Policies and Procedures

College Policies and Procedures have been approved by the Board of Governors. The following policies and procedures pertaining to Accessibility are:

Accessibility and Inclusion
Policy ID: #3 341
Manual Classification: Section 3 -Human Resources
Approved by Board of Governors: January 23, 2013
Effective Date: January 28, 2016
Next Policy Review Date: January 2021
Revision Date:
Administrative Contact for Policy Interpretation Accessibility Facilitator
Linked to an Operating Procedure Yes – #3-341 OP

Policy Statement

At Fleming College, we are committed to building an inclusive and accessible learning and working environment. We believe in and promote the rights of all persons with disabilities as enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA, 2005) and its related Accessibility Standards Regulations. The College supports the intent of the AODA and its goal of achieving accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodations, employment, buildings, structures and premises. The College also affirms the rights of all persons, including those with disabilities, to have access to equal opportunity in employment, education, accommodation or business dealings with the College.

Purpose

This policy is intended to meet the requirements of the Accessible Customer Service Standard, Ontario Regulation 429/07, and the Integrated Accessibility Standards, Ontario Regulation 191/11, set forth under the AODA, as they apply to Fleming College, an educational/training institution as defined in the Education Act.

Scope

This policy shall apply to every person who acts on behalf of Fleming College, whether the person is an employee, third party employee, or volunteer. All areas of the College are accountable for ensuring accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Definitions/Acronyms

ACSS:            Accessible Customer Service Standard, Ontario Regulation 429/07

AODA:           Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005)

Disability:     The definition of disability used in this policy is the same as that used by the AODA and the Ontario Human Rights Code. That is, a disability is:

  1. any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
  2. a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
  3. a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
  4. a mental disorder; or
  5. an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

IASR:             Integrated Accessibility Standard Regulation 191/11

Reasonable:  Those accommodations which do not impose undue hardship on the College which may include but is not limited to significant alteration to the fundamental nature of the learning outcomes and/or the academic standards of a program or course; significant alteration to a work process that would disadvantage other employees; substantial economic hardship to a College program or department that would affect its economic viability; significant adverse impact on learning opportunities for other students; the health and safety of other students or employees and/or safety hazards to other persons or property; or significant disruption of College operations.  What is reasonable must be determined objectively on a case-by-case basis, based on all the circumstances of the case.  Where there is more than one reasonable approach to accommodation, the College reserves the right to choose the approach that is best suited to its operational and academic requirements.

General Principles

Consistent with the ACSS, the College affirms its commitment to promoting the following principles in all of its policies and interactions with persons with disabilities:

Dignity:  Treating individuals with disabilities as customers and clients who are as valued and deserving of effective and full service as any other customer.  Individuals with disabilities will not be expected to accept lesser service, quality, or convenience.

Independence: Freedom from the control or influence of others; freedom to make your own choices.

Integration: Allowing people with disabilities to fully benefit from the same services, in the same place and in the same or similar ways as others.  Policies, practices, and procedures are designed to be accessible to everyone including people with disabilities.

Equal opportunity: Treating those with disabilities in accordance with their individual merits, capabilities, circumstances, or characteristics, rather than on the basis of stereotypical assumptions.  People with disabilities should not have to make significantly more effort to access or obtain service, and they should not have to accept lesser quality or more inconvenience.

Related Documents

Appendices

None

Summary of Amendments/Reviews:

Section(s) Date Comments
Full Policy Review January 27, 2016 New format; updated language