Accessibility Services and Policies
Web Accessibility
Wycliffe College is committed to making our website accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities, by following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA (WCAG 2.0 Level AA).
Please understand that our efforts to improve online accessibility are ongoing as we implement relevant improvements to meet the WCAG 2.0 AA over time. We encourage you to report any accessibility issues you may encounter by contacting us at communications@wycliffe.utoronto.ca so we may assist you.
If you do encounter an accessibility issue, please specify the URL of the webpage involved and we will make all reasonable efforts to make that page accessible.
Accessibility Policy: Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities
1. Our mission
Wycliffe College, an evangelical Anglican community of learning within the University of Toronto, serves the educational mission of the Church by challenging and encouraging those who seek a fuller understanding of Jesus Christ and his transforming power. Wycliffe assists in the theological formation of Christian men and women, trains those who are called to specific lay and ordained ministries, and fosters excellence in theological scholarship.
2. Our commitment
Wycliffe College seeks to create a community that is inclusive of all persons and treats all members of the community in an equitable manner. In creating such a community, we aim to foster an atmosphere of understanding and mutual respect for the worth, dignity and independence of all persons.
We will strive to provide support for, and facilitate the accommodation of individuals with disabilities, so that all may share the same level of access to the goods and services provided by the College. We will work to eliminate or minimize the adverse effects of barriers, including physical, environmental, attitudinal, communication and technological barriers, which may prevent the full participation of individuals with disabilities in the Wycliffe community. We will seek to provide integrated services whenever possible.
We will provide our employees with education and access to information regarding disability and the College’s policies on disability.
At the same time, we will endeavour to protect the individual’s privacy, confidentiality and autonomy.
Wycliffe College affirms that all individuals are expected to satisfy the essential requirements of their program of studies or employment, while recognizing that students and employees with disabilities may require reasonable accommodations to enable them to do so.
Wycliffe College is committed to acting conscientiously and in keeping with its own policies and existing legislation related to disability. These include:
- The Toronto School of Theology’s policy on Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (Paragraph 12 of the Basic Degree Handbook);
- Ontario’s Ontarians with Disabilities Act
- Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
- Ontario Human Rights Code
3. Providing goods and services to people with disabilities
Wycliffe College is committed to excellence in serving all customers including people with disabilities and we will carry out our functions and responsibilities in the following areas:
3.1 Communication
We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.
We will train staff members who communicate with customers on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.
3.2 Telephone services
Wycliffe College will make reasonable efforts to provide accessible telephone service to the students and other members of the public. We will train staff members to communicate over the telephone in clear and plain language and to speak clearly and slowly. We will also make our staff members familiar with telephone technologies intended for people with disabilities. We will offer to communicate with people by regular mail or email if telephone communications is not suitable to their needs.
3.3 Assistive devices
We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use their own assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our goods and services. We will ensure that our staff members are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by persons with disabilities while accessing our goods or services.
We will continue our relationship with the University of Toronto’s Accessibility Services to provide accessible services to our student community.
3.4 Billing
We will make reasonable efforts to provide accessible invoices to all our customers. For this reason invoices will be provided by email on request. We will answer any questions customers may have about the content of the invoice in person, by telephone or email.
4. Use of service animals
We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the parts of our premises that are open to the public and other third parties. We will also ensure that all staff, volunteers and others dealing with the public are properly trained in how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.
5. Support Persons
We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person. Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to enter the Wycliffe College building with his or her support person. At no time will a person with a disability, who is accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to his or her support person while on our premises. Fees will not be charged for support persons for admission to any event hosted by
Wycliffe College for which a fee is charged.
6. Notice of temporary disruption
We will provide customers with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services usually used by people with disabilities. This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.
The notice will be placed on our website and at all public entrances and service counters on our premises.
7. Training for staff
We will provide training to all employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public or other third parties on their behalf, and all those who are involved in the development and approvals of customer service policies, practices and procedures. All Wycliffe College employees and persons who volunteer for us will be trained:
This training will be provided for each staff member within a month of his or her commencement of duties.
Training will include the following:
• The purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard;
• How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities;
• How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person;
• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing Wycliffe College’s goods and services;
• The accessibility services available to Wycliffe College students through the University of Toronto;
• Wycliffe College’s policies, practices and procedures relating to the customer service standard.
8. Feedback process
We welcome feedback on our accessibility services. Feedback may be provided to Jeffrey Hocking, Registrar, in the following ways:
• in person or by regular mail addressed to:
Wycliffe College, 5 Hoskin Avenue, Toronto, ON M5S 1H7
• by telephone at: 416-946-3530
• by email: jeffrey.hocking@wycliffe.utoronto.ca
Students and other members of the public can expect to hear back within seven business days of our receipt of the feedback.
9. Modifications to this or other policies
Wycliffe College is committed to developing customer service policies that respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. Therefore no changes will be made to this policy before considering the impact on people with disabilities. We will make reasonable efforts to modify or amend any policy that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities.
10. Questions about this policy
This policy exists to achieve service excellence to customers with disabilities. If anyone has questions about this policy, please contact Jeffrey Hocking by telephone at 416-946-3530 or by email at: jeffrey.hocking@wycliffe.utoronto.ca.
