1. Purpose and Policy:

The goal of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “Act”) is to create a more accessible Ontario, by identifying, and to the extent possible, preventing, and eliminating barriers experienced by persons with a disability.

The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service (“the Standards”) are part of the broader Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation. The Standards have been established under the Act to ensure services and facilities are, where at all possible, equally accessible to every member of the public.

We at Wildpine Retirement Residence strive to provide accessible services and facilities to our residents and their families and friends. The objective of this policy (the “Policy”) is to ensure we meet the requirements of the Standards and promote their underlying core principles, described below.

2. Definitions

Accessible Formats – May include, but are not limited to, large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, braille and other formats usable by persons with disabilities.

Accessibility Report – The report required to be filed pursuant to section 14 of the Act.

Assistive Device – Any device used to assist a person in performing a particular task or tasks or to aid that person in activities of daily living.

Communication Supports – May include, but are not limited to, captioning, alternative and augmentative communication supports, plain language, sign language and other supports that facilitate effective communications.

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 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,
  • 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 Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

Guide Dog – A guide dog as defined in section 1 of the Blind Persons Rights’ Act is a dog trained as a guide for a person who is blind and having qualifications prescribed by the regulations under the Blind Persons’ Rights Act.

Service Animal – Means an animal:

  • 1. That can be readily identified as one that is being used by the person for reasons relating to the person’s disability, as a result of visual indicators such as the vest or harness worn by the animal; or
  • 2. For which 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:
    • A member of the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario.
    • A member of the College of Chiropractors of Ontario.
    • A member of the College of Nurses of Ontario.
    • A member of the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario.
    • A member of the College of Optometrists of Ontario.
    • A member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
    • A member of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario.
    • A member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario.
    • A member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario.

Support Person – A person who accompanies a person with a disability to assist with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods, services or facilities.

“We”, “Our” and “Staff” – Means Wildpine Retirement Residence and its employees, volunteers, agents and contractors.

3. Core Principles of the Policy

We endeavor to ensure that the Policy and related practices, policies and procedures are consistent with the following four (4) core principles:

Dignity – Persons with a disability are as deserving of quality service as any other person and should be treated in a manner consistent with this fact.

Equality of Opportunity – Persons with a disability should be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from our services and facilities.

Integration – Wherever possible, persons with a disability should benefit from our services and facilities in the same place and in the same or similar manner as any other person.  In circumstances where integration does not serve the needs of the person with a disability, services and facilities will, to the extent possible, be provided in another way that takes into account the person’s individual needs.

Independence – Services and facilities should, where possible, be provided in a way that respects the independence of persons with a disability.  To this end, we will be willing to assist but will not do so without first attempting to get the permission of the person with a disability.

4. Implementation

Wildpine Retirement Residence leadership team is responsible for:

  • Developing and implementing policies aimed at providing accessible services and facilities to persons with a disability.
  • Developing and implementing an accessibility training program as required by the Standards.
  • Developing and implementing a feedback procedure as required by the Standards.
  • Filing Accessibility Reports as required under section 14 of the Act.

5. Providing Services and Facilities to People with Disabilities

Policies

Wildpine Retirement Residence shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies which impact the delivery of its services and facilities to residents, their family and friends, the public or to other third parties are consistent with the principles of dignity, equality of opportunity, integration and independence as defined above.

Communication

Wildpine Retirement Residence strives to communicate with persons with a disability in a manner that takes into account the disability.  Approaches for communication are set out in our accessibility training program.

Assistive Devices

Persons with a disability are permitted, where possible, to use their own Assistive Device when on our premises for the purposes of obtaining, using or benefiting from our services and facilities.

If there is a physical, technological or other type of barrier that prevents the use of an Assistive Device on our premises we will make efforts to provide an alternative means of assistance to the person with a disability.

Accessibility at Our Premises

We offer the following facilities and services at Wildpine Retirement Residence, to which the Policy applies to enable persons with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from our services and facilities:

  • Some assistive devices ie) transfer wheelchair
  • Alternate formats of documents
  • Assistance of a staff person to read text aloud or to complete a form
  • Benches and/or chairs for waiting at reception, in common areas of the Home and/or at the elevators if a person’s disability prevents him or her from standing for a lengthy period

Service Animals and Guide Dogs

Persons with a disability may enter premises owned and/or operated by Wildpine Retirement Residence accompanied by a Guide Dog or Service Animal, and keep the Guide Dog or Service Animal with them, if the public has access to such premises and the Guide Dog or Service Animal is not otherwise excluded by law.

If a Guide Dog or Service Animal must be excluded by law, we explain to the person why this is the case and explore alternative ways to meet the person’s needs.

Support Persons

A person with a disability may enter premises owned and/or operated by Wildpine Retirement Residence with a Support Person and have access to the Support Person while on the premises.

Wildpine Retirement Residence may require a person 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 the available evidence, the provider determines that:

  • A Support Person is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health or safety of others on the premises; and
  • There is no other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability and the health or safety of others on the premises.

Wildpine Retirement Residence occasionally holds functions and events for which it charges attendees an admission fee.  We will ensure that, if a separate admission fee is to be charged for a Support Person, advance notice is provided of the existence and the amount of the admission fee to be charged. Where the presence of a Support Person is required, any applicable admission fee or fare will be waived for that person.

Notice of Temporary Disruptions

Wildpine Retirement Residence will notify residents, their friends and families and the public if there is a planned or unexpected disruption of a facility or service persons with a disability use to access our services or facilities.  The notification will be made by posting a notice at the entrance of the applicable premises, may be posted on the Wildpine Retirement Residence website or in some other location or by some other means as may be appropriate in the circumstances.

The notice will include the following information:

  • That a facility or service is unavailable.
  • The anticipated duration of the disruption.
  • The reason for the disruption.
  • Alternative facilities or services, if available.

6. Training and Records

Wildpine Retirement Residence will ensure the following individuals receive the training required under the Standards:

  • Every employee and volunteer.
  • Every person who participates in developing Wildpine Retirement Residence’s policies.
  • Every other person who provides services or facilities on behalf of Wildpine Retirement Residence.

Content of Training

Training will include:

  • A review of the purpose of the Act and requirements of the Standards.
  • A review of the Policy.
  • How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disabilities.
  • How to interact with persons with a disability who use an Assistive Device or require the assistance of a Service Animal or Support Person.
  • How to use equipment or devices made available on our premises to assist persons with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from our services and facilities.
  • What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing our premises and/or services and facilities.

Timing of Training

All persons to whom this Policy applies will receive the required training as soon as practicable after he or she is assigned the applicable duties.  On-going training will occur as changes are made to policies, procedures and practices and as new individuals assume the applicable duties.

Documenting Training

Records of the training provided, including the training protocol, the dates on which the training is provided and the number of individuals to whom the training is provided shall be maintained in accordance with the requirements of the Standards.

7. Feedback Procedure

Receiving Feedback

Wildpine Retirement Residence welcomes and appreciates feedback regarding the manner in which it provides services and facilities to persons with disabilities and regarding whether its feedback procedure is accessible to persons with disabilities.  Feedback can be provided in the following ways:

  • In person at 10 Wildpine Court, Stittsville, ON, Canada K2S 1C6
  • By telephone at (613) 706-1970
  • In writing to Wildpine Retirement Residence, 10 Wildpine Court, Stittsville, ON, Canada K2S 1C6
  • Electronically to frances@wildpineresidence.ca

Responding to Complaints

Wildpine Retirement Residence will make reasonable efforts to resolve complaints at the time that they are made.  If immediate resolution of a complaint is not possible the individual may submit a complaint to:

Frances de Beaumont
(613) 706-1970
10 Wildpine Court, Stittsville, ON, Canada K2S 1C6
frances@wildpineresidence.ca

Persons who wish to be contacted about their complaint must provide their contact information. A representative of Wildpine Retirement Residence will then contact the individual.

Wildpine Retirement Residence will make reasonable efforts to provide responses to complaints in a manner that is accessible to the complainant.

Availability of Feedback Procedure

Wildpine Retirement Residence shall make information about this feedback procedure readily available to the public and shall make it accessible to persons with disabilities by providing, or arranging for the provision of, Accessible Formats and Communication Supports, on request.

8. Documentation to be Made Available

This Policy and any other documentation required by the Standard shall be made available to any member of the public upon request.

Notification of same shall be posted at a conspicuous place on the premises owned or operated by Wildpine Retirement Residence, by posting it on Wildpine Retirement Residence’s website, or by such other method as is reasonable in the circumstances.

9. Format of Documents

Wildpine Retirement Residence will provide documents, or the information contained in documents, required to be provided under the Standards, to a person with a disability in an Accessible Format or with a Communication Support upon request.

The document(s) shall be provided in a timely and in a manner that takes into account the person’s accessibility needs due to disability.  The documents shall also be provided at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons.

Wildpine Retirement Residence shall consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an Accessible Format or Communication Support.

Questions About This Policy

For more information about the Policy or for questions regarding Wildpine Retirement Residence policies, practices and procedures for accessible service please contact:

Frances de Beaumont
(613) 706-1970
10 Wildpine Court, Stittsville, ON, Canada K2S 1C6
frances@wildpineresidence.ca