- Policy #:
- AC04
- Responsible Authority:
- Accessibility Advisor, Human Resources
- Approval Authority:
- President's Executive Committee
- Executive Sponsor:
- Vice President, Human Resources
- Approval Date:
- 2010/12/22
- Last Reviewed:
- 2010/12/22
- Mandatory Revision Date:
- 2015/12/22
- Downloadable Version:
- Notification of Service Disruption for People with Disabilities
PURPOSE
In accordance with the Accessible Customer Service Standard, a regulation under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, Algonquin College is required to provide notification of temporary disruptions in facilities or services made available for persons with disabilities.
SCOPE
This policy applies to all campuses and areas of the College.
DEFINITIONS
Word/Term | Definition |
Service disruption | A planned or unexpected interruption in the facilities or services |
Planned service disruption | Disruption known at least three days in advance |
Unplanned service disruption | Disruption without prior notification |
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 | Provincial legislation |
POLICY
Algonquin College recognizes that persons with disabilities often make special arrangements in order to access our goods and services (for example, they may book accessible transit, or arrange for someone to drive them to and/or from the College.) The College will provide notice of service disruptions when any facility, technology, or service that a person with a disability usually uses to access our goods and services is temporarily unavailable, or is expected to be temporarily unavailable in the near future.
Temporary disruptions in services and facilities may occur due to reasons that may or may not be within the College’s control or knowledge. The College will provide prior notice of planned disruptions. In the case of unplanned service disruptions, the College will make reasonable effort to provide timely notice, recognizing that in some circumstances, such as in the situation of unplanned temporary disruptions, advance notice will not be possible.
Information to be included in notice
The College will make reasonable efforts to provide notice of the disruption to the public, including:
information about the reason for the disruption
its anticipated duration
a description of alternative facilities or services, if any, that may be available.
Manner of notification
When temporary disruptions occur to the College’s services or facilities, the College will provide notice in the most effective way possible which could include:
myAlgonquin
Information Algonquin
Blackboard
Post in visible places
Departmental websites
Any other method that may be reasonable under the circumstances (ie: e-mail or LCD screens display) as soon as reasonably possible
Departments will inform the Accessibility Advisor and the Manager of the Centre for Students with Disabilities
PROCEDURE
Action | Responsibility |
1. Planned service disruption In the event of a planned service disruption, the following steps must be taken: i. Post signage on-site at least two (2) days prior to the disruption. ii. Post a notice on the Accessibility Office website. iii. Provide notification on myAlgonquin or other means deemed appropriate for the situation. iv. When appropriate, inform the Manager of the Centre for Students with Disabilities. | Manager or designate |
2. Unplanned service disruption In the event of an unexpected temporary disruption in service, the following steps must be taken: i. Post signage on-site, as soon as possible. ii. Post a notice on the Accessibility Office website. iii. Provide notice on myAlgonquin or by other means deemed appr0priate for the situation. iv. When appropriate, inform the Manager of the Centre for Students with Disabilities. | Manager or designate |
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Appendix 1 Notification template
RELATED POLICIES
AC02 Client Service Standards for Persons with Disabilities
AA24 Disruptions to College Activities
RELATED MATERIALS
Accessibility Standards for Customer Service