Minutes of the Customer Service Standards Development Committee (CS-SDC)

Meeting Date/Time : February 27, 2007, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Meeting Number : 8
Meeting Location : Canadian Standards Association
5060 Spectrum Way, Suite 100
Mississauga, ON  L4W 5N6

Annexes : 
A:  Final Proposed Customer Service Standard
  B: Chair’s Transmittal Letter to the Minister and  Annex “A”
  C: Chair’s Memo to Al Cormier, Chair, T-SDC

Members Present 

• Judith Sandys, Ryerson University, Chair
• Cynthia Archer, Ontario Library Association
• Beverly Ball  Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (via telephone)
• Mike Bonnah, West Park Healthcare Centre
• Richard Clarke, Ontario Ministry of Government Services
• Elaine Darling, Ontario March of Dimes
• Della Derrough, Community Living Ontario
• Therese Domaso, City of Toronto (for Colleen Bell)
• Martha Johnson, Canadian Bankers’ Association, TDBFG
• Stuart Johnstone, Ontario Chamber of Commerce
• Doug Jure, Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas
  David Kelly, Ontario Federation of Community Mental Health & Addiction Programs
• Sheila Larmer, Ontario Ministry of Tourism
• Adina Lebo, Motion Picture Theatre Associations of Canada
• Israel Lyon, Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade
• Duncan MacDonald, Ontario Federation of Labour (for Terry Downey)
• Lorin MacDonald, Individual
• Kerry-Ann Markle, Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services
• Ashley McClinton, Retail Council of Canada
• Margaret Shenton, Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (Ontario Chapter)
• Sharon Vilcini, Bloorview Kids Rehab
• Walter E. Visser, Association of Municipalities of Ontario
• Jane Warwick, Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General

Members Absent

• Colleen Bell, City of Toronto
• Terry Downey, Ontario Federation of Labour
• Dennis Finucan, Canadian Council of the Blind (Ontario Division)
• Victor Palmer, Adult Learning Disabilities Education Resource
• Terry Mundell, Greater Toronto Hotel Association

Guests 

• Nadia Temple Accessibility Directorate of Ontario

Support Unit 

• Terry Brand, Canadian Standards Association, CS-SDC Secretary
• Nelly Tion,  Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
• Robert Thomson, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
• Scot Weeres, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario

SUMMARY OF MEETING ACTIONS

Action 1: The Secretary to review the final proposed standard for accuracy and completeness prior to forwarding it to the Minister in early April 2007.

Action 2: The Chair and Secretary to refine the transmittal letter and associated annex to reflect committee input and to forward final proposed standard, transmittal letter, and associated annex to the Minister by April 6th, 2007.

Action 3: The Chair and Secretary to refine the memo to Al Cormier and forward it by March 1st, 2007.

M.8.1 OPENING AND WELCOME

The Chair called the meeting to order and welcomed all members to the eighth working meeting of the Customer Service Standards Development Committee (CS-SDC). 

The Chair introduced Israel (Issy) Lyon, the new member of the CS-SDC, who replaces Wendy Feldman, as the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade representative.

The Chair acknowledged Terry Mundell, the newest member of the CS-SDC, who replaces Rod Seiling, as the Greater Toronto Hotel Association representative.  T. Mundell was absent from the meeting.

The Chair highlighted the key objectives of the meeting:

1. Receive a presentation from the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario on related education and awareness initiatives to support standards implementation;
2. Review the Editorial Working Group recommendation;
3. Vote on the Final Proposed Customer Service Standard;
4. Review the Chair’s Transmittal Letter to the Minister (and associated Annex “A”);
5. Review the Chair’s Memo to Al Cormier; and
6. Discuss Next Steps.

M.8.2  ROLL CALL

The Secretary distributed an attendance list and members confirmed their attendance.

M.8.3  ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

M.8.3.1 Housekeeping

The Secretary advised the members of the housekeeping issues for the meeting and of the facility safety procedures.

M.8.3.2 Approval of Meeting 8 Draft Agenda

CS-SDC members reviewed the draft Meeting 8 agenda and approved it without change. 

M.8.4 DEVELOPMENT OF FINAL PROPOSED ACCESSIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARD
 
The Chair invited S. Weeres to introduce Nadia Temple, Director, Education and Partnerships Branch, ADO.

S. Weeres introduced N. Temple and invited her to address the members.

N. Temple provided the members with an overview of the Ministry’s education and awareness initiatives in support of accessibility standards implementation. She highlighted the three objectives underpinning these initiatives: (1) sector awareness; (2) sector readiness; and (3) compliance assistance.  Key tactics include: (a) Conducting programs on the purpose and implementation of the AODA; (b) Keeping stakeholders informed about the SDC process; (c) Consulting and partnering with organizations on the provision of information and training respecting accessibility within their organizations, (d) Informing organizations of preliminary measures, policies or practices that could be implemented in advance of a regulated standard; and (e) Providing information, education and tools to support effective implementation

M.8.4.1 Review Editorial Working Group Recommendation regarding Draft 7

The Chair led the members through a clause-by-clause review of the revised version of Draft 7 recommended by the Editorial Working Group.  The members supported most of the changes as presented.  Some further refinements to the language of the standard were discussed and agreed to in order to more clearly communicate the committee’s intent.

Action 1: The Secretary to review the final proposed standard for accuracy and completeness prior to forwarding it to the Minister in early April 2007.

M.8.4.2 Recorded Vote on Final Proposed Standard

The Chair conducted a recorded vote on the final proposed customer service standard.  The unanimous affirmative result, declared at 2:30 pm EST, is recorded below:

Following the recorded vote, the Chair led the committee through a review of the draft transmittal letter to the Minister and the accompanying annex.  Members were pleased with the proposed letter and annex and suggested some minor revision to improve its clarity and completeness.

Action 2: The Chair and Secretary to refine the transmittal letter and associated annex to reflect committee input and to forward final proposed standard, transmittal letter, and associated annex to the Minister by April 6th, 2007.

The Chair then led the members through a review of the draft memo to Al Cormier, Chair of the Transportation Standards Development Committee regarding the issues of fare waivers for accessibility support persons and service disruptions.  Members were pleased with the proposed memo and suggested minor edits.

Action 3: The Chair and Secretary to refine the memo to Al Cormier and forward it by March 1st, 2007.

M.8.5  COMMUNICATIONS

M.8.5.1 Report of Communications Task Group 

The committee did not prepare a communiqué following this, its final meeting.

M.8.6  OTHER BUSINESS

The Chair invited S. Weeres to address the committee and provide an overview on the next steps of the regulation development process (beyond the committee concluding its mandate and transmitting the final proposed customer service standard to the Minister).

S. Weeres highlighted the next steps in the standards/regulation development process including:

• Ministerial review;
• Cabinet review;
• Regulation drafting;
• Legislation and Regulations Committee review.

M.8.7  ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 pm on Tuesday February 27th, 2007.

ANNEX “A”
Final Proposed Customer Service Standard

ANNEX “B”
Chair’s Transmittal Letter to the Minister 
Annex “A”

ANNEX “C”
Chair’s Memo to Al Cormier

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