Guidelines for Customer Service to Persons Who Use Support Persons

Contact Officer: Accessibility Coordinator

1. Purpose
2. Definitions
3. Guidelines
4. Use of Support Persons
5. Concerning the Health & Safety of the Person with a Disability
6. Customer Service Best Practices
7. Charging Fees for Support Persons
8. Confidentiality
9. Links

A. Purpose

The Customer Service to Persons Who Use Support Persons Guidelines have been created to support the Queen's Accessibility Policy. These guidelines are intended to provide helpful information on the law and assist in providing a respectful, safe and welcoming environment for all persons with disabilities who are accompanied by their support persons.

B. Definitions

Ontario Regulation 191/11 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, section subsection 3 states:

• “support person” means, in relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies him or her in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods, services or facilities.

Support persons may provide one or more types of assistance, for example:

• Transportation
• Guiding a person with a vision loss
• Adaptive communication (e.g., Intervenor for someone who is deaf-blind)
• Interpretation (e.g., ASL/English interpreter, LSQ/French interpreter)
• Note-taking, scribe or reading services (usually coordinated by the Queen's Student Accessibility Services (QSAS)
• Personal care assistance
• Support persons in the event of a seizure (e.g., protect from falls)
• Interpret and relay the communication message of someone with a speech disability

C. Guidelines

Queen’s is committed to the inclusion and accommodation of persons with disabilities. The University permits persons with disabilities who require a support person, to bring that person with them while accessing goods, services, or facilities on Queen’s University campus, including any Queen’s related function open to the public or third parties.

D. Use of Support Persons

Ontario Regulation 191/11 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, section 80.47 subsection 4 states:

• If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, the provider shall ensure that both persons are permitted to enter the premises together and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person while on the premises.

E. Concerning the Health & Safety of the Person with a Disability

• Any considerations on protecting health and safety must be based on specific evidence and not on assumptions.

Ontario Regulation 191/11 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, section 80.47 subsection 5 states:

• The provider may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when on the premises, but only if, after consulting with the person with a disability and considering the available evidence, the provider determines that,
  1. a support person is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health or safety of others on the premises; and
  2. there is no other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability and the health or safety of others on the premises.

F. Customer Service Best Practices

• Address the person with the disability directly, rather than the support person, unless directed otherwise by the person with the disability.
• Both the person with a disability and their support person will be provided with access to all public areas in a respectful manner.
• The person with a disability may choose not to introduce the support person. If you are not sure, it is appropriate to ask, “Is this your interpreter or support person?”
• Address the person appropriately, for example: “Would you like hard or soft cover textbook?” as opposed to “Can you ask him if he wants hard or soft cover?”
• Remember that support persons, especially interpreters, tend to communicate everything to the person. Avoid engaging in “side” conversations with the interpreter, thinking these will not be conveyed to the person with the disability.
• Plan for the presence of support persons, e.g., help facilitate the interpreting process by reserving seats of persons who are deaf and by allocating space near presenters for interpreters.
• Where possible, provide written materials to both the person with the disability and the support person.
• During event planning, note the location of washrooms that will accommodate persons with disabilities and their support persons.

G. Charging Fees for Support Persons

According to the Accessible Customer Service Standard, you are required to provide advanced notice of admission costs for support persons, if any. Be mindful that persons with disabilities who use a support person often cannot attend events or participate in activities without their support person.

Consider waiving admission costs for support persons for Queen’s Events. For example, your event notice could state that support persons will not be charged for admission or registration but a small or reduced fee will be charged for food or meals consumed.

Ontario Regulation 191/11 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, section subsection 6 states:

• If an amount is payable for a person’s admission to the premises or in connection with a person’s presence on the premises, the provider shall ensure that notice is given in advance about the amount, if any, payable in respect of the support person.

Ontario Regulation 191/11 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, section 80.47 subsection 7 states:

• If, under subsection (5), the provider requires a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when on the premises, the provider shall waive payment of the amount, if any, payable in respect of the support person’s admission to the premises or in connection with the support person’s presence on the premises.

H. Confidentiality

Where confidentiality is important, because of the sensitivity of information discussed, staff may in appropriate circumstances, require the support person to sign a confidentiality agreement.

I. Links

Ontario Regulation 191/11 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, section 80.45.

Ontario Regulation 191/11 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, section 80.47.

Date Approved : Year Month Day
Approval Authority: VPOC
Related Policies, Procedures and Guidelines:
Accessibility Policy
Queen's Policy Concerning Students with Disabilities Disability Accommodations Statement
Human Resources Accommodation of Disabilities in the Workplace Policy