Now that you’ve had a brief overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, have a look at how they apply to your job.
Here are a few situations as they occur in three common campus settings: the classroom, the office and campus facilities. Take a few moments to consider them and depending on your role and responsibilities, think about what you would do.
In the classroom
Maria is a student in computer science who has vision loss. In April, she approaches the professors who will be teaching her in September asking for the titles of the textbooks she will need so that the Disability Services Office can arrange to get them in Braille.
What can Maria’s professors do to help ensure that Maria is able to access the information required for her courses?
A first step would be to ask Maria how they could accommodate her disability in the classroom: she probably has many good suggestions for them based on her experience.
The Braille transcription process can take up to four months. Professors can help manage this time lag by selecting text titles as early as possible. It is also helpful when professors consider course outlines in advance, decide supplementary readings early in the process and post
all course notes for students in an accessible format.
Her professors may find it useful to consider incorporating principles of universal instructional design into their course preparation. This involves considering the potential needs of all learners when designing and delivering instruction as well as identifying and eliminating unnecessary barriers.
The success of students’ individualized accommodation plans depends greatly on accessible customer service. In Maria’s case, this refers to her professors’ approachability and willingness to work with her and make adjustments as necessary so that she can participate fully in their classes.
In the office
You are an administrative assistant in the Registrar’s Office. When you answer your phone, the caller introduces himself as a Bell Relay Operator and announces that he has Brian Smith on the line. You have never heard of a Relay Operator before and you are not sure what to do when the operator says, “Hi, I’m Brian Smith and my student number is 123 456 789. I’m calling about my account. I was looking at it online and it says that I still owe fees for this term but the money has been taken out of my bank account”.
What type of disability do you think Brian has? What would be the best response to his question?
I’m sorry, information about students’ accounts is confidential and I cannot give out information over the phone unless I am speaking directly with the student.
One moment please Brian, while I look up your account.
Brian has a speech disability. The best response to his question is to provide him with the information he seeks. Just like interacting with someone using an American Sign Language-English interpreter, remember that the use of a Bell Relay Operator is a communication support. Good customer service recognizes the varying communication needs of persons with disabilities.
Did you Know
When you communicate with persons with disabilities, you should always take into account their disability. For example, some persons with disabilities use a teletypewriter (TTY). With the assistance of a Bell Relay Operator, who is subject to a code of strict confidentiality, they can call people with regular phones.
You will learn more about communicating with persons with disabilities in the next two modules. In addition, the list of Sources and Resources provides links to helpful websites.
In campus facilities
You are a teaching assistant in the Chemistry Department. In your building, security policy requires the locking of all entrance doors after 6:30 p.m. and they are unlocked each morning. One door is equipped with an automatic door opener that needs to be manually switched on and off. The custodians sometimes forget to switch on the opener when unlocking the door, rendering the entrance inaccessible.
A student complains to you about this in one of your early morning chemistry labs. What should you do?
Tell the student that you don’t know what to do about this and suggest that she contact the Disability Services Office.
Tell a departmental assistant about the issue. She says she’ll bring it up with Physical Plant Services.
Tell the student that you will bring the issue forward to the appropriate offices. You follow up in a couple of days and inform the student that a new protocol has been implemented to ensure the door opener is always turned on when the door is unlocked.
Here, the best response is to look into the issue, follow up with the appropriate department and report to the student who brought it to your attention. In this case, inconsistent habits means that people who use mobility devices such as canes, walkers or wheelchairs receive a lower level of customer service because of the unreliability of the door’s access in the morning. The solution need not be complicated; when people understand the consequences of inconsistent service for persons with disabilities, a more accessible approach can be easily be adopted.
    |
Resources | Map | Back | Next |