Accessibility and Inclusion Operating Procedure

Accessibility and inclusion
Procedure ID:	3-341 OP
Approved by:	Senior Management Team
Effectve Date:	January 28, 2016
Next Review Date:	September 2019
Monitoring Responsibility:	Office of the President / Accessibility Facilitator
Linked to a College Policy:	Yes – 3-341

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.

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 operating procedure will be the same as that used by the Ontario Human Rights Code. That is, a disability is:

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,
a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
a mental disorder; or
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.

Operating Procedure

As per the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005) and its related Accessibility Standards Regulations, Fleming College will carry out annual accessibility planning and present the results in a multiyear format. The Multi-Year Accessibility Plan will identify;

College objectives and the activities it will undertake in order to meet the requirements of the Standard;
the administrative lead responsible for the accomplishment of objectives and the champions who carry out the major activities; and
the legal compliance due dates of each item and the timelines within which each objective must be met.

The Accessibility Steering Committee oversees this planning process and reports annually to the Board of Governors. The group is made up of College employees from key areas, and every effort is made to include persons with disabilities. The planning process is coordinated by the Accessibility Facilitator, who reports to the Office of the President. Questions regarding accessibility planning or requests for an alternate format can be directed to the Accessibility Facilitator.

Each area of the College that is identified in the Multiyear Accessibility Plan is responsible for the development, maintenance and implementation of specific operating procedures relating to these Standards. The specific requirements of each Standard are described in the appendices of this policy and are addressed by the Multiyear Accessibility Plan.

Complaints Procedure

Occasionally disputes may arise concerning the provision of accommodations for people with disabilities. Complaints regarding accommodations are made through the College’s Harassment and Discrimination complaint procedures (available online here.).

Supports for Individuals Considering Making a Complaint

Individuals who are considering whether or not to make a complaint and who have questions about the complaint process may speak with the Accessibility Facilitator, the Human Rights Officer, or their Union representative (if applicable). Additionally, students may also speak with their Student Administrative Council (Sutherland), the Student Association (Frost) or their Counsellor.

Appendices

Appendix A – Accessible Customer Service Standards

Appendix B – Integrated Accessibility Standards

Appendix C – Use of Service Animals

Appendix D – Caption & E-text Policy

Appendix E – The Medical Accommodation for the Medical Use of Medicinal Cannabis on Campus

Accessibility Centre

Our Fleming. Our Future.

Accessibility and Inclusion Operating Procedure

Policy Statement

Definitions/Acronyms

Operating Procedure

Related Documents

Appendices