AODA Policy - Employment Professionals Canada

Statement of Commitment

Employment Professionals Canada, Inc. (“EPC” or the “Company”) is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to treating people with disabilities in a manner that allows for 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 meeting our accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and Ontario’s accessibility laws up to the point of undue hardship.

EPC is committed to meeting its current and ongoing obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code respecting non-discrimination.

EPC understands the obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) and its accessibility standards do not substitute or limit its obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code or obligations to people with disabilities under any other law.

We are committed to excellence in serving and providing goods, services or facilities to 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.

1. Training

We are committed to training all internal and external staff including temporary, contract and volunteers on our accessibility policy, other Ontario’s accessibility standards including the IASR and aspects of the Ontario Human Rights Code that relate to persons with disabilities.

In addition, we will train:

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

Training of our employees and volunteers on accessibility relates to their specific roles.

Training includes:

purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the Customer Service

Standards

our policies related to the Customer Service Standards
how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities
how to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person
how to use the equipment or devices available on-site or otherwise that may help with providing goods, services, or facilities to people with disabilities. This includes: computer access.
what to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing our organization’s goods, services, or facilities.

We train every person as soon as practicable after being hired and provide training in respect of any changes to the policies.

We maintain records of the training provided including the dates on which the training was provided and the number of individuals to whom it was provided.

2. Assistive Devices

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.

3. Communications

We communicate with people with disabilities in ways that consider their disability. This may include the following: Sign language.

We will work with the person with disabilities to determine what method of communication works for them.

4. 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.

A service animal can be easily identified through visual indicators, such as when it wears a harness or a vest, or when it helps the person perform certain tasks.

A regulated health professional is defined as a member of one of the following colleges:

College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario
College of Chiropractors of Ontario
College of Nurses of Ontario
College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
College of Optometrists of Ontario
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
College of Psychologists of Ontario
College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario

If service animals are prohibited by another law, we will do the following to ensure people with disabilities can access our goods, services, or facilities:

explain why the animal is excluded.
discuss with the customer another way of providing goods, services or facilities.

5. Support Persons

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, EPC 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
others on the premises

Before making a decision, the Company will:

Consult with the person with a disability to understand their needs.
Consider health or safety reasons based on available evidence.
Determine if there is no other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person or others on the premises.

6. Notice of Temporary Disruption

Service disruptions may occur due to reasons that may or may not be within the control or knowledge of EPC.

Reasonable efforts will be made to provide advance notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities. EPC will endeavour to notify customers as promptly as possible. In some circumstances, such as in the situation of unplanned temporary disruptions, advance notice may not be possible.

A 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/Facilities include:

EPC physical address sites
EPC client facility sites
Employment services

The notice will be made publicly available in the following ways:

On the EPC Social Media Pages of Facebook and Instagram
On the home page of EPC’s website employmentprofessionalscanada.com
Posting notices in conspicuous places including at the point of disruption, at the main entrance and the nearest accessible entrance to the service disruption
By any other method that may be reasonable under the circumstances

7. Providing Feedback to Employment Professionals Canada

EPC welcomes feedback on how we provide accessible customer service. Customer feedback will help us identify barriers and respond to concerns.

We will provide customers with the opportunity to provide feedback on the service provided to customers with disabilities. Information about the feedback process will be readily available to all customers and notice of the process will be made available on our website or at reception. Feedback forms with alternate methods of providing feedback, such as verbally (in person or by telephone) or written (handwritten, delivered, website or email), will be available upon request.

Submitting Feedback:

Customers can submit feedback to:

Human Resources

Phone: 1-800-842-0421

Mailing address:
1220 Garrison Road,

Fort Erie, Ontario L2A 1P1

Email: hr@epc-on.ca

Website: www.employmentprofessionalscanada.com

Customers who wish to provide feedback by completing a customer feedback form (.pdf), by email, or verbally can do so to the individual listed above.

Customers that provide formal feedback will receive acknowledgement of their feedback, along with any resulting actions based on concerns or complaints that were submitted. Customers can expect to hear back within seven (7) to thirty (30) days.

8. Notice of Availability and Format of Documents

EPC will inform customers that documents related to the Accessibility Standard for Customer Service are available upon request and can be provided in a format accommodating their disability. This notification will be made through prominent posting at EPC-owned and operated locations, on the website, or through other reasonable means.

9. Information and Communications

We have a process for receiving and responding to feedback and the process is accessible to persons with disabilities upon request.

We communicate with people with disabilities in ways that consider their disability. When asked, we will provide information about our organization and its services, including public safety information, in accessible formats or with communication supports:

in a timely manner, considering the person’s accessibility needs due to disability; and
at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons.

We will consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support. If the organization determines that information or communications are unconvertible, the organization shall provide the requestor with:

an explanation as to why the information or communications are unconvertible; and
a summary of the unconvertible information or communications.

We notify the public about the availability of accessible formats and communication supports by

We also meet internationally recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA website requirements in accordance with Ontario’s accessibility laws.

10. Employment

We notify employees, job applicants and the public that accommodations can be made during recruitment and hiring. We notify job applicants when they are individually selected to participate in an assessment or selection process that accommodations are available upon request. We consult with the applicants and provide or arrange for suitable accommodation.

We notify successful applicants of policies for accommodating employees with disabilities when making offers of employment.

We notify staff that supports are available for those with disabilities as soon as practicable after they begin their employment. We provide updated information to employees whenever there is a change to existing policies on the provision of job accommodation that consider an employee’s accessibility needs due to a disability.

We will consult with employees when arranging for the provision of suitable accommodation in a manner that considers the accessibility needs due to disability. We will consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication supports specifically for:

information that is needed to perform the employee’s job; and
information that is generally available to employees in the workplace

Where needed, we will also provide customized emergency information to help an employee with a disability during an emergency. With the employee’s consent, we will provide workplace emergency information to a designated person who is helping that employee during an emergency.

We will provide the information as soon as practicable after we become aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability.

We will 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.

We have a written process to develop individual accommodation plans for employees.

We have a written process for employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations to return to work.

Undue Hardship

EPC shall work to provide accommodation up to the point of undue hardship. Determinants of undue hardship will include, but are not limited to:

Health and Safety Requirements: EPC will only tolerate a reasonable amount of risk to employee safety as a result of an accommodation in the workplace.
Cost: where accommodating an employee may overly impair EPC’s continued operation and stability, it may be classified as an undue hardship.

11. Changes to Existing Policies

Any policies of this 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 document is publicly available. Accessible formats are available upon request.

12. Administration

If you have any inquiries or concerns regarding this policy or its associated procedures, please reach out to: