Skip to main content

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General
  • Are there any tools or templates available to help develop an accessible customer service plan?
  • Do organizations of different size have different requirements for compliance?
    • Designated public sector organizations, of any size, and businesses with 20 or more employees must comply with additional requirements, including documentation of all policies, practices & procedures, notifying customers that required documentation is available on request, and filing accessibility compliance reports.
  • What is the Accessibility Standard for Customer Service (Ontario Regulation 429/07)?
    • The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service is also referred to as the Customer Service Standard or Accessible Customer Service Standard. This standard is a set of rules and requirements developed under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA)  in order that the province of Ontario may be fully accessible to people with disabilities by the year 2025.  The Accessible Customer Service Standard is now law.
  • What is the purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA)?
    • As stated by AODA, "Recognizing the history of discrimination against persons with disabilities in Ontario, the purpose of this Act is to benefit all Ontarians by, a) developing, implementing and enforcing accessibility standards in order to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises on or before Jan 1, 2025; and b) providing for the involvement of persons with disabilities, of the Government of Ontario and of representatives of industries and of various sectors of the economy in the development of the accessibility standards."
  • What types of things are covered by the Customer Service Standard?
    • The Customer Service Standard outlines requirements such as development of policies & procedures, how to communicate with people with disabilities, provision of training for staff, service animals, support persons, and the feedback process.
  • When did the Customer Service Standard become law?
    • Accessibility Standard for Customer Service (Ontario Regulation, 429/07) became law on January 1, 2008, and was phased in as follows: designated public sector organizations by January 1, 2010; private and non-profit sectors by January 1, 2012.
  • Where can I find more information on the Customer Service Standard?
  • Where can I find the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005?
  • Who does the Customer Service Standard apply to?
    • This standard applies to all businesses and organizations operating in Ontario that provide goods or services and have one or more employees. Examples include stores, restaurants, hospitals, schools, malls, parks, libraries, manufacturers, etc.
  • Why have an Accessible Customer Service Standard?
    • The Accessible Customer Service Standard ensures that businesses in Ontario identify and remove barriers to access, and provide accessible customer service to persons with disabilities, in order to allow equal access and full participation in society.
  • Account types: Individual or Training Manager?

    • Durring registration you will be asked to choose if you are seeking training for yourself or if you manage the training for a group/organization.

      Individual Registration:

      1. When you complete the registration/purchase procedure you will be automatically enrolled into the course or courses that you purchased.
      2. In the future when you purchase additional courses you will be asked to sign into the site, and once the purchase process has been completed you will be automatically enrolled into the new courses that you have purchased.
      3. When complete a course you can print your own Certificates of Completion, both full size and wallet size.

      Training Manager Registration:

      1. Purchase and manage the allocation of training units
      2. Review the progress of your trainees
      3. Add/invite trainees
      4. Print individual Certificates of Completion
  • How Do I get Started?
      1. Select an online course
      2. Purchase for 1 or more trainees by adding to Shopping Cart
      3. Pay using Credit Card
      4. Take the course online at your leisure
      5. Print the Certificate of Completion
  • What are Training Units?
      1. We sell Training Units, which you apply towards our online course(s) enrolments.
      2. A course can require any where from 0.1 Training Units (TU) and up.
      3. Our typical online course requires 1.0 Training Unit.
      4. Training Units do NOT expire!
      5. Training Units can be applied to any of our online courses, not just the one or ones that you indicate at the time of purchase.