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AODA Policy

Georgian Bay Phoenix Gymnastics & Acro (GBPGA) Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Policy Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities

The purpose of this policy is to fulfill the requirements set out in Ontario Regulation 420/07 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, to establish a policy for Gymnastics Ontario for governing the provision of its goods and services to persons with disabilities.

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Scope and Application

This policy shall apply to every person who deals with members of the public or other third parties on behalf of GBPGA whether the person does so as an employee, agent, volunteer or otherwise. Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

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Commitment

GBPGA is committed to excellence in serving all customers/members including people with disabilities. As such, our organization shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the following principles:

  1. The good or services will be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.

  2. The provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities, and others, will be integrated unless an alternate measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the goods or services.

  3. Persons with disabilities will be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods or services.

  4. Persons with disabilities may use personal assistive devices and/or support persons in the access of goods and services.

  5. When communicating with a person with a disability, employees, volunteers and contractors shall do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.

 

Definitions

The following terms have these meanings in this policy: 

  • “Assistive Devices” – An auxiliary aid such as communication aids, cognition aids, personal mobility aids and medical aids (i.e.: canes, crutches, wheelchairs, or hearing aids).

  • “Disabilities”– As per the Ontario Human Rights Code, disability means:

    • Any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impairment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device;

    • A condition of mental impairment or a 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 Safe and Insurance Act, 1997; (“handicap”)

  • “Employees ” – Every person who deals with members of the public or other third parties on behalf of the Organization, whether the person does so as an employee, agent, volunteer or otherwise.

  • “Persons with Disabilities” – Individuals who are afflicted with a disability as defined under the Ontario Human Rights Code (noted above).

  • “Service Animals” – Any animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.

  • “Support Persons” – Any person whether a paid professional, volunteer, family member, or friend who accompanies a person with a disability in order to help with communications, personal care or medical needs, or with access to goods or services.

 

 

Practices and Procedures

To implement this Policy, GBPGA shall establish, evaluate and revise the practices and procedures noted below, as required on providing goods and/or services to persons with disabilities, while following these four core principles:

  • Dignity - provide service in a way that allows the person with a disability to maintain self-respect and the respect of other people

  • Independence - a person with a disability is allowed to do things on their own without unnecessary help or interference from others

  • Integration - provide service in a way that allows the person with a disability to 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

  • Equal Opportunity - provide service to a person with a disability in such a way that they have an equal opportunity to access your goods, services or facilities as what is given to others

 

Assistive Devices

GBPGA will ensure that staff is trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers/members with disabilities while accessing our goods or services. Every employee shall use reasonable efforts to allow persons with disabilities to use their own assistive devices to access goods and/or services.
 

GBPGA currently provides the following types of assistive devices at its facilities:

a) Written documents/policies

 

Communication

GBPGA will offer a variety of methods of communication and interact with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.

 
Service Animals

  1. Service animals offer independence and security to many people with various disabilities. GBPGA welcomes people with disabilities and their service animals on the parts of our premises that are open to the public.

  2. Every employee shall allow persons with disabilities to be accompanied by their guide dog or service animal unless the animal is excluded by law. Where an animal is excluded by law from the premises, the reason why the animal is excluded shall be explained to the persons with disabilities. Other reasonable arrangements to provide goods and services shall be explored with the assistance of the person with the disability.

  3. When a service animal is unruly or disruptive (jumping on people, biting, or other harmful behavior) an employee may ask the person with a disability to remove the animal from the area or refuse access to goods and services. Other reasonable arrangements to provide goods and services shall be explored with the assistance of the person with a disability.

 
Support Persons

  1. Support people assist people with disabilities in a variety of way, by assisting with communication such as an intervener sign language interpreter, or as a Personal Support Worker providing physical assistance. A support person may be a volunteer, friend, or relative who will assist and support
    the customer/member.

  2. Persons with disabilities may be accompanied by their support person while accessing goods and/or services. Support persons should not be charged for admission to GBPGA events. We will notify customers/members of this through a notice posted on our website.

 

Notice of Temporary Disruption

  1. In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers/members with disabilities such as an entrance way that is under repair, renovations that limit access to an area, or technology that is temporarily unavailable, GBPGA will notify customers/members promptly. This clearly posted notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated length of time, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.

  2. The notice will be placed on our website.

 

Training for Staff

GBPGA will provide training to employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public or other third parties on our behalf. Every provider of goods and services shall receive training on the following:

  1. An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard

  2. Gemini Gymnastics’ Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Policy

  3. How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities

  4. How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person

  5. What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing GBPGA’s goods and services.

Employees, agents, volunteers, management, etc. shall receive training within 3 weeks of hiring. Ongoing training to changes of policies, procedures and new equipment shall be provided.

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Feedback Process

Anyone who wishes to provide feedback on the way Gemini Gymnastics provides goods and services to people with disabilities can email gbpga@hotmail.com. All feedback will be directed to the Owner. Customers/members can expect to hear back in 14 days. Complaints will be addressed according to our organization’s regular complaint management procedures.

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Provision of Documentation

GBPGA shall upon request, give a copy of the policies, practices and procedures required under the Ontario Regulation 429/07 – Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Policy to any person, in a format agreed upon by the parties.

 
Review and Amendments

Review and amendments shall take place annually. Any GBPGA policy that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed.

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