Privacy and Legal

Confidentiality

The CAL is fully committed to providing educational services in an ethical manner. All student information, including the fact that you have used CAL services, is treated as strictly confidential. Use of the service is voluntary. Your disability documentation will be stored in a secure manner at the CAL and will not be released to third parties without your written consent in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).

These laws protect your personal information. You have the right to know how we may use and give out your personal information and how you can get access to it. Please see the Information Privacy Commissioner website (click here) for additional information.

For a full description of FIPPA, please click here. 

For a full description of PHIPA, please click here. 

Who Can Use and See Your Personal Information

Your personal information must be kept private and secure. You or a person who can legally make decisions for you can use and see your personal information. Your personal information is shared among the people who provide you with accommodations. We may collect, use, and give out your personal information to others as reasonably necessary to:

  • Provide you with accommodations,
  • Communicate with or consult other care providers, or
  • Report as required or permitted by law.

There are certain other circumstances where we may be required to give out some of your personal information. If you want to know more, please see CAL’s Privacy of Information and Consent Form, or speak to us.

How to Reach Us

If you have questions or concerns about our privacy practices, please contact the Manager of the Centre for Accessible Learning via the Welcome Centre at 613-727-4723 ext. 7200 or welcomecentre@algonquincollege.com.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario is responsible for making sure that privacy law is followed in Ontario. For more information about your privacy rights, or if you are not able to resolve a problem directly with us and wish to make a complaint, contact:

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 1A8

Toll Free: 1-800-387-0073; www.ipc.on.ca

Other Important Information

We are required to keep your personal information safe and secure. We will get your permission before we give out your personal information to others:

  • Who want to offer you their products or services, or
  • For certain research projects where your consent is required.

Access and/or Transfer of Records

Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), you (or someone acting on your behalf, such as a lawyer) have the right to access and request a copy of your personal information. Our Centre for Accessible Learning team is here to help you access your information when you need it.

Copies/Transfer of Your Records

Please note that the Centre for Accessible Learning has up to 30 days to process a request in accordance with FIPPA.

Public institutions, such as Algonquin College, must:

  • Design and implement records systems which adequately protect personal privacy
  • Assist in locating records requested
  • Determine if the requested record might contain personal information or third party information that affects the interests of someone other than the requester and, if so, allow the affected person to make representations about the disclosure of this information.

If you are no longer a student registered with the Centre for Accessible Learning at Algonquin College and you would like your records transferred to another care provider, you can request this information by:

  • Contacting the Manager, Centre for Accessible Learning, via the Welcome Centre at 613-727-4723 ext. 7200 or welcomecentre@algonquincollege.com. Please note the following: 
    • Legal requests for records must come directly from the law office with which you are working.
    • Once we have received your request, a staff member from the CAL team will review the request prior to transferring your records and may contact you if further information is needed.
    • We will contact you once your records are ready. You may pick them up from the Welcome Centre, or we can mail them to you. Please indicate your preference when requesting your records.
    • Large records should be collected in person when possible.

Academic Accommodations

Algonquin College has a human rights obligation to accommodate students with disabilities as outlined in its Policy AC01 which is intended to reflect the College’s response to the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. At the heart of the accommodation process is the responsibility, shared by all parties, to engage in meaningful dialogue about accommodation, and to seek out expert assistance as needed.

Academic accommodations refer to educational practices, systems, and support services designed to accommodate functional challenges due to a disability. The purpose of the accommodation is to enable students to meet the essential requirements of their academic program. At no time does accommodation undermine or compromise the learning objectives of a course or program. The principles of respect for dignity, individualization, and inclusion and full participation apply both to the substance of an accommodation and to the accommodation process.