AODA Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

 

 

Published: December 14, 2020

 

Introduction

In 2005, the Ontario Government passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (the “AODA”) which requires that Ontario be an accessible province by 2025.

 

The Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulations (“IASR”) under the AODA require that EDPRO Energy Group Inc. (the “Company”), establish, implement, maintain and document a multi-year accessibility plan which outlines the organization’s strategy to prevent and remove barriers for persons with disabilities and to meet its requirements under the IASR.

 

Under the AODA, the following accessibility standards set certain requirements that are applicable to EDPRO:

  1. General Requirements
  2. Customer Service Standard
  3. Information and Communications Standard
  4. Employment Standard

 

The Multi-Year Accessibility Plan outlines EDPRO’ compliance with the AODA, sets out our upcoming obligations pursuant to the AODA, and identifies how we will meet those obligations. It also documents what we have already achieved.

 

Statement of Commitment

EDPRO is committed to providing a barrier-free environment for all stakeholders including our clients/customers, employees, job applicants, suppliers, and any visitors who may enter our premises, access our information, or use our services. As an organization, we respect and uphold the requirements set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005), and its associated standards and regulations.

 

EDPRO understands that we have a responsibility for ensuring a safe, dignified, and welcoming environment for everyone. We are committed to ensuring our organization’s compliance by incorporating accessibility legislation into our policies, procedures, equipment requirements, training, and best practices. We will review these policies and practices annually, as organization changes occur, or in anticipation of deadlines. In addition, we will strive to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in a timely and effective manner.

 

In accordance with the requirements set out in the IASR, EDPRO will:

  • Establish, review and update this plan in consultation with persons with disabilities;
  • Post this plan on its website (www.edproenergy.com);
  • Report as required on its website (www.edproenergy.com) on the progress of the implementation of this plan;
  • Provide this plan in an accessible format, upon request; and
  • Review and update this plan at least once every five years.

 

For more detailed information on our accessibility policies, plans, and training programs, please contact Human Resources by phone toll free at 877-693-3776 or by email at info@edproenergy.com.

 

Standard and accessible formats of this document are available upon request.

 

Standards of Accessibility Under the AODA

1. General Requirements

 

Establishment of Accessibility Policies and Plans

EDPRO has developed, implemented, and maintained a multi-year plan that outlines strategies and actions to identify, prevent, and remove barriers for people with disabilities. These strategies and actions include:

  • Developing Accessibility Policies and a Statement of Commitment;
  • Communicating the Accessibility Policies to all employees, including new hires (by including them in the orientation package);
  • Posting the Statement of Commitment in areas throughout the facility;
  • Ensuring that the Accessibility Policies and Statement of Commitment are publicly available, and provided in an accessible format, upon request

 

Deadline: January 1, 2014
Status: Completed

 

Training

EDPRO is committed to providing appropriate training to employees on the requirements of the IASR and on the Ontario Human Rights Code as it pertains to persons with disabilities. Training will also be provided to individuals who are responsible for developing the Company policies, and all other persons who provide goods, services, or facilities on behalf of the Company.

 

EDPRO has taken the following steps to ensure employees are provided with the training needed to meet the current standards and legislation:

  • Provide educational or training resources in a variety of formats, that takes into account the accessibility needs of a person with a disability
  • Ensure new employees complete training within 30 days of employment
  • Maintain a database of the training participant’s names and dates of completion

 

Deadline: January 1, 2015
Status: Completed

 

2. Customer Service Standard

 

Establishment of Policies:

EDPRO has developed and implemented a policy that meets the requirements of the customer service standards included in the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. It applies to the provision of goods and services to the public or other third parties, not to the goods themselves.

 

EDPRO is committed to providing goods and services following the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity. The Company is committed to excellence in serving all customers, including persons with disabilities and it will carry out its functions in a manner which delivers an accessible customer service experience.

 

EDPRO is committed to removing barriers and meeting the requirements of applicable legislation, including the AODA and the Human Rights Code.

In pursuit of this commitment, EDPRO has implemented the following measures:

  • Ensuring all persons who, on behalf of the EDPRO, deal with the public or other third parties, and all those who are involved in the development and approvals of customer service policies, practices and procedures, as well as all others providing services to our customers, are trained to communicate and provide the best possible customer service to all customers, including persons with disabilities;
  • Ensuring completion of accessibility training is tracked and recorded;
  • Offering to communicate with customers by alternative methods, if telephone communication is not suitable to their needs;
  • Ensuring customers accompanied by a guide dog or other service animal in areas that are open to the public and other third parties, are accommodated;
  • Ensuring that if a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, the support person is accommodated. If the support person is assisting the customer participating in a EDPRO event or program, but that person is not participating in the event/program on his or her own behalf, the support person is not charged a fee to attend the event/program;
  • Providing the public with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption of service or inaccessibility of facilities used by persons with disabilities, by placing such notices at all public entrances and service counters on the EDPRO premises.
  • Continuing to welcome and appreciate feedback from persons with disabilities through multiple communication channels. This feedback can be provided verbally, by email, or in writing and will be directed to Human Resources.
  • An “ACCESSIBILITY” link has been added to the www.edproenergy.com website to communicate the EDPRO’ accessible customer service policy including related procedures and guidelines; and
  • Reporting compliance on the Accessibility Compliance Reporting tool at Service Ontario’s One-Source for Business website.

 

Deadline: January 1, 2012
Status: Completed

 

3. Information and Communication Standard

 

Feedback, Accessible Formats, and Communication Supports

EDPRO has implemented an accessible feedback process to receive and respond to feedback from customers and members of the public who have a disability.

 

EDPRO has made the feedback process available to the public, and is available in accessible formats, upon request.

 

To ensure feedback processes are accessible to employees with disabilities, EDPRO has implemented the following measures:

  • Ensuring that existing and new processes for receiving and responding to feedback are accessible to persons with disabilities by providing and arranging for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports, upon request and in a timely manner;
  • Consult with the person making the request to determine the suitability of the accessible format or communication support;
  • Provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports in a timely manner that takes into account the person’s accessibility needs due to disability;
  • Notifying the public about the availability of accessible formats and communication supports.

 

Deadline: Feedback – January 1, 2015
Status: Completed 

 

Deadline: Accessible Formats and Communication Supports – January 1, 2016
Status: Completed

 

Emergency Procedure, Plans or Public Safety Information

EDPRO is committed to providing and maintaining premises that respect the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. As a result, the following measures have been implemented:

  • Emergency procedures, plans and public safety information that are prepared by EDPRO and made available to the public, will be made available in an accessible format or with appropriate communication supports, as soon as practicable, upon request;
  • An AODA Alternate Format Request form was developed and is available upon request by contacting Human Resources by phone toll free at 877-693-3776 or by email at info@edproenergy.com.

 

Deadline: January 1, 2012
Status: Completed

 

Accessible Websites and Web Content

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 is an internationally accepted standard for web accessibility developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Following the WCAG 2.0 guidelines will make content accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including:

  • Blindness and low vision
  • Deafness and hearing loss
  • Learning disabilities
  • Cognitive impairments
  • Mobility impairments
  • Speech impairments

 

EDPRO has ensured that all new public internet websites, significantly refreshed websites, and any new web content conform with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level A.

 

Deadline: January 1, 2014
Status: Completed – January 1, 2014

 

EDPRO will ensure that all public internet websites and all web content conform with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level A and Level AA.

 

Deadline: January 1, 2021
Status: Completed

 

4. Employment Standard

 

Recruitment, Assessment or Selection

EDPRO is committed to fair and accessible employment practices that attract and retain employees with disabilities. This includes providing accessibility across all stages of the employment cycle. Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request to ensure accessibility for both current and prospective employees with disabilities.

 

EDPRO will notify employees and public about the availability of accommodation for job applicants that have disabilities. Applicants will be informed that these accommodations are available, upon request, for the interview process and for other candidate selection methods. Where accommodation is requested, EDPRO will consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for suitable accommodations.

 

Successful applicants will be made aware of EDPRO’ policies and supports for accommodating people with disabilities.

 

Deadline: January 1, 2016
Status: Completed

 

Informing Employees of Supports

In accordance with the IASR, EDPRO will inform all employees of policies that 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.

 

EDPRO has taken the following steps to ensure that employees are informed of the accommodation supports that are available to them:

  • Providing information as soon as practicable after the new employee begins employment, specifically during the orientation process;
  • Keeping employees up-to-date on changes to existing policies on job accommodations with respect to disability
  • Where an employee with a disability requests accommodation, EDPRO will provide or arrange for the provision of suitable accessible formats and communications supports for:
    • Information that is needed in order to perform the employee’s job
    • Information that is generally available to employees in the workplace

 

In meeting the obligations to provide the information that is set out in the paragraph above, EDPRO will consult with the requesting employee to determine the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.

 

Deadline: January 1, 2016
Status: Completed

 

Workplace Emergency Response Information

Where EDPRO is aware that an employee has a disability and that there is a need for accommodation, individualized workplace emergency response information will be provided to the employee as soon as practicable if such information is necessary, given the nature of the employee’s disability.

 

EDPRO has taken the following steps to ensure that individualized emergency plans are implemented, as required:

  • Workplace Emergency Response Information Plan forms have been developed for employees to disclose a disability and who require accommodation because of their disability.
  • Where required, EDPRO will provide assistance to specific disabled employees, with the disabled employee’s prior consent, to help them evacuate the workplace in case of an emergency or disaster.
    • The plans for providing assistance will be set out in individualized emergency plans for the employees.
    • These individualized emergency plans will be communicated to the employee’s respective supervisors and Health and Safety personnel on an ‘as needed’ basis.
  • On an ongoing and regular basis, and as per the applicable terms of the IASR, EDPRO will review and assess general workplace emergency response procedures and individualized emergency plans to ensure accessibility issues are addressed.

 

Deadline: January 1, 2012
Status: Completed

 

Documented Individual Accommodation Plans / Return to Work Process

EDPRO will incorporate new accessibility requirements under the IASR to ensure that barriers in accommodation and return to work processes are eliminated and corporate policies surrounding accommodation and return to work are followed, were applicable.

 

EDPRO existing policies include steps that EDPRO will take to accommodate an employee with a disability and to facilitate an employee’s return to work after absenteeism due to disability.

 

EDPRO will review and assess the existing policies to ensure that they include a process for the development of documented individual accommodation plans for employees with a disability, if such plans are required.

 

EDPRO will ensure that the process for the development of documented individual accommodation plans includes the following elements, in accordance with the provisions of the IASR:

  • The manner in which the employee requesting accommodation can participate in the development of the plan
  • Ensuring the employee is assessed on an individual basis
  • EDPRO can request an evaluation by an outside medical practitioner or other expert, at EDPRO’ expense, to assist in determining if and how accommodation can be achieved
  • Steps are in place to protect the privacy of the employee’s personal information
  • Outline the frequency in which the individual accommodation plans will be reviewed and updated
  • If an individual accommodation plan is denied, provide the employees with reasons for the denial
  • The means of providing the individual accommodation plan in a format that takes in to account the employee’s accessibility needs, as required.
  • If individual accommodation plans are established, ensure that they include:
    • Individualized workplace emergency response information
    • Any information regarding accessible formats and communication supports that have been provided for or arranged, in order to provide the employee with:
      • Information that is needed in order to perform the employee’s job
      • Information that is generally available to employees in the workplace
  • Identify any other accommodation that is to be provided to the employee

 

EDPRO will ensure that the return to work process, as set out in its existing policies, outlines the steps that will be taken to facilitate the employee’s return to work after a disability related absence, outlines the development of a written individualized return to work plan for such employees, and requires the use of individualized accommodation plans in the return to work process.

 

Deadline: January 1, 2016
Status: Completed

 

Performance Management, Career Development and Redeployment

EDPRO will 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
  • Providing career development and advancement to its employees with disabilities
  • Redeploying employees with disabilities

 

EDPRO has implement the following measures:

  • Review, assess and, as necessary modify existing policies, procedures, and practices to ensure compliance with the IASR
  • Take the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities and, as applicable, their individualized accommodation plans, into account when:
    • Assessing performance
    • Managing career development and advancement
    • Redeployment is required

 

Deadline: January 1, 2017
Status: Completed

 

Contact Details

For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact Human Resources at:

EDPRO Energy Group Inc.
5 Cuddy Blvd., London, ON N5V 3Y3

 

Phone: 877-693-3776

 

Email: info@edproenergy.com

 

Standard and accessible formats of this document are available upon request.