4000-7-1Accessibility & Accommodation for all Persons

Lambton College is committed to providing students, clients, employees and members of the public with a learning and working environment that respects the rights of all as enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Ontario Human Rights Code. Further, Lambton College is committed to providing access to opportunities for individuals with disabilities to participate fully in all employment, education, accommodation or business dealings with the College as defined by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005) (AODA).

Lambton College will meet its obligations under the requirements of AODA and strive to provide a safe and barrier-free learning and working environment, an inclusive place where students, clients, employees and members of the public are valued for their contribution and treated with dignity, respect and equality.

This policy is intended to ensure that Lambton College meets the requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards as well as the revised Customer Service Standards set out under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005), as they apply to Lambton College.

Policy

1. This policy applies to every person, whether the person is an employee, student, volunteer or otherwise, who deals with members of the public or their agents on behalf of Lambton College.
2. All Lambton College policies, procedures, materials, services and training shall be consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity.
3. Lambton College will promote an equitable environment for students and employees, and opportunities for members of the community to have access to and participate in all aspects of college life.
4. Lambton College will apply the principles and regulations of the AODA accessibility standards to ensure that all of its goods, services and facilities are inclusive of every person with or without a disability.
5. All Lambton College policies, procedures and practices will comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and related Standards, guidelines, directives and legislation.
6. Lambton College and its employees will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into consideration their disability.
7. Lambton College will serve people with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our goods and services.
8. People with disabilities who use a service animal will be permitted to bring that service animal with them when accessing academic services or events at the College. If the service animal cannot be clearly identified as a service animal, documentation from a regulated health professional will be required confirming the need for the service animal for reasons relating to their disability.
9. Lambton College will require a support person to accompany a person with a disability for health or safety reasons, only in consultation with the person with a disability and when there is no other way to protect the health or safety of the person or others. Fees/fares will be waived for the support person.
10. All College employees and volunteers, and employees of ancillary operations of the College will be trained on regulatory customer service standards including, but not limited to, how to interact with people with different disabilities.
11. Lambton College will provide adequate notice or information to people with disabilities in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in services. The notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, length of disruption and any available alternative services (if any). Wherever possible, notices will be placed in all publicly accessible areas, entrances and service counters and, where possible, provided on outgoing telephone, TTY messages and the Lambton College website.
12. Lambton College will seek feedback regarding its customer service levels and facilities through the feedback link on the College Accessibility web page and will respond to inquiries and comments in a timely manner. Alternative accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request.
13. Lambton College will utilize accessibility standards that create barrier free access to all spaces for employees, students and members of the community, including wayfinding systems that ensure that navigating the College is accessible to all.
14. All new buildings, renovations and leased facilities will be accessible, and compliant with the Ontario Building Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
15. Lambton College will provide training to all employees , students, volunteers and others who represent the College in customer service policies, practices and procedures.
16. All emergency procedures and plans will be reviewed and kept current and will be available in accessible formats and posted online and in public areas throughout the College.
17. Lambton College will create individual emergency plans, when requested, for those students and employees requiring assistance.
18. Lambton College will make every reasonable accommodation for the particular needs of self-identified persons (students and employees) with documented disabilities as per the Ontario Human Rights Code.
19. Employment opportunities will be advertised to organizations that seek employment for persons with disabilities.
20. Prospective employees requiring accommodation will be assessed against the essential duties of the job.
21. Individual employee accommodation plans will be initiated at time of employment offer or as the need arises.
22. Accommodations and suitable return to work plans will be utilized to meet the needs of employees absent due to illness or injury.
23. Lambton College will review individual accommodation plans or accessibility needs and provide, wherever reasonable, accessible career development and advancement opportunities for employees with disabilities.
24. The performance management and redeployment processes will take into account the accessibility needs of all employees with disabilities.
25. Admission policies will ensure that students with disabilities are considered for admission to programs.
26. Lambton College will advise students to contact the Accessibility Centre in advance of the start of the semester in order to ensure student accommodation plans are finalized in a timely fashion.
27. Lambton College will accommodate, whenever possible, program course load, examination procedures and other operational requirements to permit students with disabilities to successfully complete their program of study.
28. Academic policies, programs and services will ensure, whenever reasonable, persons with disabilities are not disadvantaged.
29. All College produced documents, whenever possible and required, will be in accessible and multiple formats.
30. The Senior Vice-President, Strategy & Corporate Services will be responsible for the administration and communication of this policy.

Definitions

Reasonable Accommodations

Defined as those accommodations that do not impose undue hardships on the college in the form of:

• significant alteration to the fundamental nature of the learning outcomes or the academic standards of a program or course; or
• significant alteration to a work process that would disadvantage other employees; or
• substantial economic hardship to a College program or department that would affect its economic viability; or
• a significant adverse impact on learning opportunities for other students; or
• a threat to the health and safety of other students or employees or safety hazards to other persons or property; or
• a significant disruption of College operations.