Accessible Customer Service

Download the City of Windsor Accessibility Procedures in portable document format (PDF), or read excerpts below.

The City of Windsor is committed to providing excellent customer service to people of all abilities in accordance with the requirements set out in the Integrated Accessibility Standards. When serving customers with disabilities the corporation will make reasonable efforts to:

  • Provide its goods and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities
  • Give people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our goods and services and allow them to benefit from the same services, in the same place and in a similar way as other customers.
  • Communicate in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability

Assistive device(s)

A person with a disability may provide their own assistive device for the purpose of obtaining, using and benefiting from the corporation’s goods and services unless otherwise prohibited by law (i.e. health and safety reasons). In such situations, the City may offer a person with a disability other reasonable measures to assist him or her in obtaining, using and benefiting from the corporation’s goods and services, where the corporation has such other measures available.

Where applicable, assistive devices owned and operated by the corporation will be available to assist with serving the customer’s needs and requirements while utilizing the goods and services offered by the corporation. Available assistive devices and the procedure for accessing them are outlined in the Assistive Devices Procedure in the City of Windsor Accessibility Procedures.

Use of Service Animals

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 and other third parties. If a guide dog or other service animal accompanies a visiting person with a disability, the corporation shall ensure that the person is permitted to enter the premises with the animal and keep the animal with him or her.

Exceptions to the rule:

Service animals will not be permitted:

i. Where food preparation is being undertaken;

ii. As otherwise disallowed by law.

If a service animal is excluded by law, the corporation will ensure that alternate means are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the corporation’s goods and services.

a) Care and Control of the Animal

A customer with a disability who is accompanied by a service animal must maintain care and control of the animal at all times.

b) Allergies

If a customer or a staff member has a severe allergy to animals, which could result in health and safety concerns, the corporation shall make reasonable efforts to meet the needs of all individuals.

More specific information related to service animals may be found in the City of Windsor Service Animal Procedure in the City of Windsor Accessibility Procedures.

Use of Support Persons

The corporation is committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person. If a support person accompanies a visiting person with a disability, the corporation shall ensure that both persons are entitled to enter the premises together and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person while on the premises.

If an amount is payable by a support person for admission to the premises or in connection with a support person’s presence at the premises, the corporation shall ensure that notice is given in advance about the amount, if any, payable in respect of the support person by posting notice of fees for support persons wherever corporate fees are posted.

a) When a Support Person May Be Required

In very limited situations, staff may require a customer with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when on the premises but only if, after consulting with the person with a disability and considering available evidence, it is determined that:

i. a support person is necessary to protect the health or safety of the customer or the health and safety of others on the premises;

ii. there is no other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability and the health and safety of others on the premises.

For more detailed information, please refer to the City of Windsor Support Person Procedure in the City of Windsor Accessibility Procedures.

Notice of Temporary Disruption

Temporary disruptions in the corporation’s accessibility services and facilities may occur due to reasons that may or may not be within the corporation’s control or knowledge. The corporation will make reasonable efforts to provide prior notice of planned disruptions if possible, recognizing that, in some circumstances such as in the situation of unplanned temporary disruptions, advance notice will not be possible.

a) Information to Be Included in the Notice

The corporation will make reasonable efforts to provide notice of the disruption to the public, including:

i. information about the reason for the disruption;

ii. its anticipated duration; and

iii. a description of alternative facilities or services, if any, that may be available.

b) Manner of Notification

When temporary disruptions occur to the corporation’s services or facilities, the corporation will provide notice by:

i. posting the information in visible places, and/or

ii. on the corporations' website, or

iii. by any other method that may be reasonable under the circumstances as soon as reasonably possible.

More specific information about providing notice of service disruption is set out in the City of Windsor’s Accessible Service Disruption Procedure in the City of Windsor Accessibility Procedures.

Training

The corporation will provide training to all employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public or other third parties on their behalf; and all those who are involved in the development and approvals of customer service policies, practices and procedures.

a) Content of Training

All training, regardless of format, will include:

i. instruction on the purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and all requirements set out in the standards;

ii. instruction on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities;

iii. instruction on how to interact with people with disabilities who use assistive devices or require the assistance of a guide dog, other service animal or a support person;

iv. instruction on how to use equipment or devices available at municipal premises or that are provided otherwise that may help people with disabilities access municipal services, such as TTY telephones, elevators, lifts, accessible interactive kiosks or other technology; and

v. instruction on what to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing municipal services.

c) When Training Will Be Conducted

The training will be provided to each person as soon as practicable after he or she is assigned the applicable duties. Training will also be provided on an ongoing basis in connection with changes to the policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities.

d) Information Regarding Training

The City will notify the public on its website that the information regarding the training, including a summary of the content and when the training will be provided, is available upon request.

e) Training Records

The corporation shall keep records of the training provided under this section, including the dates on which the training is provided and the number of individuals to whom it is provided.

Feedback process

Comments on our services regarding how well customer expectations are being met are welcome and appreciated.

Feedback regarding the way the corporation provides goods and services to people with disabilities can be made by a person with a disability in the manner deemed most convenient to them, such as in person; by telephone, TTY or Textnet; in writing; or by delivering an electronic text by email or on CD or otherwise. More specific information about feedback procedures is set out in the City of Windsor Feedback Procedure in the City of Windsor Accessibility Procedures.

vii. Notice of availability and format of documents:

The corporation shall notify persons to whom it provides goods or services that the documents required under this regulation are available upon request and in a format that takes into account the person’s disability. This notice may be given by posting the information at a conspicuous place owned and operated by the corporation, on the corporate website, and/or any other reasonable method.