Settlement Assistance and Family Support Services (“the Organization”) is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to treating people with disabilities in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence.
We believe in integration, and we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner. We will do so by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and by meeting our accessibility requirements under Ontario’s accessibility laws.
This Policy is made pursuant to the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”) and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (“IAS Regulation”) of the AODA and addresses how the Organization will achieve accessibility. This Policy will be reviewed and updated as necessary at least every five years and posted on our website.
For purpose of this Policy and Plan, “disability” is defined as follows in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005:
The Organization provides training to all its employees, volunteers, persons who participate in developing its policies and all other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of the Organization. The training shall be:
Upon request, and in accordance with the compliance schedule set out in the IAS Regulation, the Organization will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities in a timely manner and at a cost that is not greater than the cost charged to other persons, if any. The Organization will consult with the person making the request to determine the suitability of an accessible format or communication support and notify the public about the availability of these formats and supports.
In accordance with the requirements of the IAS Regulation, the Organization ensures that its feedback processes are accessible to persons with disabilities by providing or arranging for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports, upon request. We will notify the public of the availability of accessible formats and communication supports including by posting this information online.
Further information about our feedback process is available at the end of this Policy.
Where the Organization prepares emergency procedures, plans or public safety information and makes such information available to the public, it shall provide the information in an accessible format or with appropriate communication supports, as soon as practicable, upon request.
The Organization is committed to ensuring that its employment practices are in compliance with the AODA, IAS Regulation and the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Accommodations for applicants (including existing employees) with disabilities are available in the Organization’s recruitment processes.
The Organization shall notify applicants when they are individually selected to participate in an assessment or selection process that accommodations, including Accessible Formats and Communication Supports, are available upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used. If a selected applicant requests an accommodation, the Organization will 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 a disability.
The Organization shall notify successful applicants of its policies for accommodating employees with disabilities when making offers of employment.
The Organization shall also notify employees of its policies which support 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 a disability.
Where an employee with a disability requests it, the Organization will consult with the employee to provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for information that is (a) needed in order to perform the employee’s job and (b) generally available to employees in the workplace.
The Organization shall take into account the accessibility needs of employees when using performance management processes, providing career development and advancement, and using redeployment.
The Organization provides 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. The Organization provides this information as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the need for accommodation.
If an employee who receives individualized workplace emergency response information requires assistance and provided that the employee’s consent is obtained, the Organization will provide the workplace emergency response information to the person designated by the employer to provide assistance to the employee.
The Organization reviews the individualized workplace emergency response information in the following circumstances: when the employee moves to a different location in the organization, when overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed, and when it reviews its general emergency response policies.
The Organization is committed to designing our facilities free from barriers and accessible to all persons we serve. The Organization will comply with the Design of Public Spaces Standards with respect to public spaces that are newly constructed or redeveloped in accordance with the requirements of the IAS Regulation.
Upon request, all of our policies can be made available in an accessible format and we can provide or arrange to provide communication supports as necessary.
If you have any questions about this Policy or our accessibility initiatives, please let us know. Feedback on this Policy and the Organization’s accessibility measures is welcome. Feedback can be provided through various means and in various forms. If you have questions, concerns or comments, please contact your manager.
All feedback received will be reviewed within a reasonable time period and the Organization will take all appropriate steps to address any issues raised. All complaints will be processed in accordance with the Organization’s complaints process.
The Organization is committed to excellence in serving all customers, including people with disabilities. Our accessible customer service policies are consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity for people with disabilities.
We will do so by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and by meeting our accessibility requirements under Ontario’s accessibility laws and our obligations under the Human Rights Code.
People with disabilities may use their personal assistive devices when accessing our goods, services or facilities.
In cases where the assistive device presents a significant and unavoidable health or safety concern or may not be permitted for other reasons, other measures will be used to ensure the person with a disability can access our goods, services or facilities.
We will ensure that our staff are trained and familiar with various assistive devices we have on site or that we provide that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods, services or facilities.
We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability. We will work with the person with a disability to determine what method of communication works for them.
We welcome people with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are allowed on the part of our premises which is open to the public. When we cannot easily identify whether an animal is a service animal, our staff may ask the person to provide documentation from a regulated health professional that confirms the person needs the service animal for reasons relating to their disability. A regulated health professional is defined as a member of one of the following colleges:
A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person accompany them on our premises.
In certain cases, we might require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person for the health or safety reasons of the person with a disability or others on the premises.
In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities, we will notify customers promptly. This clearly posted notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated length of time, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.
Services and facilities include: a trusted not-for-profit social services agency that has been serving and advocating for newcomers, refugees and victims of all types of violence since 1989
The notice will be made publicly available as follows: on the Organization’ website, social media and/or on the Organization’ premises.
The Organization will provide accessible customer service training to all employees and volunteers, any person involved in developing our policies and any person who provides goods, services or facilities to customers on the Organization’s behalf.
The training will encompass:
Staff will be trained on accessible customer service as part of their training when they are first hired and again if changes are made to our accessible customer service policy.
We welcome feedback. Customers who wish to provide feedback on the way the Organization provides goods, services or facilities to people with disabilities can provide feedback in the following way(s):
The Organization will make sure our feedback process is accessible to people with disabilities by providing or arranging for accessible formats and communication supports, on request.
All feedback received will be reviewed within a reasonable time period and the Organization will take all appropriate steps to address any issues raised. All complaints will be processed in accordance with the Organization’s complaints process
The Organization will provide this document in an accessible format or with communication support, on request. We will consult with the person making the request to determine the suitability of the format or communication support. We will provide the accessible format in a timely manner and, at no additional cost.
Any policies of the Organization that do not respect and promote the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity for people with disabilities will be modified or removed.
This Policy will be reviewed and may be amended from time to time based on the needs and experiences of the Organization in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
