CCOC is committed to removing and preventing barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities and meeting the accessibility needs of those within our community. CCOC will use reasonable efforts to ensure our services for persons with disabilities are integrated or otherwise provided in a way that enables a person with a disability to obtain, use, or benefit from the service. CCOC is committed to meeting our accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, other relevant Ontario accessibility laws, and the Human Rights Code.

CCOC is also committed to ensuring equal access for everyone, and to being responsive to the needs of all of our tenants and community members. We strive to provide quality services that are accessible to all. In keeping with our organizational value of diversity, equity, and inclusion, CCOC is committed to treating everyone with dignity, respect, and independence. We will work to ensure policies, practices, procedures and facilities, and the delivery of services provided to all our tenants and community members are in keeping with the principles of dignity, equality, independence and integration.

CCOC office employees will strive to respond to e-mails, faxes, phone calls and voice mail messages from tenants and customers within 1 business day.

1.2 Notice of Temporary Service Disruptions

CCOC will ensure that the public knows when facilities and/or services that people use to access goods and services are temporarily unavailable, whether it is a planned or unplanned interruption. Notices for temporary service disruptions will be available in a timely fashion, and will be given in ways that are accessible to tenants with disabilities.

CCOC welcomes feedback on our customer service and how we provide accessible customer service to help us continually improve. Feedback helps us identify any barriers and respond to concerns with how we provide service. Feedback can be provided in several ways – by phone, e-mail or in person – all of which are listed in our tenant handbook, on our website, and at our reception desk.

CCOC will investigate and respond to all customer service complaints within a reasonable time. Tenants may send complaints to the Director of the relevant department, or to the Executive Director. Complaints involving the Executive Director can be sent to the President of the Board. Please inquire with the reception desk for contact information for employees.

This policy, including ways of providing feedback, is available in other formats upon request to ensure our processes are as accessible as possible for all individuals.

2. Bilingual Services Guidelines

This section Board approved in 2002

2.1 Verbal Communication to Tenants and Prospective Tenants

Each CCOC department that deals with tenants should maintain a minimum capacity for effective verbal communication in both English and French.

2.2 Written Communication

2.2.1

All written official communication relevant to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), such as leases, notices of eviction, notices of entry and rent changes, must be available in both English and French.

2.2.2

All other major written communications, such as brochures, web pages, notices, newsletters and the Tenant Handbook/Calendar, should be available in both English and French when potential cost and employee time expended are not prohibitive. Translations of CCOC policies should also be made available in French upon request.

2.2.3

Where reasonable, attempts should be made to make all other written communications available in either French or English when potential cost and employee time expended are not prohibitive.

People with disabilities may choose to use their own personal assistive device when accessing CCOC goods, services, and facilities. If a person is unable to access CCOC goods, services, and facilities, even with the use of their own personal assistive device, CCOC will ensure that we work with the person to identify service options that better allow us to meet the needs of the individual. In addition, CCOC ensures that employees are trained and/or familiar with a variety of assistive devices.

Assistive Devices are defined below.

CCOC welcomes people with disabilities and their service animals at all CCOC properties in areas that are open to the public including lobbies, laundry rooms, offices and meeting rooms, yards, and decks. The owner of the service animal is responsible for the care, supervision and control of the service animal while they are actively on CCOC property. CCOC employes, volunteers, and contractors shall accommodate the use of service animals by people with disabilities who are accessing CCOC services or properties.

Service animals can often be easily identified through visual indicators, like harness or a vest, or helping a person perform a task. When we cannot easily identify that an animal is a service animal, CCOC employees may ask for documentation (a letter or form) from a regulated health professional.

Service Animals are defined below.

CCOC welcomes support persons as they help us provide good customer service. Where a person with a disability is accessing CCOC services or premises accompanied by a support person, CCOC employees, volunteers, and contractors shall ensure that both persons are permitted to enter the premises together and shall ensure the person with a disability can access the support person while on the premises. If confidential information will be disclosed, the person with a disability will be asked if they prefer that their support person remains present. If the support person is present when confidential information is to be disclosed, the tenant, applicant, or customer must provide verbal or written consent.

All new and existing CCOC employees are required to complete the HR Downloads trainings which includes a section on Accessible Customer Service. In addition, each employee will be given a copy of CCOC’s Customer Service Standards and policies to read. Training is provided in the onboarding process after an employee has been hired, and will be updated in respect of any changes to AODA requirements and policy.

3.4.2

All contractors hired by CCOC are required to comply with the AODA requirements as a part of their contract with us.

3.5 Design of Public Spaces including Service Counters, Waiting Areas, and Off-Street Parking

CCOC will ensure that, from January 1, 2017, any public spaces including service counters, waiting areas with fixed seating, and off-street parking that it constructs or redevelops, meet the built requirements as required in the Integrated Accessibility Standards under AODA. We will ensure these legal provisions are met on sites that are occupied by CCOC, and on new sites or properties CCOC manages, owns, and operates to ensure contractors performing construction or redevelopment adhere to these requirements. This includes but is not limited to:

1. New service counters should and will have sufficient height (between 680-865 mm) and depth at least 250 mm deep below the service counter to allow people who use wheelchairs from a seated position to approach and use the counter. If there is more than one service counter, a sign will be posted to identify the accessible service counter.
2. New waiting area(s) with fixed seating should and will have an accessible seating space with arm rest to accommodate different body types and be in an area alongside the other seating locations where someone using a mobility aid can position themselves and/or their equipment.
3. New off-street parking should and will have the required Type A (minimum 3400 mm wide) and Type B (minimum 2400 mm wide) parking spots along with access aisle (minimum 1500 mm wide) and the required signage.

4. Definitions:

4.1 Disability:

1. 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 co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, 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,
2. a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
3. a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
4. a mental disorder, or
5. an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

This definition is the same as the definition of disability used in the Ontario Human Rights Code.

4.2 Barriers:

Anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of (their) disability, including a physical barrier, an architectural barrier, an information or communications barrier, an attitudinal barrier, a technological barrier, a policy or practice.

4.3 Assistive Devices:

Devices used to assist persons with disabilities in carrying out activities or in accessing services. Assistive devices include, but are not limited to, wheelchairs, reading machines, recording machines, hearing devices, devices for grasping, a white cane, etc.

4.4 Service Animals

A service animal is defined as an animal that can be identified as one being used by the person for reasons related to the person’s disability. Service animals include guide dogs, hearing dogs, mobility assistance dogs, seizure alert dogs, etc. An animal is a service animal if:

1. it can be readily identified as one that is being used by the person for reasons relating to the person’s disability, because of visual indicators such as a vest or harness worn by the animal; or
2. if the person provides documentation from one of the following regulated health professionals confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability: Audiologist, Chiropractor, Nurse Practitioner, Occupational Therapist, Optometrist, Physician, Physiotherapist, Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Registered Mental Health therapist, Registered Social Worker.

4.5 Support Persons

A support person is defined as an individual who accompanies a person with a disability in order to support them. They are either hired or chosen to help a person with communication, personal care, medical needs or with access to goods or services. A support person can be a paid professional like a Personal Support Worker. A support person could also be a volunteer, family member, or friend.

5. Application:

This policy applies to resident buildings managed by Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, as well as tenants and community members served by Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation in other communities, and employees, volunteers, and contractors of Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation.

We observe and uphold Ontario’s Human Rights Code

Our organization respects and follows the letter and spirit of the Ontario Human Rights Code.

We support and protect the dignity and worth of everyone. We provide equal rights and opportunities for all employees, clients and volunteers.

Our policies, programs and processes are designed to address, prevent and eliminate discrimination in all aspects of employment and when we provide services to others. We do not tolerate harassment or unwelcome comments and actions. We take prompt action if such problems occur.

These are the prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Code: race, ancestry, place of origin, ethnic origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, gender expression, disability, colour, creed, age (18 and over, 16 and over in housing), marital status, family status, reprisal, receipt of public assistance (in housing), record of offences (in employment) and discrimination because of association.

The Code requires equal treatment in employment, housing, contracts, goods, services and facilities, and membership in vocational associations and trade unions.