Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce Accessibility Standard for Customer Service Plan
Purpose of Plan
The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is committed to providing goods and services to all Chamber community members (board/committee members, clients, customers, visitors, contractors, students on placement/youth interns and volunteers) in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. The Chamber strives to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal opportunity to access our goods and services in an integrated manner, by identifying, removing and preventing barriers that might interfere with their ability to make full use of our goods and services.
Scope of Plan
This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, interns and students.
Definition of Disability
The Ontario Human Rights Code definition of disability is defined as:
- any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impairment, deafness or hearing impairment, muteness or speech impairment, or physical reliance on a guide dog, or other animal or a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device;
- a condition of mental impairment or developmental disability;
- a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language;
- a mental disorder; or
- an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.
Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities
The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is committed to excellence in serving all Chamber community members including people with disabilities and we will carry out our functions and responsibilities in the following areas:
a) Communication
We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take their disability into account. We will train our people on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.
b) Telephone services
We are committed to providing fully accessible telephone service to our Chamber community members. We will train our people to communicate with all Chamber community members over the telephone in clear and plain language and to speak clearly and slowly.
We will offer to communicate with customers by e-mail, fax, mail, social networking (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Skype) if telephone communication is not suitable to their communication needs or is not available.
c) Assistive devices
We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our goods and services. We will ensure that our staff is trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods or services.
d) Billing
We are committed to providing accessible invoices to all of our customers. For this reason, invoices will be provided in the following formats upon request: in large print and by printed or electronic copy.
We will answer any questions customers may have about the content of the invoice in person, by telephone or e-mail.
e) Use of Service Animals and Support Persons
We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the parts of our premises that are open to the public. We will also ensure that all staff, interns, students, volunteers and others dealing with the public is properly trained on how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.
We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person. Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to enter the Chamber’s premises and parts that are open to the public with his or her support person.
For special events being hosted off the Chamber’s premises and the event requires registration and payment to attend, our staff will work with a support person that does not have a ticket to the event to allow them to purchase a ticket, when available.
f) Notice of Temporary Disruption
The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce will provide customers with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services usually used by people with disabilities. This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available. The notice will be placed at all public entrances and service counters on our premises and when possible, disruptions that are known in advance will be posted online.
g) Training of Staff
The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce will provide training to all employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public and all those who are involved in the development and approvals of customer service plans, practices and procedures.
Staff, interns and students will also be trained on an ongoing basis when changes are made to this plan.
Training will include the following:
- An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard
- The Chamber’s plan, practices and procedures relating to the customer service standard
- How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities
- How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person
- What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing the Chamber’s goods and services
h) Feedback Process
The ultimate goal of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is to meet and surpass customer expectations while serving customers with disabilities. Comments on our services regarding how well those expectations are being met are welcome and appreciated.
Feedback regarding the way the Chamber provides goods and services to people with disabilities can be made by mail, email, telephone, fax or verbally. All feedback will be directed to the President & CEO.
Clients/customers can expect to hear back within two (2) weeks.
i) Modifications to this Plan
We are committed to developing customer service plans that respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. Therefore, no changes will be made to this plan before considering the impact on people with disabilities.
Questions About this Plan
This plan exists to achieve service excellence to customers with disabilities. If anyone has a question about the plan, or if the purpose of this plan is not understood, an explanation should be provided by, or referred to the contact information provided above.