Administrative Procedure 147: Monitoring and Feedback on Accessible Customer Service

 

1.1 The Avon Maitland District School Board makes all reasonable efforts to ensure that all practices and procedures are consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity for all, with particular attention to persons with disabilities.

1.2 To ensure greater awareness and responsiveness to the needs of a person with disabilities, the Avon Maitland District School Board provides appropriate training for all staff who deal with the public or other third parties on behalf of the board. This training is provided to all staff and when appropriate, to volunteers. Training is also a component of the orientation of new staff within a reasonable timeframe as they are hired.

1.3 All administrative procedures, and particularly those related to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, are available to the public and in a format that takes into account a person’s disability.

1.4 The board will monitor the effectiveness of implementation of the Accessible Customer Service Standard through a process for receiving and responding to feedback. Information about the feedback process will be readily available to the public and will allow people with disabilities to provide feedback using a number of methods. Other consultations may include but are not limited to Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), Accessibility for Ontarians With Disabilities (AODA) Committee, Teacher Federations*, Employee unions*, citizens’ groups. Methods would include electronic means such as websites.

(*Note: Consultation relates to membership of these groups as providers of Accessible Customer Service.)

2.1 The Director of Education and/or designates will implement a process for Feedback on Accessible Customer Service that has the following components:

2.2 The Director of Education and/or designates will create a process for reviewing implementation of the administrative procedures required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service that includes consultation with various constituency groups including Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities (AODA) Committee, federations, unions, and citizens’ groups. Consultation methods could include electronic feedback and focus groups.

3.1 A range of methods for soliciting feedback will be employed to ensure optimum access to the feedback process by people with disabilities.

3.2 Methods could include e-mail, verbal input, suggestion boxes or feedback cards.

3.3 The feedback process should include the title(s) of the person(s) responsible for receiving feedback and indicate how the board’s response to the feedback will be made known.

4.1 To ensure ongoing efficient and effective adherence to the board’s policy on Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, the board, its school-based administrators and its managers including those representing the board in multi-board consortia will take into account the feedback received from people with disabilities when purchasing new equipment, designing new systems or planning a new initiative.

5.1 The Avon Maitland District School Board is committed to ensuring that its services meet optimum standards of accessibility for people with disabilities using the facilities and services of the board. Comments on our services regarding how well those expectations are being met are welcome and appreciated.

5.2 Feedback regarding the way the Avon Maitland District School Board provides services to people with disabilities can be made by e-mail [email protected] fax (519-527-0222) or telephone (519-527-0111 or 1-800-592-5437).

5.3 All feedback will be directed to the Superintendent of Education – Learning Services.

5.4 Response to your feedback will be provided by direct response to you or as a summary report on the board’s website.