Part 2

Why does Accommodating Ontarians with Disabilities Matter?

• 1 in 7 Ontarians currently have a disability.
• Less than 2% of Canadians with a disability require the use of a wheelchair.
• The majority of disabilities are not readily apparent and may include invisible disabilities such as: anxiety, asthma, developmental disabilities and diabetes.

• With the population aging, soon 1 in 5 Ontarians will have a disability.
• According to Statistics Canada, by 2017 seniors will account for a larger share of the population than children under 14.
• As the population ages, demand for accessible accommodations and inclusive tourism continues to grow.
• The Ministry of Tourism indicates that in 2007, 105 million total person visits were made in Ontario.
• According to the Martin Prosperity Institute, if accessibility leads to a modest 3% increase in tourism, this means $700 million in added tourism spending.

The Customer Service Standard requires businesses to:

1. Establish policies that comply with the Customer Service Standard.
2. Develop procedures and practices that match the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity.
3. Communicate with a person in a way that takes into account their disability.
4. Allow customers to use their own personal assistive devices when accessing goods and services.
5. Allow customers with disabilities to be accompanied by their guide dog, service animal or service dog in areas of your premises that are open to the public and enable access by customers if their animal is excluded by law.
6. Allow customers accompanied by a support person to bring that person with them and clearly post applicable admission fees for support persons.

7. Provide notice when facilities or services that customers with disabilities rely on are unavailable including the reason, anticipated duration and alternative access options.

8. Develop feedback processes including how it will be recorded, responded to and handled, as well as publicized.
9. Train all who deal with the public on your behalf the requirements of the standard.
10. Ensure managers are trained as well on the required provisions.
11. Businesses with over 20 employees will be required, in addition, to:

• documents in writing all policies, procedures, and practices for providing compliant customer service;
• notify customers that the documents are available;
• provide requested documents in a format that takes into account the customer’s disability;
• keep a record of training; and
• complete the online report by January 1, 2012.

Has your insurance broker told you about these requirements or offered to help you prepare?

To arrange a consultation on how your business can ensure compliance before the deadline, contact James Broad, the C.O.O. of Hallmark Insurance Brokers Ltd. @ 416-490-6016 or e-mail him jbroad@hallmarkins.com.

Introduction:

Like many private sector organizations in Ontario, you may not have been alerted to your very real obligations under this piece of provincial legislation.  The AODA Regulations mandate significant preparations that must be made before January 1st, 2012.

The AODA was designed to make Ontario more accessible by identifying, removing and preventing barriers for persons with disabilities, making Ontario barrier-free by 2025. Through the AODA, five standards were developed including: Customer Service; Information and Communication; Employment, Transportation; and Built Environment

Standards Development Committees, represented equally by people with disabilities and reps from the business community, broader

public sector and Ontario government set goals for what needs to happen to remove barriers, along with an achievable timetable, over the next 15 years.

The Customer Service Standard applies to all provincially-regulated businesses providing goods or services to the public or other businesses that have one or more employees. Its goal is to ensure that people with disabilities are given the same access to goods and level of customer service as everyone else. Private sector businesses need to comply with this standard by January 1, 2012.

Has your insurance broker told you about these requirements or offered to help you prepare?

Businesses are expected to provide goods and services under the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity. The Standard will also mandate measures surrounding communication, assistive devices, guide dogs, service animals and service dogs, support persons, service disruptions, feedback and training.

Making Ontario more accessible for customers with disabilities creates a win-win situation for both businesses and customers. By adapting and adopting the changes required under the AODA and the Customer Service Standard, your business will gain an important opportunity to tap into a larger market, and offer all customers the ability to access its goods and services, in a way that takes into consideration each customer's needs. Breaking down barriers to ensure that your business is open to all customers is not only legally required, but makes great business sense.

Improving accessibility will mean that more people will have access to shops, stores, goods, services, restaurants, hotels, motels and attractions which can result in a better bottom line. Increasing communication so that the needs of your customers are considered is not only a best business practice but will also ensure business owners are aware of and responsive to customer requirements.

Part 2 of this topic will outline more specific requirements.

To arrange a consultation on how your business can ensure compliance before the deadline,  contact James Broad, the C.O.O. of Hallmark Insurance Brokers Ltd. @ 416-490-6016 or e-mail him jbroad@hallmarkins.com

John Walters, the President of Hallmark Insurance Group took part in the ride to conquer cancer June 11-12 2011. The ride started in Toronto and ended in Niagara Falls and took two days to complete.  John was able to raise nearly $20,000.00 for his team who together were able to collect over $40,000.00 in donations for this worthy cause.

Here is an excerpt from his personal page on the Ride to Conquer Cancer Website http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Toronto2011?pg=team&fr_id=1361&team_id=36551

“The Ride itself is unlike any sporting or charity event I have been involved with in the past.  The Ride allows you to participate in the greater idea and goal of beating cancer. I hope that you too will feel the sense of mutual accomplishment in making a donation to Princess Margret so that we can both make a difference together.
I have a couple strong memories from the 2009 Ride.  It was certainly memorable enough to encounter a cancer survivour (amputee) as she rode a specially built tricycle that was fitted with hand cranks; even more impactful, was the shock when I heard that each day it  took her 7 hours of hand "pedaling" to make it to the finish. The endurance and perseverance needed to complete 200 km by hand certainly made riding a bicycle entirely trivial.
 After riding up the Niagara Escarpment for the second time (!) on the Sunday, the route took riders past several homes.  At one of the homes , a woman was seated in the middle of the front yard.  Some friends sat beside her and they all looked like they had been out there for awhile. The woman held a poorly written cardboard sign against her knees that said " A survivour lives here, THANK YOU" as she waved to the passing bicycles. Needless to say she made it easier to push to the end.”

We are very proud to work with and for such a generous and charitable person.
The staff at Hallmark Insurance Group