Accessibility

WOOLWICH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE ACCESSIBILITY PLAN

ACCESSIBILITY FOR CLIENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Policy Statement:

Woolwich Community Health Centre will take reasonable measures to make sure all clients have equal access to our services. We will promote accessibility by:
• Directing how we serve people with disabilities by creating policies and procedures. This practice will support principles of dignity, independence, and equality of opportunity.
• Communicating with people in ways that account for their disabilities. Furthermore, welcoming people with guide dogs, service animals or support people.
• Giving clear and timely notice of temporary disruption of any facilities that people with disabilities may use.
• Training our staff, students and volunteers to ensure their understanding of and ability to implement our policies.

Context:

This policy and its sub-policies apply to: Clients, staff, volunteers, students, contractors, consultants and others working on behalf of WCHC. Additionally, people who accompany clients with disabilities using our services.

A) Use of Assistive Devices Policy

Policy Statement:

Woolwich Community Health Centre strives to ensure clients with disabilities can access all of our services. Accordingly, anyone with a disability can use their assistive devices within the limits of health and safety laws. We will make sure people with disabilities who use assistive devices are treated with dignity, independence, and equality of opportunity. In addition, WCHC educates staff about assistive devices and accessibility.

Procedures:

• Inform clients and visitors with disabilities about the assistive devices available at WCHC. Also, offer other ways of helping people with disabilities to access our sites or services if they can’t use their own assistive devices.
• Expand our set of assistive devices, as guided by expressed or observed unmet needs of clients.

B) Communicating with People with Disabilities

Policy Statement:

Woolwich Community Health Centre is committed to communicating effectively with people with disabilities. We will do this by:
• Educating staff, students, volunteers and others about communicating with people with disabilities. Additionally, taking into account individual disabilities.
• Using appropriate language when referring to people with disabilities. Likewise, take action when unacceptable terms are used.
• Keeping updated with communication technology and standards.

Context:

This policy does not cover:
• Internal communications, communications that are from third-parties, or communications that are under copyright.

Procedures:

• When possible, Woolwich Community Health Centre will provide aids that are used to help people with a disability communicate. For example, with text readers, amplifiers, screen magnifiers, and interpretation.
• Staff, students and volunteers will communicate with clients over the telephone and in person in clear and plain language.
• When possible, WCHC will offer alternative formats for communication in order to address the needs of people with disabilities. For example, with large print, Braille, etc.

C) Guide Dogs and Service Animals

Policy Statement:

Woolwich Community Health Centre is committed to allowing full access to our sites to people with disabilities and their service animals wherever possible. We will promote accessibility by:
• Allowing full access to our site. Exceptions include if an area is not publicly open or third parties or animals are not allowed by law. In this case, we will suggest other options to access services if a service animal is excluded from certain areas.
• Assisting with a service animal when it is requested by the handler and it is safe to do so.

Procedures:

• WCHC will educate clients and the community that service animals are welcome wherever possible. This will be posted on site, in our publications, and on our website.
• Alternative ways of providing service will be explored if service animals are not allowed by law in certain areas of the premises.
• Health regulations concerning service animals will be posted in any area where food is prepared and served.

D) Support Persons

Policy Statement:

Woolwich Community Health Centre is committed to allowing full access to our sites to people with disabilities and their support persons, unless that area of the health centre premises is not open to the public or other third parties. Further, support persons accompanying a person with a disability will be required to uphold all of WCHC’s requirements. In particular, with respect to privacy and confidentiality related to personal information and personal health information, as relevant. WCHC staff will orient support persons to these requirements in keeping with the nature of their support to a person with a disability.

Procedures:

• The client has provided implied consent when clients access the health centre with company of their support person.
• WCHC staff will ask clients who are accompanied by a support person, for his/her express consent before discussing the client’s personal information, or personal health information, in the presence of the support person. As a result, keep WCHC’s policy on Disclosure of Personal Information and Personal Health Information.
• When clients attend a group program with their support person, and the group program requires participants to keep group discussions confidential. Furthermore, the support person will be required to commit to maintaining confidentiality even though s/he is not a participant per se.
• When clients attend a health centre program for which there is a registration cost (e.g., fitness program), and are accompanied by their support person, the support person will not be charged the registration cost.

E) Notice of Disruptions in Service Procedures

Policy Statement:

If there is a disruption in WCHC’s facilities or services, we will provide notice far in advance. This will be communicated through a variety of means. For example, these services and facilities may include lifts, accessible washrooms, ramps, automatic doors, other services/facilities that contribute to accessibility, etc.

Procedures:

• If service disruptions are anticipated, we will post notices of the disruption in advance. Notices of service disruption will be posted as soon as possible when they are not anticipated.
• All notices regarding service disruptions will, where relevant: note the reasons and expected duration for the disruption. In addition, notices will be posted in places where people with disabilities can easily access it.
• In the event of service disruptions, alternative means of providing the service will be offered where possible. For example, moving service provider to main level of site if mechanical lift is out of order. This way, clients using wheelchairs can receive service that would typically be provided on the second-floor.

Please contact us if you have questions or concerns regarding the WCHC Accessibility Policies.