Arjo Canada Inc. Accessibility Policy & Multi-Year Plan
Arjo Canada Inc.
General Accessibility Policy & Multi-Year Plan
April 2021
Updated December 2023
I. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The purpose of this General Accessibility Policy and Multi-Year Plan (the “Accessibility Policy and Plan”) is to outline Arjo Canada Inc.’s (“Arjo”) commitment to improving accessibility and our strategy to identify, prevent and remove barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities.
This Accessibility Policy and Plan is intended to meet the requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards, Ontario Regulation 191/11 (the “IASR”) made pursuant to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “AODA”).
II. STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT
Arjo is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity. We are committed to meeting the accessibility needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and will do so by identifying, preventing and removing barriers to accessibility, and by meeting the accessibility requirements under the AODA.
III. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
a. Establishment of Accessibility Policies and Plans
Arjo has established a Customer Service Accessibility Policy and an Employee Accommodation and Return to Work Policy in addition to this Accessibility Policy and Plan. All documents will be available upon request in an accessible format.
Arjo will update this Accessibility Policy and Plan at least every five (5) years to reflect progress and will consult with customers, employees and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of this Accessibility Policy and Plan.
b. Training
Arjo is committed to training all Ontario employees, volunteers, persons who participate in developing Arjo’s policies, and other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of Arjo (collectively referred to as “staff”), on Ontario’s accessibility laws, including the requirements of the IASR and the Ontario Human Rights Code, RSO 1990, c H 19 (the “Code”) as it relates to individuals with disabilities.
Training will be provided in a way that best suits the duties of its staff. Training will be provided to new employees on an ongoing basis. The training includes the following:
i. An overview of Ontario’s accessibility laws, including the AODA, the Customer Service Standard, the IASR and the Ontario Human Rights Code as it pertains to individuals with disabilities;
ii. How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities;
iii. How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or support person;
iv. How to use the accessibility features that may help a person with a disability access Arjo’s goods, services, or facilities; and
v. What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing Arjo’s goods and services.
Arjo will take the following steps to ensure staff are provided with the training needed to meet Ontario’s accessibility laws:
i. Assess duties and specific training needs of Ontario staff;
ii. Deliver training modules for all Ontario staff in accordance with Arjo’s Customer Service Accessibility Policy (the “Customer Service Training”);
iii. Deliver training modules on the accessibility requirements under the AODA, IASR and the Code (the “IASR Training”) to staff;
iv. Conduct the Customer Service Training and IASR Training on an ongoing basis for new Ontario staff, and when changes are made to Arjo’s accessibility policies, practices and procedures;
v. Determine an appropriate mechanism for managing and tracking completion of training by Ontario staff, and keep records of training provided in accordance with the requirements of the AODA.
Arjo will keep records of accessibility and human rights training provided, including dates and the number of individuals who participated in the training.
c. Reporting Compliance
Arjo will file accessibility reports with Ontario’s Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility and Infrastructure every three years or as otherwise required under the AODA and IASR.
IV. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
a. Feedback
Arjo welcomes all feedback, including feedback about the delivery of our goods, services, or facilities to people with disabilities. Arjo also welcomes feedback regarding its feedback process.
Individuals who wish to provide feedback to Arjo may do so in person or by:
Arjo Canada Inc.
90 Matheson Blvd West
Suite 350, Mississauga ON, L2R 3R3
Feedback Forms can also be made available upon request in accessible formats.
All feedback, including complaints, will be directed to Kaitlyn (Landon) Perin, Director of Human Resources. Individuals can expect to receive a response, if requested, within 10 business days.
Arjo will take the following steps to ensure our existing feedback process is accessible to people with disabilities upon request:
i. Conduct an assessment of the feedback process to ensure feedback mechanisms are accessible to persons with disabilities;
ii. As needed, consult with the person making the request or providing the feedback as to the suitability of feedback mechanisms available;
iii. As needed, provide alternative formats or communication supports for individuals to provide feedback;
iv. Notify the public about the availability of accessible formats and communications supports with respect to the feedback process by posting a notice on the Arjo Canada website
b. Accessible Formats and Communication Supports
Arjo is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities.
When requested, Arjo will provide publicly available information and communications materials in accessible formats or with communication supports in a timely manner and at no additional cost to the individual.
This includes publicly available information about our goods, services and facilities, as well as publicly available emergency information. When requested, Arjo will consult with people with disabilities to determine their information and communication needs.
Arjo will take the following steps to make sure all publicly available information is made accessible upon request:
i. Review accessible formats and communication supports currently available at Arjo;
ii. Review the current process in place for requesting accessible formats and communication supports;
iii. As needed and where practical, update the current the process for requesting accessible formats and communication supports;
iv. As needed and where practical, create additional accessible formats and communication supports for publicly available information;
v. Develop a process for responding to, approving or declining a request;
vi. Notify the public by posting a notice on the Arjo Canada website that, in accordance with AODA, accessible formats or communications supports may be made available on request.
c. Accessible Websites and Web Content
Arjo strives to ensure that our online content is easily accessible for all customers and employees.
Where practicable, Arjo will ensure that any new websites and content on any new websites conform with level A and level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.0 as recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), in accordance with the AODA.
By January 1, 2021, where practicable, Arjo will take the following steps to make all websites and content conform with WCAG 2.0, Level AA, as required by the AODA:
i. Ensure IT and Marketing are aware of the IASR requirements with respect to accessible websites and web content;
ii. Ensure IT and Marketing conduct an assessment of current web functionality and take the necessary steps to ensure compliance and adequate accessibility features are in place by 2021.
V. EMPLOYMENT
Arjo is committed to fair and equitable employment practices. In accordance with this commitment, Arjo will take steps to identify existing barriers to accessibility and solicit employee feedback on how to minimize and eliminate those barriers.
a. Recruitment, Assessment and Selection Process
Arjo will notify its employees, the public and job applicants about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment process by posting a notice on the Arjo Canada website and on its internal intranet website for Ontario. In addition, Arjo will:
i. Conduct a review of all mechanisms for job postings in Ontario;
ii. Incorporate language into all job postings in Ontario notifying applicants that Arjo will accommodate disabilities during the recruitment and selection process;
iii. Incorporate language into all notifications to applicants who are selected to participate in the assessment or selection process in Ontario that accommodation is available upon request in relation to the materials or process to be used;
iv. Ensure that any job applicants self-identifying as requiring accommodation in the recruitment process are consulted with to determine their individual accommodation needs;
v. Review the current hiring process (tests, assessments, interview rooms) to ensure barriers may be removed or accessible features provided, upon request;
vi. Review employment policies and procedures to ensure they reflect our commitment to employment practices which attract and retain employees with disabilities.
b. Notification of Supports
Arjo will take the following steps to notify successful applicants and employees of our workplace supports and policies for accommodating employees with disabilities:
i. Incorporate a section in each offer letter regarding Arjo’s accommodation policies and provide information on where employees can access additional information;
ii. Incorporate training and awareness of Arjo’s workplace supports and accommodation policies into orientation procedures;
iii. Provide updated information to employees whenever there is a change to its existing accommodation policies;
iv. Notify employees of its workplace supports and accommodation policies and any changes to those policies by posting a notice on its internal intranet website for Ontario
c. Accessible Formats and Communication Supports
Where an employee with a disability requests it, Arjo will consult with an employee to provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats or communication support for the following:
i. Information that is needed for the employee to perform his or her job;
ii. Information that is generally available to employees in the workplace.
Arjo will consult with the employee making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.
d. Documented Individual Accommodation Plans
Arjo has developed a written process for developing individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities, which recognizes the need for accommodation, accounts for the relevant information and accessibility needs of the employee and describes the manner in which accessibility will be achieved. This process is documented in the Arjo Canada Inc. Workplace Accommodation Policy and Procedures and can be found on the Arjo Intranet. The process for developing individualized accommodation plans has been developed in accordance with the requirements of the AODA and the Code.
e. Return to Work Process
Arjo has developed a return to work process for its employees who have been absent from work due to a disability. This process is documented in the Employee Accommodation and Return to Work Policy. The process has been developed in accordance with the requirements of the AODA and the Code.
f. Performance Management, Career Development and Advancement
Arjo will take the following steps to ensure the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities are taken into account when Arjo is using performance management, career development and/or redeployment processes:
i. Assess current performance review, career development and/or redeployment processes to ensure accessibility features are incorporated and accessibility needs are considered;
ii. Consider any individualized accommodation plans when conducting performance assessments, managing career development, or redeploying employees;
iii. Ensure promotion criteria, practices and processes take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individualized accommodation plans;
iv. Ensure equal opportunities for employees with disabilities to undertake professional development, such as attending courses or seminars.
g. Workplace Emergency Response Information
Arjo will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability if the disability is such that the individualized information is necessary and the employer is aware of the need for accommodation as soon as practicable.
Arjo will take the following steps to ensure individualized workplace emergency response information and plans are in place:
i. Develop and implement a process for consulting with employees to determine accommodation needs;
ii. Where accommodation needs are identified, work with employees requiring accommodation to develop an individualized workplace emergency response plan;
iii. Ensure consent is obtained from the employee to share information with those designated to provide assistance to the employee in the event of an emergency;
iv. Review the individualized workplace emergency response plan and information when the employee moves to a different location in Arjo, when the employee’s accommodation needs or plans are reviewed, and when Arjo reviews its general emergency response policies.
h. Privacy and Confidentiality
All records associated with accommodation requests will be maintained in a secure location, separate from employees’ personnel files and will only be shared with persons who need the information.
Arjo and all individuals involved in the accommodation process will comply with the requirements of the AODA to protect personal information.
VI. DESIGN OF PUBLIC SPACES
Arjo will meet the Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces when building new public spaces or making major modifications to current public spaces where applicable. Currently Arjo does not have any public spaces.
VII. MODIFICATIONS TO THIS AND OTHER POLICIES
Arjo is committed to developing accessibility policies that respect and promote the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. Therefore, no changes will be made to this Accessibility Policy and Plan before considering the impact on persons with disabilities.
Any policy of Arjo that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities will be modified or removed.
For more information about Arjo’s Accessibility Policy and Plan, contact Kaitlyn (Landon) Perin, Director of Human Resources.
|
By Mail: |
Arjo Canada Inc. 90 Matheson Blvd West Suite 350, Mississauga ON, L2R 3R3 |
|
By Email: |
|
|
By Phone: |
(905) 238-7880 |