Accessibility

Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities, Statement of Commitment

The stated purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is:

To achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises on or before January 1, 2025.

The College of Midwives of Ontario is committed to diversity, inclusion and accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and strives to be an organization which respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.

The College of Midwives of Ontario is committed to accessibility in its correspondence and communications as follows:

Print Material:

• All electronic and printed materials produced by the College will be made available in alternative formats for all disabilities, upon request. Reasonable costs will be assumed by the College.

 Assistive Devices:

• People with disabilities have a right to use their own personal assistive devices while accessing the services provided by the College, unless there is a defined risk, such as a health, safety or privacy concern associated with that use. Where the assistive device presents a defined risk or may not be permitted for other reasons, other accommodation measures will be used to ensure the person with the disability can access the services or facilities of the College.  Reasonable costs will be assumed by the College.

Service Animals:

• People with disabilities may visit the College’s offices accompanied by a service animal and may keep the animal with them so long as they are kept in their care and control at all times. If the public has access to our office, the animal is not otherwise excluded by law.
• In the event that another person is allergic to animals, alternative arrangements will be negotiated.

Support Persons:

• People with disabilities may visit the College’s offices accompanied by a support person; the access to that support person is available at all times.
• Prior consent from the person with a disability is required when communicating private issues related to the person with a disability, in the presence of a support person.

Identified Accessibility Barrier and Mitigation Strategy:

The College’s offices are located in a building with an accessible front entrance and elevator access.  Upon reaching the College’s unit, all visitors must ring the doorbell for service and a staff member will come to assist visitors.   In the event that visitors with accessibility requirements are not be able to utilize the “ring for service” button (58 inches high) they may call 416-479-0300 upon arrival which will directly call into the College’s intercom system thereby notifying staff that a visitor is at the door.

If neither of these options are desirable, an appointment can be made in advance of arrival so that a College representative can support entry into the College’s offices by emailing operations@cmo.on.ca or calling 416-640-2252.

Notice of Disruption:

The College will provide the public with notice in the event of a disruption in the facilities or services used by people with disabilities. This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, and its anticipated duration. When available, we will provide alternative solutions to access our services. In the case of an emergency disruption, we may not be able to give advance notice.

Training and Education Plan:

The College will ensure that all current and new onboarding staff will receive training as required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service. The College will also provide training to all Board Directors, Committees, and Panels.

Training will include:

1. The purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005;
2. The requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service (Ontario Regulation 429/08);
3. How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.
4. How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or support person.
5. What to do if a person with a disability is having difficultly accessing the College’s services.
6. Training on policies, practices, and procedures that affect the way services are provided to people with disabilities.
7. Training on an ongoing basis when changes are made to policies, practices, and procedures.

Feedback Process:

The College welcomes your feedback in regards to our AODA policies and procedures. We will respond to all concerns relating to such services in a timely manner. Please email feedback to operations@cmo.on.ca or call 416-640-2252.

For more information:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/accessibility-laws