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The Ministry of the Attorney General is committed to ensuring equal access to justice for all Ontarians. This includes providing services and programs that people with disabilities can use and benefit from equally and free from discrimination.

To do this we have adopted the Ontario Public Service Accessible Customer Service Policy, which addresses requirements under the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service (Ontario Regulation 429/07). This and other ministry policies and procedures on accessibility are summarized here.

These policies and procedures are intended to reflect following principles:

• To respect the dignity and independence of people with disabilities
• Equal opportunity for people with disabilities to access, use and benefit from our services or programs
• Integration of people with disabilities with others, unless alternative ways of providing our service or program are necessary for equal opportunity.

Our ministry is also working to continually improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

• What Kind of Accessible Customer Service Does the Ministry Provide?
• How Do I Request Accommodation?
• How Can I Provide Feedback?
• Accessible Customer Service Training
• Other Accessibility Policies or Procedures
• Accessibility of the Ministry's Website
• Accessible Buildings
• Annual Accessibility Plans
• Who Can I Contact?

What Kind of Accessible Customer Service Does the Ministry of the Attorney General Provide?

Communication

We will communicate with you in a manner that takes into account a disability if you let us know what your needs are.

Assistive Devices

You may use your own personal assistive devices. Where assistive devices are available in our buildings, our service staff have been trained on how to use them.

Service Animals

You may use your service animal in all parts of our premises that are open to the public.

Disability-Related Support Persons

You can access your support person while using our services. In situations where legal matters will be discussed, please tell us in advance if you are planning to use a support person. Your support person may be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement or the role of the support person may need to be agreed to in advance of the meeting.

Service Disruption

If there is a problem with facilities, equipment or services that people with disabilities rely on, we will provide notice to the public. The way we provide the notice will be determined by the nature of the problem. We will always try to make alternate arrangements to provide service where possible.

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How Do I Request Accommodation?

The information below is about requesting accommodation of a disability in courthouses run by the Ministry of the Attorney General. There are also courthouses run by municipalities that deal with most Provincial Offences Act matters such as fines and tickets for speeding, traffic, noise or trespassing issues. To get information on requesting accommodation of a disability in a municipal courthouse, please see the contact information on your court notice or visit the municipal Provincial Offences Court contact page.

If you or someone that you represent has a disability and needs accessible services or accommodation in one of our provincial courthouses, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator in the courthouse that you are attending, as soon as possible. If you are using a service or program that is not in a courthouse, you can request accessibility services or accommodation through any staff member in the service or program area that you are using. It may not be possible to arrange for some types of accommodation unless we receive enough advance notice.

Accessibility Coordinators provide information about accessibility services available in each courthouse and respond to the needs of court users with disabilities, working with others as needed (for example, the Crown Attorneys' Offices, Victim/Witness staff, and the judiciary).

The types of accommodation that we can provide will depend on your disability, the purpose of your visit to the courthouse, and the availability of different types of equipment and services. Here are some examples:

• Assistive listening devices or sound amplification systems such as infra-red or FM systems
• Sign language interpretation or real-time captioning
• Support for people who have difficulty speaking due to disability
• Scheduling of meetings and court proceedings in courtrooms, meeting rooms or courthouses that can accommodate disabilities.

If you require accommodation for a court proceeding, a judicial official will usually be informed about your request for accommodation, and may need to decide on it. The Accessibility Coordinator can provide information on how to make your request.

Contact information for Accessibility Coordinators can be found on the ministry's website, under the Court address section.

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How Can I Provide Feedback?

The Ministry of the Attorney General welcomes feedback about the accessibility of our services and your suggestions for improvement. You may provide feedback in any of the following ways:

1. In person, by phone, or mail where the service was received.
   List of Ontario Court Addresses.
2. By contacting the ministry's head office.

   Telephone	416–326–2220 or 1–800–518–7901
   TTY	416–326–4012 or 1-877-425-0575
   Fax	416–326–4007
   E-mail	Use our online form
   Mailing address	Ministry of the Attorney General McMurtry-Scott Building 720 Bay Street, 11th Floor Toronto, ON M7A 2S9

   Please mark correspondence or e-mail with the heading "accessibility feedback".

3. By customer comment form. All courthouses and some ministry offices use a customer comment form to receive feedback. Please ask any staff member at the courthouse or office for a form. The form will be made available in alternative formats upon request, or you can ask someone to fill it out for you.

What Do I Include in Feedback?

If your feedback is about a specific incident, please provide as much information as you feel comfortable giving - for example: the date that the incident occurred; what happened; what made the experience a good experience; or what went wrong and your suggestions for improvement.

You do not have to provide your name if you are not comfortable providing that level of information. However, providing your name contact information is required if you would like a response to your feedback.

How Does the Ministry Deal with Complaints?

Ministry staff or a manager will work directly with you to resolve a complaint. If your complaint is about an accommodation that you require to access and use ministry services, it will be addressed as soon as possible.

When we receive complaints in person or by telephone, we will try to resolve the complaint directly with you. If it cannot be resolved immediately, it will be acknowledged within two business days, and will be recorded and forwarded for action as soon as possible.

All comments, feedback or complaints received in writing by e-mail, fax, or mail will be answered or acknowledged within 15 business days. If it is not possible to resolve the complaint during that time, the acknowledgement will outline what steps are being taken and whether there will be any further response from the ministry.

Collection of Information

All government ministries are required by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service (Ontario Regulation 429/07) to have a process in place to receive feedback on the accessibility of services in order to assess their quality. If you provide personal information when providing feedback or making a complaint, the ministry will only use this information to acknowledge and respond to the submission.

If you have questions about the use of personal information, contact: Accessibility Unit, Ministry of the Attorney General: 416-326-6632 or 1-800-518-7901.

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Accessible Customer Service Training

The Ministry of the Attorney General provides training to its employees on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service (Ontario Regulation 429/07) the OPS Accessible Customer Service Policy and any other relevant accessibility policies, procedures or processes about accessibility.

The ministry maintains and updates a document that describes the ministry's accessibility training, including the content of the training.

The ministry has an established an accessibility training plan, which will be reviewed and updated every year.

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Other Accessibility Policies or Procedures

Some divisions and programs have developed policies and/or procedures about accessible customer service specific to their areas. For information, please contact any staff member in the specific area. They will assist you or provide the appropriate contact person. Or, email us at: attorneygeneral@ontario.ca

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Accessibility of the Ministry's Website

The Ministry of the Attorney General works to ensure its website is accessible to the widest possible audience. Our website is accessible.

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Accessible Buildings

The Ministry of the Attorney General owns or operates a number of facilities and courthouses across the province. Accessibility features of the ministry's facilities vary. As the ministry updates its facilities or builds new ones, accessibility features are incorporated.

Accessibility features of each location are available on the List of Ontario Court Addresses.

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Annual Accessibility Plans

Since 2003 the ministry has developed annual accessibility plans as required under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. You can review these plans to find out how the ministry is improving accessibility over time.

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Who Can I Contact?

Telephone	416–326–2220 or 1–800–518–7901
TTY	416–326–4012 or 1-877-425-0575
Fax	416–326–4007
E-mail	Use our online form
Mailing address	Ministry of the Attorney General McMurtry-Scott Building 720 Bay Street, 11th Floor Toronto, ON M7A 2S9

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