people with disabilities. May include large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, and braille.
Supports that individuals with disabilities may need to access information. Some examples include plain language, sign language interpreter, reading the information out loud to a person with vision loss, adding captioning to videos or using written notes to communicate with someone who is hard of hearing.
