Individuals Who Have Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities
• Don’t assume what a person can or cannot do.
• Use plain language and speak in short sentences.
• Speak directly to the person, not their support
person.
• Ensure the person understands what you have
said. Consider asking the person to repeat the
message back to you in his or her own words.
• Written instructions may be useful.
• Provide one piece of information at a time.
• If you can’t understand what’s being said, don’t
pretend. Just ask again.
• Be prepared to repeat and rephrase your
sentences.
• Be polite and patient. People may take a little
longer to understand and respond.
Individuals With Speech or Language Impairments
• If a person has difficulty communicating, do not
assume they have an intellectual disability.
• Speak in your regular tone of voice.
• If you don’t understand, politely ask the individual
to repeat the information.
• If you are able, ask questions that can be answered
“yes” or “no”. Be patient and polite, and give the
individual whatever time he/she needs to get
his/her point across.
• Work with the individual to determine the best way
to communicate.
• Wait for the individual to finish speaking before you
reply. Don’t interrupt or finish their sentences.
To help you remember some of the basics of providing
service to members of the public and other third parties,
here is a helpful short form:
T: Take the time to ask, “May I assist you?”
Never assist unless asked.
Make no assumptions about what
type of disability the person has. Note that people with
disabilities are not required to give you information
about any disabilities they may have.
L: Listen attentively, and speak directly to the person with
a disability.
K: Know OPG’s approach to customer service in its
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Integrated Accessibility & Customer Service Standard
OPG-STD-0074.
A: Ask – don’t assume.
If you deal with members of the public or other third
parties on behalf of OPG or participate in developing
OPG’s policies, practices and procedures governing
the provision of services to members of the public or
other third parties, please complete CAL 69847.
For more information, please visit the AODA intranet
site.
Rev: Jan. 9, 2015
A Brief Guide for
Interacting with
People with
Disabilities
Introduction
OPG will interact with members of the public and other
third parties in a manner that respects the dignity and
independence of all persons with disabilities.
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
(AODA) aims to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with
disabilities in five areas beginning with customer service.
The other areas are information and communications,
employment, transportation and built environment. OPG
must be in compliance with the Customer Service
Standard (the Standard) under the AODA by January,
2012. This guide highlights key requirements of the
Standard and provides further direction on what you can
do to provide equitable services to people with disabilities.
Requirements of the Standard
The Standard requires OPG to establish, document and
provide ongoing training on changes to policies, practices
and procedures (Procedures) on providing services to
people with disabilities. These Procedures are in OPG’s
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Integrated Accessibility & Customer Service Standard
OPG-STD-0074 and include:
• the use of personal assistive devices to access OPG’s
services;
• the entry of service animals and support persons to
those areas open to the public or other third parties;
• providing notice to the public of a disruption to
services used by people with disabilities to access
OPG’s services;
• training on providing services to people with
disabilities; and
• OPG’s process for reviewing and responding to
feedback about OPG’s provision of services to people
with disabilities.
OPG’s Customer Service Standard is available to members of the public and other third parties upon request.
What Can You Do?
• Treat a person with a disability the same as you would a
person without a disability, with dignity and respect.
• Remember to put people first. Say “person with a
disability” rather than “disabled person”.
• Communicate in a way that takes into account the
individual’s disability, as described in this guide.
• Allow people with disabilities to be accompanied by their
service animal or support person on the parts of OPG’s
premises where OPG provides services that are open to
the public and other third parties. Welcome the support
person but speak directly to the person with a disability.
• Provide notice of any disruption in accessing customer
services provided by OPG, including alternatives where
available, to Corporate Relations & Communications and
at the site where services will be disrupted.
• Always be supportive and patient. Listen carefully. Take
the time to get to know the person’s needs and focus on
meeting those needs.
• Familiarize yourself with the OPG Accessibility for
Ontarians with Disabilities Act - Integrated Accessibility &
Customer Service Standard OPG-STD-0074.
• If a person is having difficulty accessing services at OPG,
ask the person what you can do to help them and what
alternative methods of service provision can be used. For
example, if the person is deaf and does not have an
interpreter with them, ask, in writing, if you can use a pen
and paper to communicate with them. People with
disabilities can also contact Human Rights, Corporate
Relations & Communications or your local Human
Resources contact for assistance.
Tips for interacting with:
Individuals with Visual Impairment:
• Don’t assume the individual can’t see you. Few people
with vision loss are totally blind.
• Address the person by name, and identify yourself and
your role.
• Speak in a normal tone of voice.
• Ask if the person would like assistance and ask how
you can help. Don’t touch the person without asking
permission first.
• Offer your arm (the elbow) to guide the person and
walk slowly.
• Orient the person to their surroundings and identify
any potential obstacles in the person’s travel path.
• Do not distract the service animal either by talking to
it, petting it or feeding it. Don’t touch the animal
unless invited to do so.
• Inform and reassure the person by describing any procedures.
• Tell the person when you are giving them documentation
across a counter or table. When providing printed
information, offer to read or summarize it.
• Say good-bye before leaving.
Individuals Who are Deaf, Deafened or Hard of Hearing
• Attract the individual’s attention before speaking. The
best ways are with a gentle touch on the shoulder or a
gentle wave of your hand.
• Ask how you can help. Don’t shout.
• Make sure you are in a well-lit area where the
individual can see your face.
• Look at and speak directly to the individual, not their interpreter.
• If necessary, ask if another method of communicating
would be easier (e.g., a pen and paper).
• Keep your hands away from your face when speaking
as some people read lips. Don’t assume, however, that
the individual knows sign language or reads lips.
• Be clear and precise when giving directions, and repeat or
rephrase if necessary. Make sure you have been understood.
• If the person uses a hearing aid, try to speak in an area
with few competing sounds.
• When required, use professional, qualified sign language
interpreters. If you require a sign language interpreter,
please make arrangements well in advance of the required
day and time through Diversity or local Human Resources.
Individuals Who Are Deaf-Blind
• Avoid assuming what a person can or cannot do.
Some people who are deaf-blind have some sight or
hearing, while others have neither.
• Speak directly to the individual as you normally would,
not to their support person or interpreter.
• A deaf-blind person is likely to explain to you how to
communicate with them, or give you an assistance card
or a note explaining how.
Individuals With Physical Disabilities
• Ask before you help. People with physical disabilities
often have their own ways of doing things.
• Assistive devices, including wheelchairs, should not be
touched without permission. They are considered an
extension of the person.
• Provide the individual with information about accessible
features of the immediate environment (automatic
doors, accessible washrooms, etc.).
• Remove obstacles and rearrange furniture to ensure a
clear path.
• When entering an elevator with a person with an
assistive device, tell the person that you will enter first
and hold the door open for them. When exiting, tell the
person that you will exit after them and hold the door
open for them.
• Do not change direction rapidly in front of a motorized
assistive device.