Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities
Our mission/vision/values
The mission of United College is:
- to research and teach the knowledge, skills and values needed to address complex local and global development issues
The vision of United College is:
- to be known, in Canada and beyond, as a distinctive and diverse university college that educates social innovators to shape and just and humane world
Core values / We believe that:
- Scholarship, responsible service and a spirit of innovation are necessary to preserve the world for future generations;
- Education is enhanced by learning in a community of students, faculty and staff; and
- Diversity of perspectives, cultures, and faith traditions is essential to a contemporary education.
United seeks to fulfill our mission in a way that ensures that the goods and services we provide are accessible to all persons.
Our commitment
United College seeks to create a community that is inclusive of all persons and treats all members of the community in an equitable manner. In creating such a community, United aims to foster an atmosphere of understanding and mutual respect for the worth, dignity and independence of all persons.
United will strive to provide support for, and facilitate the accommodation of individuals with disabilities, so that all may share the same level of access to the goods and services provided by the College. United will work to eliminate or minimize the adverse effects of barriers, including physical, environmental, attitudinal, communication and technological barriers, which may prevent the full participation of individuals with disabilities in the United community. The College will seek to provide integrated services whenever possible.
United will provide its employees with education and access to information regarding disability and our policies on disability. At the same time, United will endeavour to protect the individuals' privacy, confidentiality and autonomy.
United affirms that all individuals are expected to satisfy the essential requirements of their program of studies or employment, while recognizing that students and employees with disabilities may require reasonable accommodations to enable them to do so.
The achievement of United's goal depends on the participation of each and every member of the United community, including students, residents, tenants, faculty members, and staff members. Each of us has a role in creating an equitable and inclusive environment.
In working toward its goals under this Statement, the College is committed to acting conscientiously and in keeping with its own policies and existing legislation related to disability. These include:
- Ontario’s Ontarians with Disabilities Act
- Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
- Ontario Human Rights Code
Providing goods and services to people with disabilities
United is committed to excellence in serving all customers, including people with disabilities and we will carry out our functions and responsibilities in the following areas:
- Communication: We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that takes into account their disability. We will train staff members who communicate with customers on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities. When asked, information about the University and its services will be provided in accessible formats or with communication supports.
- Telephone services: United will make reasonable efforts to provide accessible telephone service to the students, residents, and tenants, and other members of the public. We will train staff members to communicate over the telephone in clear and plain language and to speak clearly and slowly. We will also make our staff members familiar with telephone technologies intended for people with disabilities. We will offer to communicate with people by regular mail or email if telephone communications is not suitable to their needs.
- Assistive devices: We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use their own assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our goods and services. We will ensure that our staff members are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by persons with disabilities while accessing our goods or services. We will continue our relationship with the University of Waterloo’s Office for Persons with Disabilities to provide accessible services to our student community.
- Billing: We will make reasonable efforts to provide accessible invoices to all our customers. For this reason, invoices will be provided by email on request. We will answer any questions customers may have about the content of the invoice in person, by telephone or email.
Use of service animals
We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the parts of our premises that are open to the public and other third parties. We will also ensure that all
staff dealing with the public are properly trained in how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.
Support persons
We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person. Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to enter the United
building with his or her support person. At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to his or her support person while on our premises.
Fees will not be charged for support persons for admission to any event hosted by United for which a fee is charged. This does not apply to residence and housing contracts or agreements.
Notice of temporary disruption
United will provide customers with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services usually used by people with disabilities. This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.
The notice will be placed on our website and at all main entrances, as well as the affected area(s) on our premises.
Training for staff
United will provide training to all employees and regular full-time contracted employees who deal with the public, and all those who are involved in the development and approvals of customer service policies, practices and procedures. All St. Paul's employees will be trained. This training will be provided for each staff member within a month of his or her commencement of duties.
Training will include the following:
- The purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard;
- How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities;
- How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person;
- What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing United's goods and services;
- The accessibility services available to United students through the University of Waterloo;
- United's policies, practices and procedures relating to the customer service standard.
Feedback process
United welcomes feedback, including feedback about the delivery of services to persons with disabilities. Residents and tenants of United should communicate feedback using a Concern Form submitted to the Student & Guest Services Centre.
Public feedback (non-resident / non-tenant) regarding the way St. Paul's provides goods and services to people with disabilities can be made in the following ways:
- in person or by regular mail addressed to: United College, 190 Westmount Road North, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G5
- by telephone at: 519-885-1460
- by email to: unitedcollege@uwaterloo.ca
Students, tenants and other members of the public can expect to hear back within seven business days of our receipt of the feedback.
Modifications to this or other policies
United is committed to developing customer service policies that respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. Therefore no changes will be made to this policy before
considering the impact on people with disabilities. United will make reasonable efforts to modify or amend any policy that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities.
Questions about this policy
This policy exists to achieve service excellence to customers with disabilities. If anyone has questions about this policy, please contact Mike Steinmann