Will your office be fined $100,000 on January 1?
Starting on January 1, 2012 all private sector and non-profit organizations in Ontario must comply with the Customer Service Standard of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA.) This includes insurance brokerages, offices and any organization with more than one employee.
Failure to comply with the AODA can be punishable by a fine of up to $50,000 per day of non-compliance for an individual and up to $100,000 for each day of non-compliance by a corporation.
Accessible customer service is not about ramps or automatic door openers. It’s about understanding that people with disabilities may have different needs. It can be as easy as asking “How can I help?” and making small changes to how you serve customers with disabilities.
The Customer Service Standard can be easily adopted for organizations of any size, though there are different standards set for organizations with fewer than 20 employees and for those with more than 20 employees. One thing remains the same regardless of the size of the company: it all starts with a plan. Companies need to create their plan and policies, provide training to staff and volunteers, determine an acceptable feedback system and report to the Ministry of Community and Social Services. ILScorp’s online course – Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act – guides Ontario organizations through all of the steps required to be in compliance with the AODA.
Save time – and a pricey fine – by becoming compliant with this AODA standard by January 1, 2012. For just $10, users can ensure they’re compliant before the deadline. Click here for more information or to register today.
