As will be evident from the above description of the Customer Service Standard
requirements, the Standard does not create any new rights for people with
disabilities. Rather, it sets out steps that public and private organizations and
businesses must take in order to remove certain specific barriers that people with
disabilities may encounter when accessing goods and services. For
requirements such as providing training and developing feedback procedures,
lawyers and/or individuals with disabilities are able to determine whether a
particular organization is complying with its Customer Service Standard
obligations by requesting copies of documentation that organizations are
required to keep. Organizations and businesses that have not already developed
complaint policies and procedures are now required to do so under the Standard.
There are other laws related to accessibility that may apply to organizations
covered by the Customer Service Standard, such as the Building Code Act and
Ontario’s Human Rights Code. The AODA and the Customer Service Standard
do not replace or change what organizations must do under these and other
statutes related to accessibility.
IV. Integrated Accessibility Standards
The Integrated Accessibility Standards establish the Accessibility Standards for
information and communications, employment, transportation, and the built
environment. Like the Customer Service Standard, they set out a timeline for a
phased-in approach to compliance and apply to public and private sector
organizations.
In the public sector the Integrated Standards applies to:
- The Government of Ontario
- The Ontario Legislature