Meeting Date/Time: March 22, 2006; 9:30 am – 4:00 pm (Day 1)
March 23, 2006; 9:30 am – 4:00 pm (Day 2)
Meeting Number 2
Meeting Location: Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
5060 Spectrum Way, Suite 100
Mississauga, ON L4W 5N6
Annexes: A. List of Deferred Concepts to be Revisited
B. Potential Solutions to Overcoming Barriers to Customer Service
Members Present:
- Judith Sandys, Ryerson University (Chair)
- Cynthia Archer, Ontario Library Association
- Cathie Auger, Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario (Day 1)
- Colleen Bell, City of Toronto
- Richard Clarke, Ontario Ministry of Government Services (Day 2)
- Della Derrough, Community Living Ontario
- Wendy Feldman, Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade
- Martha Johnson, Canadian Bankers Association
- Stuart Johnston, Ontario Chamber of Commerce (Day1)
- Doug Jure, Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas
- Brian Kon, Ontario March of Dimes
- Sheila Larmer, Ontario Ministry of Tourism
- Adina Lebo, Motion Picture Theatre Associations of Canada
- Lorin MacDonald, Individual Representative
- Kerry-Anne Markle, Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services
- Ashley McClinton, Retail Council of Canada
- Suzanne Medeiros, Ministry of Government Services (Alternate for Richard Clarke on Day 1)
- Victor Palmer, Adult Learning Disabilities Resource
- Rod Seiling, Greater Toronto Hotel Association (Day 1)
- Margaret Shenton, Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (Ontario Chapter)
- Sharon Vilcini, Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centres (Day 1 and half of Day 2)
- Walter E. Visser, Association of Municipalities of Ontario
- Jane Warwick, Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General
Members Absent:
- Beverly Ball, Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario
- Terry Downey, Ontario Federation of Labour
- Dennis Finucan, Canadian Council of the Blind (Ontario Division)
- David Kelly, Ontario Federation of Community Mental Health and Addiction Programs
Support Unit Affiliation:
- Nancy Bestic, Canadian Standards Association
- Kevin Boehmer, Canadian Standards Association
- Peggy Bram, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
- Terry Brand, Canadian Standards Association, CS-SDC Co-Secretary
- Mansur Rahim, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario, CS-SDC Co-Secretary
- Estelle Small, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
- Nelly Tion, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
- Scot Weeres, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
Summary of Meeting Actions
Action 1: Support Unit to edit and distribute tracked and untracked versions of Draft 2 of the proposed customer service standard to CS-SDC Members by March 30, 2006.
Action 2: CS-SDC Members to review Draft 2 of the proposed customer service standard, actively consult with their constituents and submit their comments to T. Brand by Wednesday April 12, 2006.
Action 3: Support Unit to collate Members’ comments and distribute to CS-SDC Members by Wednesday April 19, 2006.
Action 4: CS-SDC Members agreed to defer discussion of specific terminology and scope-related concepts and revisit them at Meeting 3 (April 24 and 25, 2006).
Action 5: Accessibility Directorate of Ontario to obtain legal perspective with respect to the: (1) need to clarify the relation and role of the draft proposed customer service standard vis-à-vis the Ontario Human Rights Code; (2) preferred language regarding “same”, “equal”, “equivalent”, “comparable” terminology; and (3) definition of “undue hardship” for the CS-SDC’s consideration.
Action 6: Support Unit to transmit draft Long-term Objectives for Customer Service to the Minister of Community and Social Services by March 27, 2006.
Action 7: Support Unit staff to distribute communiqué to CS-SDC Members by March 27, 2006.
Action 8: CS-SDC Members to advise M. Rahim of any additional accommodations requirements for future meetings.
M2.1 Opening And Welcome
The Chair called the meeting to order and welcomed all Members to the second working meeting of the Customer Service Standards Development Committee (CS-SDC).
The Chair highlighted the key objectives of the meeting:
- To finalize draft long-term objectives for submission to the Minister of Community and Social Services;
- Advance work on the measures, policies, practices or requirements specified in the proposed draft standard; and
- Review and/or revise the work plan.
M2.2 Roll Call
Members introduced themselves and stated their affiliations.
M2.3 Administrative Matters
The Secretary reviewed housekeeping procedures.
CS-SDC Members reviewed the draft Meeting 2 agenda as well as the draft Minutes from the February 2006 Committee meeting, and approved the agenda and draft Minutes without change.
M2.4 Development of Initial Proposed Accessible Customer Service Standard
The CS-SDC reviewed and discussed specific feedback received from Members on Draft 1 of the proposed customer service standard. The CS-SDC took this feedback into consideration in the development of Draft 2 of the proposed customer service standard.
The CS-SDC Members continued to develop measures, policies, practices and requirements to be specified in the draft proposed standard. In the course of developing these measures, the Committee debated at length a number of terminology-related concepts including:
- “equivalent, comparable and equal”;
- “parallel versus alternative methods of service delivery”; and
- the definition of “undue hardship”.
The Committee also discussed the interconnections between accessible customer service and the work of current and future Standards Development Committees (i.e., built environment, employment, information and communications).
The CS-SDC Members agreed to defer consideration of these terminology and scope-related concepts to Meeting 3 pending legal perspective being obtained to support the CS-SDC in addressing these concepts. See Annex “A” for this list of deferred concepts.
Action 1: Support Unit to edit and distribute tracked and untracked versions of Draft 2 of the proposed customer service standard to CS-SDC Members by March 30, 2006.
The Chair requested CS-SDC Members to document any further comments they may have or feedback they obtain from constituents on the revised Draft 2 of the proposed customer service standard using the comment template provided and to forward these to T. Brand prior to April 19, 2006.
Action 2: CS-SDC Members to review Draft 2 of the proposed customer service standard, actively consult with their constituents and submit their comments to T. Brand prior to Wednesday April 12, 2006.
Action 3: Support Unit to collate Member comments and distribute to CS-SDC Members by Wednesday April 19, 2006.
Action 4: CS-SDC Members agreed to defer discussion on specific terminology and scope-related concepts and revisit them at Meeting 3 (April 24 and 25, 2006).
The CS-SDC requested the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario to obtain legal perspective on specific terminology and scope-related issues to assist the CS-SDC in fulfilling its mandate. These issues included the:
- need to clarify the relation and role of the draft proposed customer service standard vis-à-vis the Ontario Human Rights Code;
- preferred language regarding “same”, “equal”, “equivalent”, “comparable” terminology; and
- definition of “undue hardship”.
Action 5: Accessibility Directorate of Ontario) to obtain legal perspective with respect to the:
- need to clarify the relation and role of the draft proposed customer service standard vis-à-vis the Ontario Human Rights Code;
- preferred language regarding “same”, “equal”, “equivalent”, “comparable” terminology;and
- definition of “undue hardship” for the CS-SDC’s consideration.
M2. Path Forward
The CS-SDC reviewed and confirmed the draft Long-term Objectives for customer service and requested T. Brand, on behalf of the Chair, to transmit the objectives to the Minister of Community and Social Services by March 27, 2006.
Action 6: T. Brand, on behalf of the Chair, to transmit draft Long-term Objectives for Customer Service to the Minister of Community and Social Services by March 27, 2006.
The CS-SDC reviewed its work plan and no revisions were required.
The CS-SDC broke into 4 smaller groups and discussed potential solutions to overcoming barriers to customer service. This exercise was intended to stimulate discussion at Meeting 3 regarding classes and implementation timelines. See Annex “B” for the summary of potential solutions identified.
M2.6 Communications
The communications task group drafted a communiqué highlighting the CS-SDC’s progress to date. The Chair reviewed the communiqué with the CS-SDC Members and recommended that it be distributed to Members by March 27, 2006.
Action 7: Support Unit staff to distribute Meeting 2 communiqué to CS-SDC Members by March 27, 2006.
M2.7 Other Business
M2.7.1 Meeting Evaluation
The Chair requested CS-SDC Member feedback on the meeting. Members indicated that they found the meeting productive. The Support Unit was asked to explore the availability of a downtown location for Meeting 3, although at present availability was limited.
M2.7.2 Meeting and Committee Accommodations
M. Rahim requested Members to contact him regarding any additional accommodations required for future meetings.
Action 8: CS-SDC Members to advise M. Rahim of any additional accommodations requirements for future meetings
M2.7.3 Meeting Schedule
The meeting schedule was reviewed and the Chair proposed that placeholders be set for:
- July (Thursday July 27 and Friday July 28); andAugust (Thursday August 24 and Friday August 25) in the event that the Committee requires
- additional time to fulfill its mandate.
M2.7.4 Other
No other business was discussed.
M2.8 Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 pm on Thursday March 23, 2006.
Annex“A”
List of Deferred Concepts to be Revisited
- Concepts of:
- Equivalent, comparable, equal – Committee requested legal perspective on the different terms, for discussion at Meeting 3.
- Parallel versus Alternative Methods – The CS-SDC agreed to engage in further discussion to arrive at a shared understanding of the concept.
- “Alteration” of Barriers - The CS-SDC agreed to engage in further discussion on how this concept differs from elimination of barriers.
- Undue hardship – The CS-SDC agreed to seek legal perspective on the definition.
- Exceptions – The CS-SDC agreed to consider this matter after it has defined the requirements and discussed classes and progressive implementation timelines, recognizing that some exceptions may emerge from this work.
- Technology and Resources – The CS-SDC agreed to provisionally remove two barriers included in Draft 1:
- The CS-SDC Members will continue to discuss the interconnections between accessible customer service and the work of current and future Standards Development Committees (i.e., built environment, employment, information and communications).
Annex “B”
Potential Solutions to Overcoming Barriers to Accessible Customer Service
Attitudinal:
- Large organizations – champion behaviour
- Training/learning/state expectations
- Performance contracts – make accessibility part of organizational culture
- Sharing information
- Public information campaigns
- Dedicate well trained/attuned employees until retraining or performance management process
Awareness:
- Booklet – “May I Help You?”
- Inventory of books, examples and resources
- Education sessions
- Self-evaluation (before and after)
Communication and Information:
- Voice recognition (no equivalent/alternative service)
- Options available for visually impaired:
- Instructions and directions
- Verbal
- Digital/electronic
- Print/hard copy
- Interactive voice response (telephone banking)
- Verbal instructions (sales agreements)
- Self-help options
- Computer
- Audio
- Video
- People
- Information options
- Visual/Hearing/Learning
- More than one option (audio, test/print, pictures, diagrams)
Physical, Non-Structural
- Sound (music, excess noise/activity)
- don’t locate fax/copier near public service area
- reduce music in public places
- Aisle displays
- Area rugs (floor covering/surfaces)
- Shelving – placing products
- Organizing equipment
- Signage – clear, frequent, level, colours/contrast
- Theatres – seating for persons in wheel chairs and their caregivers
- Buying clothes and other things (chair in change room, chair near customer queues)