Accessibility Standards

Standard Statement:

The Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre is committed to providing accessible health care services to all individuals. Our vision, mission and values guide our strategic plan to include inclusiveness/accessibility as one of our success factors. SLMHC will strive to meet or exceed the legislative requirements of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2001, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2005 and any subsequent legislation to achieve a fully accessible Ontario by 2025.

Policy:

The Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre will adhere to the guidelines of the Acts mentioned above, and develop its policies and standards based on the definitions that follow and ensure they are available to persons with disabilities as outlined below. Policies and standards will be updated when required by changes to the Acts or their regulations.

Definitions:

Accessible is defined as capable of being easily understood or appreciated; easy to get at; capable of being reached; or entered; obtainable.

Disability is defined as:

  1. Any degree of physical infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defector illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impairment, deafness or hearing impairment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog, or other animal or on a wheel chair or other remedial appliance or device.
  2. A condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability.
  3. A learning disability or dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language.
  4. A mental disorder
  5. A injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997

The Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre will establish and enforce policies, practices and procedures consistent with the following principles as defined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2005:

  1. Goods and services must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
  2. The provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities and others must be integrated unless an alternate measure is necessary, where temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with disability to obtain, use or benefit from the goods or service.
  3. Persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that of others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods and services.
  4. Persons with disabilities must be able to obtain, use or benefit from the provider’s goods and service using assistive devices or using other measures which enable them to do so.
  5. When communicating with a person with a disability, a provider shall do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.
  6. Every provider of goods and service that has at least 20 employees in Ontario shall prepare one or more documents describing its policies and procedures and upon request shall give a copy of a document to any person.

Notice of Availability of Documents

SLMHC will provide the public notice of the availability of the documents required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, (O. Reg. 429/07) upon request. Notice of availability will be provided on the website, through the newsletter and through other printed methods.

Format of Documents

If SLMHC is required, by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, to give a copy of a document to a person with a disability, the health centre will take into account the person’s ability to access information and will provide the document or information contained in the document in a format that meets those needs as agreed upon with the person.