Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Effective July 31, 2013

What is the AODA and why is it important? The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was passed in 2005. Under the Act, the Ontario government is putting accessibility standards in place. It directly applies to Foliera and Rosaire Pion and both of their Representatives, CMS, working at The Home Depot, since we interact with customers and provide customer service, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service applies to all people or organizations in Ontario that provide goods or services, and have one or more employees. It affects the private, non-profit, and public sectors. To provide accessible customer service, organizations need to train their staff, create a plan and put it on paper.

Associates at The Home Depot who either work with customers or support customer service plans are trained under the provisions outlined in Section 6 of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service (Ontario Regulation 429/07). To ensure The Home Depot Canada is successful in providing exceptional customer service to all people, they require their agents, contractors and others who interact with the public on behalf of The Home Depot to verify compliance with the training requirements.

When interacting with customers, associates and third parties at Home Depot locations, we have to take extra precautions to ensure our working environment is accessible to those with disabilities.

Training for CMS Staff

Always be conscious of the space around D28, keeping in mind those with accessibility challenges. Report any concerns or issues to key HD personnel.We are here to serve all customers, no discrimination.

Customer service policies and procedures to follow:

 Make sure aisles and areas between permanent or temporary fixtures are accessible by shopping carts, wheel chairs, walkers, canes, guide dogs, etc.  Make sure product is secure on tables, MT, carts, benches, towers and other displays  Empty trays, boxes or other discarded material should be put on a cart, not the floor  Make sure water on the floor is cleaned up asap to avoid slipping, ensure warning sign is displayed  Be sensitive to a person’s disability, communicate with them starting with, “How can I help you?” to assess their need  If a someone has a support person with them, direct your conversation to the individual, not the support person  When a person has a service animal they are allowed in the department, do not pet the animal

Additional Training:  Watch webcasts here:http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/accessibility/customerService/  Read government training documents

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