Ontario Accessibility Policy
This Ontario Accessibility policy is designed to ensure that our business, Henry of Pelham is accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities. We believe that everyone should be able to fully participate in our products and services, and we are committed to providing a barrier-free environment.
Our policy is based on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005, and its regulations, which aim to make Ontario more accessible by 2025. We will strive to comply with all applicable standards and regulations under the AODA.
Policy Statement:
Henry of Pelham is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive environment for all individuals. We will take proactive steps to identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility, and we will provide reasonable accommodations and support to individuals with disabilities to enable them to fully participate in our products and services.
Our policy applies to all areas of our business, including customer service, employment, information and communication, and the built environment.
Customer Service:
We will provide accessible customer service to individuals with disabilities. Our staff will receive training on how to interact and communicate with individuals with disabilities, and we will make reasonable efforts to provide alternative formats of communication upon request.
Employment:
We are committed to fair and accessible employment practices. We will provide accommodations during the recruitment and hiring process and support the development and career advancement of employees with disabilities. We will also provide training on accessibility and inclusion to our staff.
- Ensure employment advertisements state our willingness to accommodate people with disabilities.
- Offer alternative forms of advertising, interview processes, locations, etc as required to ensure that people with disabilities can participate in all processes and activities as seamlessly as possible as barriers are identified.
Henry of Pelham will take the following steps to develop and put in place a process for developing individual accommodation plans and return-to-work policies for employees that have been absent due to a disability:
- Work with employees and any care providers to assess what accommodations are necessary to ensure their ability to return to work on an individual basis.
We will take the following steps to ensure the accessibility needs of employees with disability needs are considered if Henry of Pelham is using performance management, career development and redeployment processes:
- Discuss with the individual employee to assess how to best accommodate any disabilities.
- Ensure that the person is provided alternative means to participate in these processes where barriers exist.
Henry of Pelham will commit to preventing and removing other accessibility barriers identified as is possible.
Training:
Henry of Pelham provides training to all staff upon hire with regards to our Ontario Accessibility and Disability policy. Further to this, during our annual employee reviews, any minor updates to all policies are reviewed. Major changes to policy are updated in a group format closer to the release of the update.
Emergency Information:
Our staff is trained to identify emergencies and are provided with emergency contacts to assist party members when necessary.
Information and Communication:
We will ensure that all information and communications are accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes providing alternative formats of information and communication, such as large print, braille, and accessible electronic formats, upon request. We will also ensure that our websites and digital content are accessible.
Service Animals:
We welcome people with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are allowed on the parts of our premises that are open to the public and third parties.
When we cannot easily identify that an animal is a service animal, our staff may ask for documentation (template, letter, or form) from a regulated health professional that confirms the person needs the service animal for reasons relating to their disability.
Transportation:
We will provide accessible transportation services to individuals with disabilities. This includes ensuring that our vehicles and transportation facilities are accessible and providing assistance and accommodations during transportation.
Built Environment:
We will ensure that our physical spaces are accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes ensuring that our buildings, facilities, and equipment are designed and constructed to meet accessibility standards and providing assistance and accommodations to individuals with disabilities to enable them to access our physical spaces.
Compliance:
We will monitor and review our policy and practices to ensure compliance with the AODA and its regulations. We will also investigate and address any complaints or concerns related to accessibility.
Conclusion:
We are committed to providing an accessible and inclusive environment for all individuals. Our policy is designed to ensure that individuals with disabilities can fully participate in our products and services. We will continue to review and update our policy to ensure compliance with the AODA and to meet the evolving needs of our customers and employees with disabilities.