Purpose
This policy is intended to meet current legislative requirements and applies to the provision of goods and services to the public, not the goods themselves. Our policy aims to ensure that persons with disabilities are provided equal opportunity to obtain, use and benefit from our goods and services. Reasonable efforts will be made to ensure that:
- Goods and services are provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities;
- The goods and services provided to persons with disabilities are integrated with the provision to others unless an alternate measure is necessary to allow a person with a disability to benefit from the goods and services. The alternate measure may be temporary or permanent;
- Communication with a person with a disability is conducted in a manner that takes into account his or her disability;
- People with disabilities may use assistive devices, service animals and support persons as is necessary to access our goods and services.
Policy
1. Providing goods and services to people with disabilities
We are committed to excellence in serving all customers including people with disabilities and we will carry out our functions and responsibilities in the following areas:
a. Communication
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- We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.
- We will train our staff on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.
- We will train our staff to communicate with customers in plain language and to speak clearly.
- We will offer to communicate with customers in a written format
(i.e. by e-mail) if telephone communication is not suitable to their communication needs or is not available.
b. Assistive Devices
We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our goods and services. We will ensure that our staff are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods or services.
c. Billing
We are committed to providing accessible invoices to all of our customers. For this reason, statements or invoices will be provided in alternate formats upon request: hard copy, large print, and by e-mail.
2. Use of service animals and support persons
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.
We are committed to welcoming persons 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 our premises 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. There are no applicable admission fees for support persons to enter our premises.
3. Notice of temporary disruption
We will make reasonable effort to provide customers with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services usually used by all of our customers including people with disabilities. This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, the anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available. The notice will be placed at all public entrances and service counters on our premises.
4. Training for staff
We will ensure that the employees to whom this policy applies receive training as required by the applicable legislation. This training will be also be provided as part of orientation training for new employees to whom the policy applies, and on a continuing basis as required. Training will include:
- The purpose 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 our goods or services;
- Our policies, practices and procedures relating to the customer service standard.
Applicable staff will be trained on policies, practices and procedures that affect the way goods and services are provided to people with disabilities. Staff will also be trained on an ongoing basis when changes are made to these policies, practices and procedures.
5. Feedback process
The ultimate goal of Domclean Limited is to meet and surpass customer expectations while servicing customers with disabilities. Comments on our services regarding how well those expectations are being met are welcome and appreciated.
Feedback regarding the way our organization provides goods and services to people with disabilities can be made by letter, e-mail or verbally. All feedback will be directed to our Human Resources Manager at: feedback@domclean.com. Customers can expect to hear back within 5 business days.
6. Modifications to this or other policies
We are 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.
7. Questions about this policy
The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework through which we can achieve service excellence for people with disabilities. If anyone has questions about this policy, please contact:
Human Resources Manager
Domclean Limited
29 Craig Street
Brantford, ON N3R 7H8
519-752-3725
MULTI-YEAR ACCESSIBILITY PLAN
Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities
PART 1 – GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
| Section | Initiative | Description | Action | Status | Comply By |
| 3 | Establishment of Accessibility Policies | 3.(1) Every obligated organization shall develop, implement and maintain policies governing how the organization achieves or will achieve accessibility through meeting its requirements under the accessibility standards referred to in this Regulation. | Policy created and posted at entrance to each office. | Complete | 1/01/14 |
| 4 | Accessibility Plans | 4. (1) Large Organizations shall, a) establish, implement, maintain and document a multi-year accessibility plan, which outlines the organizations approach to prevent and remove barriers and meet the requirements under this regulation. b) post the accessibility plan on their website, if any, and provide the plan in an accessible format upon request; and c) review and update the accessibility plan at least once every five years. |
Multi-year accessibility plan completed and posted on: www.domclean.com & www.dominionequipment.com The Multi-year accessibility plan will be reviewed annually by the appropriate personnel which includes HR, Health & Safety, Operations and Administrative staff. |
On-going |
1/01/14
1/01/19 |
| 6 | Self-Serve Kiosks | 6. (2) Large organizations and small organizations shall have regard to the accessibility for persons with disabilities when designing, procuring or acquiring self-service kiosks.
|
Not applicable to Domclean Limited as of January 1, 2014. We will revisit each year when we review the accessibility plan. | N/A | 1/01/14 |
| 7. | Training | 7. (1) Every obligated organization shall ensure that training is provided on the requirements of the accessibility standards referred to in this Regulation and on the Human Rights Code as it pertains to persons with disabilities to, (a) all employees, and volunteers; (b) all persons who participate in developing the organization’s policies; and (c) all other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of the organization. |
Domclean will prepare, implement and complete a training program for all current personnel which shall be appropriate to their duties. All training shall be documented including the date on which the training was provided. Training in respect of any changes to the policies will be provided. New hires shall be trained as soon as practicable. |
In progress
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing |
1/01/15 |
PART 2 – INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION STANDARD
| Section | Initiative | Description | Action | Status | Comply By |
| 11 | Feedback | 11.(1) Every obligated organization that has processes for receiving and responding to feedback shall ensure that the processes are accessible to persons with disabilities by providing or arranging for accessible formats and communication supports, upon request. | Review and identify processes for receiving and responding to feedback
Consider alternate feedback formats that comply with accessibility requirements, where practicable. Train/communicate to appropriate personnel about alternate feedback formats and how to proceed if an alternate format is required. |
Review by Oct. 1/14Q4 2014 |
1/01/15 |
| 12 | Accessible Formats & Communication Supports | 12. (1) Except as otherwise provided, every obligated organization shall upon request provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities, a) in a timely manner that takes into account the person’s accessibility needs due to disability; and b) at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons.12. (2) The obligated organization shall consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support. 12. (3) Every obligated organization shall notify the public about the availability of accessible formats and communication supports. |
Determine what accessible formats and communication supports could be made available upon request.
Train/communicate to appropriate personnel about the alternate accessible formats and communication supports available and how to proceed if required. For example: “Alternate formats can be made available upon request”. |
Review & complete by end of Q1 2015
Q3 2015
Q4 2015 |
1/01/16 |
| 14 | Accessible Websites & Web Content | 14. (2) Designated public sector organizations and large organizations shall make their internet websites and web content conform with the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 initially at Level A and increasing to Level AA, and shall do so in accordance with the schedule set out in this section. | A significant refresh to our websites is not planned for any time in the near future, however, if the decision is made to do so, Domclean will meet WCAG 2.0 requirements during the refresh.
A review will be conducted with the website designer to determine what steps are required to add accessibility features to our websites and prepare a plan to implement those revisions.
Domclean will ensure our websites are compliant with the legislation according to the time frames set out: |
1/01/14
Ongoing
|
1/01/14
1/01/14
1/01/21
|
PART 3 – EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS
| Section | Initiative | Description | Action | Status | Comply By |
| 22 | Recruitment – General | 22. Every employer shall notify its employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities in its recruitment processes. | Domclean Limited will notify job applicants that where needed, accommodations for disabilities will be provided, on request, to support their participation in all aspects of the recruitment process.
A statement such as the following: “Domclean is committed to providing accommodations for persons with disabilities. If you require accommodation, we will work with you to meet your needs” will be incorporated into notifications prepared for job applicants. |
Q3 2015
Q3 2015 |
1/01/16 |
| 23 | Recruitment, Assessment or Selection Process | 23. (1) During a recruitment process, an employer shall notify job applicants when they are individually selected to participate in an assessment or selection process, that accommodations are available upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used.
(2) If a selected applicant requests an accommodation, the employer shall consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for the provision of a suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability. |
Domclean Limited will notify all selected applicants about the availability of recruitment-related accommodations. Notification could occur through a variety of methods to be determined based on the individual’s accommodation request.
Upon request, the applicant will be consulted to determine the individual’s needs so that the accommodations provided are effective.
|
Q3 2015
Q3 2015 |
1/01/16 |
| 24 | Notice to Successful Applicants | 24. Every employer shall, when making offers of employment, notify the successful applicant of its policies for accommodating employees with disabilities. | Domclean Limited will notify successful applicants of our policies for accommodating employees with disabilities. Notification could occur through a variety of methods to be determined based on the individual’s accommodation request. | Q3 2015 | 1/01/16 |
| 25 | Informing Employees of Supports | 25.(1) Every employer shall inform its employees of its policies used to support its employees with disabilities, including, but not limited to, policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to disability.
(2) Employers shall provide the information required under this section to new employees as soon as practicable after they begin their employment. (3) Employers shall provide updated information to its employees whenever there is a change to existing policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to disability. |
Domclean Limited will prepare procedures for informing current staff about our policies used to support employees with disabilities.
For example: inserted in our Orientation Handbooks, internal memo posted at all worksites, emails.
All changes will be communicated. |
Q3 2015 | 1/01/16 |
| 26 | Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees | 26 (1) In addition to its obligations under section 12, where an employee with a disability so requests it, every employer shall consult with the employee to provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for, (a) information that is needed in order to perform the employee’s job; and (b) information that is generally available to employees in the workplace. (2) the employer shall consult with the employees in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support. |
Domclean Limited to investigate and determine what accessible formats and communication supports could be made available upon request.
|
Review by end of Q2 2015
Ongoing |
1/01/16 |
| 28 | Documented Individual Accommodation Plans | 28. (1) Employers, other than employers that are small organizations, shall develop and have in place a written process for the development of documented individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. | Domclean Limited to develop a plan and process to formalize the documented individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. Refer to 28. (2) of the Act – all of the elements listed in this Section will be incorporated into the documented individual plan. |
Q2 2015 | 1/01/16 |
| 29 | Return to Work Process | 29. (1) Every employer, other than an employer that is a small organization, (a) shall develop and have in place a return to work process for its employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work; and (b) shall document the process.(2) the return to work process shall, (a) outline the steps the employer will take to facilitate the return to work of employees who were absent because their disability required them to be aware from work; and (b) use individual documented accommodation plans, as described in section 28 as part of the process.(3) The return to work process referenced in this section does not replace or override any other return to work process created by or under any other statute. |
H&S and HR to compare the IASR requirements for employees with disabilities returning to work with our existing Return to Work process and ensure compliance. The process will be documented as all RTW plans are.
Same as above.
If an employee requires disability-related accommodation to effectively return to work, an individual plan will be developed for that employee.
|
Q2 2015
Q2 2015 |
1/01/16 |
| 30 | Performance Management | 30. (1) An employer that uses performance management in respect of its employees shall take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when using its performance management process in respect of employees with disabilities. | Performance management is generally conducted on an informal basis in our organization and will take into consideration the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities. | Q3 2015 | 1/01/16 |
| 31 | Career Development and Advancement | 31. (1) an employer that provides career development and advancement to its employees shall take into account the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities as well as any individual accommodation plans, when providing career development and advancement to its employees with disabilities. | Will work with Human Resources to review the career development and advancement process with respect to employees with disabilities. | Q3 2015 | 1/01/16 |
| 32 | Redeployment | 32. (1) An employer that uses redeployment shall take into account the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when redeploying employees with disabilities. (2) In this section, “redeployment: means the reassignment of employees to other departments or jobs within the organization as an alternative to layoff, when a particular job or department has been eliminated by the organization. |
Will work with Human Resources to review employee redeployment processes with respect to employees with disabilities. | Q3 2015 | 1/01/16 |