The West Elgin Community Health Centre (the “Centre”) is committed to providing a barrier-free environment for all stakeholders, including our clients, employees, job applicants, suppliers, and any visitors who may enter our premises, access our information, or use our services respecting the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.  As an organization we respect and uphold the requirements set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, (AODA) and its associated regulations.

The Centre understands that we have a responsibility for ensuring a safe, dignified, and welcoming environment for everyone.  We are committed to ensuring our organization's compliance by incorporating accessibility legislation into our policies, procedures, equipment requirements, training, and best practices.  We will review these policies and practices annually, as organizational changes occur, or in anticipation of compliance deadlines.

We will strive to meet the needs of persons with disabilities in a timely and effective manner.  Providing an accessible and barrier-free environment is a shared effort.  We will ensure this by:

  • establishing policies, procedures and practices, including a multi-year accessibility plan, that describes how we serve persons with disabilities.
  • using reasonable effort to ensure our policies are consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration of services and equality of opportunity.
  • supporting the use of assistive devices for persons with disabilities in our policies.
  • communicating with persons with disabilities in ways that consider their disabilities.
  • welcoming persons accompanied by service animals or support people and providing informatiion about access.
  • ensuring that the Board and Senior Leadership who approve policies receive training about AODA legislation and the Human Rights Code.
  • providing timely and ongoing training to our staff, students and volunteers who work with clients, and other individuals, to ensure their understanding of, and ability to, implement our policies regarding service to persons with disabilities.  This training includes understanding the Human Rights Code as it pertains to persons with disabilities.
  • complying with documentation standards, including availability of accessible formats and communication supports, for both the Centre's employees and the public.
  • ensuring accessible and fair employment practices including the availability of accommodation during the recruitment process.
  • informing the Centre's employees of policies used to support employees with disabilities including job accommodation policies, workplace emergency response information and return to work processes.
  • that the Centre takes into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when conducting performance reviews, providing career development and advancement to employees or when redeploying employees.
  • ensuring that the Centre's internet website and web content conform to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level A as of year 2021.
  • communicating our processes for receiving and responding to feedback and handling complaints about how we provide services to persons with disabilities.
  • providing clear, complete, timely and prominent notice of temporary disruption of any of our services used by persons with disabilities.

 This policy applies to:

  • All people who access our services.
  • All staff, volunteers, students, contractors, consultants and others working on behalf of the Centre and who provide client services.
  • Staff, Board Directors, volunteers and others who are involved in developing policies and procedures regarding the standard.
  • People who accompany clients with disabilities who use our services.

Our Committment to Accessibility

Our Commitment - Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities Policy

Training:

All staff, volunteers, students and Board Directors of the Centre will receive training and orientation to the AODA Integrated Accessibility Standards, the Ontario Human Rights Code and AODA policies, procedures, and practices governing the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities.  This training will be provided as soon as practicable after they are assigned the applicable duties.  The training will also be provided on an ongoing basis in connection with any changes to policies, procedures, and practices.

Communicating with Persons with Disabilities:

The Centre is committed to offering programs and services to persons with disabilities.   Upon request the Centre will provide accessible formats and communication supports.  The Centre will consult with the person making the request to determine their accessible information and communication needs.  Please click the link below to view our full policy.

Communicating with Persons with Disabilities Policy

Use of Assistive Devices:

The Centre is committed to ensuring clients with disabilities who access our services, and anyone with a disability who visits our sites, will be able to use their assistive devices within the limits of any applicable privacy, health and safety laws or regulations.  Please click the link below to view our full policy.

Use of Assistive Devices Policy

Support Persons:

The Centre is committed to allowing full access to our services and premises to persons with disabilities and their support persons.  Please click the link below to view our full policy.

Support Persons Policy

Guide Dogs and Service Animals:

The Centre is committed to allowing full access to our services and premises to persons with disabilities and their service animals wherever possible.  Please click the link below to view our full policy.

Service Animals Policy

Notice of Disruption:

If there is a disruption to the usual facilities or attached services that the Centre provides to persons with disabilities that impacts access (e.g., accessible washrooms, ramps, accessible parking spaces, automatic doors, TTY services, etc.), the Centre will provide notice of such disruption as far in advance as possible through a variety of communication formats.  Please click the link below to review our full policy.

Procedures:

  1. When service disruptions are planned or anticipated (e.g., routine maintenance or upgrades), notices of the disruption will be posted in advance by the person overseeing the process.
  2. When service disruptions are not anticipated (e.g., sudden malfunctions), notices of service disruption will be posted as soon as the disruption occurs by the person overseeing the process.
  3. All notices regarding service disruptions will, where relevant:
    • note the reasons for the disruption
    • note how long service is expected to be disrupted
    • be posted in conspicuous places where people with disabilities can easily access the information such as:
      i. on the door to the premises
      ii. on bulletin boards throughout the building
      iii. on the website to direct clients to alternative ways to access the service
  4. In the event of both anticipated and unanticipated service disruptions alternative means of providing the service will be offered, where possible.

Notice of Disruption in Service Policy

Feedback Process:

West Elgin Community Health Centre encourages clients and community partners to provide feedback on the accessibility to the services and care we provide.  The process of resolution of feedback may result in changes to systems that will improve access to care and services.  Please click the link below to view our full policy.

Procedure:

Feedback from a member of the public about the delivery of care to persons with disabilities may be given by telephone, in person, in writing, in electronic format or through other methods.

Accordingly, and where possible, Staff, Coordinators and/or Directors should provide a Feedback-Complaint Form and encourage the client to document the feedback and provide assistance to complete the form if required.

These forms will also be made available at reception.

All feedback will be reviewed by the Operations Team on an ongoing basis.  Reasonable efforts will be undertaken to improve accessibility where possible.

Accessibility Feedback Procedure

Information, Communication and Employment Standard:

Information, Communication and Employment Standard Policy

WECHC Multi-Year Accessibility Plan:

West Elgin Community Health Centre Multi-Year Accessibility Plan