Level Access is committed to accessibility and compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). This document outlines our strategy to prevent and remove barriers and meet our requirements under the AODA.
Level Access shall review, update, and ensure sustained compliance with the applicable General, Information and Communications Standards, Employment Standards, and Customer Service Standards sections under the AODA by December 31, 2021.
Level Access shall review, update, and ensure sustained compliance with the applicable sections under the AODA on an annual basis.
General
Accessibility Policies
Level Access shall develop, implement, and maintain policies on how it will achieve accessibility and meet AODA requirements. Level Access shall review its policies on an annual basis.
Accessibility Plans
Level Access has established, implemented, and will maintain this multi-year accessibility plan, posted the plan to its website, and shall provide this plan in an accessible format upon request. Level Access shall review and update this plan at least once every five years.
Procuring or Acquiring Goods, Services, or Facilities
Level Access shall incorporate accessibility design, criteria, and features when procuring or acquiring goods or services.
Training
Level Access 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. Level Access shall provide this training to:
- All persons who are an employee of, or a volunteer with Level Access;
- All persons who participate in developing the organization’s policies; and
- All other persons who provide goods, services, or facilities on behalf of the organization.
Information and Communication Standards
Feedback
Level Access shall establish processes for receiving and responding to feedback and the processes are accessible to persons with disabilities as Level Access can provide for arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports, upon request.
Level Access shall notify the public about the availability of accessible formats and communication supports with respect to the feedback process through its publicly posted notices on essentialaccessibility.com.
Accessible Formats and Communication Supports
Level Access shall provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities in (a) a timely manner and (b) at a cost that is no more than the regular cost to other persons.
Level Access shall consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.
Level Access shall notify the public about the availability of accessible formats and communication supports.
Accessible Websites and Web Content
Level Access’s websites and web content shall conform to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 AA.
Employment Standards
Recruitment, General
Level Access shall notify its employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities in its recruitment processes.
Recruitment, Assessment, or Selection Process
Level Access 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.
If a selected applicant requests an accommodation, Level Access consults with the applicant and provides or arranges for the provision of a suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability.
Notice to Successful Applicants
When making offers of employment, Level Access shall notify the successful applicant of its policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
Informing Employees of Supports
Level Access 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.
Level Access shall provide the information required under this section to new employees as soon as practicable after they begin their employment.
Level Access 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.
Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees
Where an employee with a disability so requests it, Level Access 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.
Level Access shall consult with the employee making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.
Workplace Emergency Response Information
Level Access shall 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 due to the employee’s disability.
If an employee who receives individualized workplace emergency response information requires assistance and with the employee’s consent, Level Access shall provide the workplace emergency response information to the person designated by the employer to provide assistance to the employee.
Level Access shall provide the information required under this section as soon as practicable after the employer becomes aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability.
Level Access shall review the individualized workplace emergency response information,
- when the employee moves to a different location in the organization;
- when the employee’s overall accommodations needs or plans are reviewed; and
- when the employer reviews its general emergency response policies.
Documented Individual Accommodation Plans
Level Access shall develop and have in place a written process for the development of documented individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities and, if requested, include any information regarding accessible formats and communications supports provided.
Return To Work Process
Level Access 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.
Level Access shall document the process.
Performance Management
Level Access 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.
Career Development and Advancement
Level Access 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.
Customer Service Standards
Establishment of Policies
Level Access shall develop, implement and maintain policies governing its provision of goods, services or facilities, as the case may be, to persons with disabilities.
Level Access shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that the policies are consistent with the following principles:
1. The goods, services or facilities must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
2. The provision of goods, services or facilities to persons with disabilities must be integrated with the provision of goods, services or facilities to others, unless an alternative measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the goods, services or facilities.
3. Persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods, services or facilities.
4. When communicating with a person with a disability, the provider shall do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.
Level Access’s policies will deal with the use of assistive devices by persons with disabilities to obtain, use or benefit from the goods, services or facilities or with the availability of other measures, if any, which enable them to do so.
Level Access shall prepare one or more documents describing the policies established under this section and, on request, shall give a copy of any such document to any person.
Level Access shall notify persons to whom it provides goods, services or facilities that the documents required are available on request.
Notice of Temporary Disruptions
If there is a temporary disruption in those other facilities or services in whole or in part, Level Access shall give notice of the disruption to the public.
Level Access shall prepare a document setting out the steps that the provider will ensure are taken in connection with a temporary disruption and, on request, shall give a copy of the document to any person.
Level Access shall notify persons to whom it provides goods, services or facilities that the document required is available on request.
Training for Staff
Level Access shall ensure that the following persons receive training about the provision of the provider’s goods, services or facilities, as the case may be, to persons with disabilities:
- Every person who is an employee of, or a volunteer with, the provider.
- Every person who participates in developing the provider’s policies.
- Every other person who provides goods, services or facilities on behalf of the provider.
The training will include a review of the purposes of the AODA and requirements of training and instruction about the following matters:
- How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disability.
- How to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a guide dog or other service animal or the assistance of a support person.
- How to use equipment or devices available on the provider’s premises or otherwise provided by the provider that may help with the provision of goods, services or facilities to a person with a disability.
- What to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty accessing the provider’s goods, services or facilities.
Level Access shall provide training on an ongoing basis in respect of any changes to policies as described in the establishment of policies section.
Level Access shall keep records of the training provided under this section, including the dates on which the training is provided and the number of individuals to whom it is provided.
Level Access shall prepare a document that describes its training policy, summarizes the content of the training and specifies when the training is to be provided; and on request, give a copy of the document to any person.
Level Access shall notify persons to whom it provides goods, services or facilities that the document required is available on request.
Feedback Process Required
Level Access shall establish a process for receiving and responding to,
(a) feedback about the manner in which it provides goods, services or facilities to persons with disabilities; and (b) feedback about whether the feedback process established for purposes of clause (a)
The feedback process will specify the actions that the provider will take if a complaint is received about the manner in which it provides goods, services or facilities to persons with disabilities.
Level Access shall ensure that the feedback process is accessible to persons with disabilities by providing, or arranging for the provision of, accessible formats and communication supports, on request.
Level Access shall make information about the feedback process readily available to the public.
Level Access shall prepare a document describing the feedback process and, on request, shall give a copy of the document to any person.
Level Access shall notify persons to whom it provides goods, services or facilities that the document required by this feedback process are available upon request.
Format of Documents
If Level Access is required to give a copy of a document to a person with a disability, Level Access shall, on request, provide or arrange for the provision of the document, or the information contained in the document, to the person in an accessible format or with communication support,
(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.
Level Access shall consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.