Accessibility Standard Policy

Purpose:  The purpose of this Customer Service Standard Policy is to fulfill requirements set out in regulation 429/07 of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) and to establish a policy for Courtland Professional Property Management that governs the provision of its goods and services to persons with disabilities.

Definitions:

Accessible refers to the delivery of a good or service that is presented in a manner that is easily understood or appreciated and is easy to get at and/or reached and/or obtained.

Disability means:

1. Any degree of physical infirmity , malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impairment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog, or other animal, or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
2. A condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability
3. A learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
4. A mental disorder,
5. An injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997

Service Animal refers to any animal that has been trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability.  The work or service performed by the animal must be directly related to the handler’s disability.

Support Person means in relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies him or her in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods or services.

Policy Statement

Courtland is committed to excellence in serving all customers including people with disabilities. We will ensure that the customer is put first. Goods and services will be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of all customers. The provision of services to persons with disabilities will be integrated whenever possible. Persons with disabilities will be given an opportunity equal to that given to others, to obtain, use or benefit from the goods and services provided by and on behalf of Courtland.

Assistive Devices

We will ensure that our staff are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods or services (i.e. wheelchairs, walkers and oxygen tanks).

Communication

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability. We will ensure staff know what is expected of them when communicating with customers with disabilities so they can deliver accessible customer service.

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. If an employee cannot easily identify that the animal is in fact a service animal, the employee may request the individual to provide documentation from a regulated health professional.

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. There is no fee for entering our premises.

In certain cases, Courtland might require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person for health or safety reasons.

Before making a decision Courtland must:

• 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

Notice of Temporary Disruption

In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities (i.e. accessible washroom, entrance), Courtland 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.  The notice will be posted at each entrance.

Training for Staff

Courtland will provide training to all employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public or other third parties on their behalf.

Individuals in the following positions will be trained: Landscape Centre, Administration, Management, Sales, Landscape, Property Maintenance and Snow Removal.

This training will be provided to staff immediately upon their hire with Courtland.

Training will include:

• An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard
• Courtland’s plan related to the customer service standard
• 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
• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing Courtland’s goods and services

Feedback Process

Customers who wish to provide feedback on the way Courtland provides good and services to people with disabilities can do so verbally, by email or with the feedback card. Courtland ensures the feedback process will be provided or arranged in accessible formats and communication upon request.

All feedback will be directed to General Management and HR. Customers can expect to hear back in 7 days.

Complaints will be addressed according to our organization’s regular complaint management procedures.

AODA Employment Standards Policy

Intent

Courtland Landscape & Grounds is dedicated to providing accessible services and work environment for all employees, prospective employees, and clients. This policy outlines the company’s compliance with Parts I and III of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).

This policy ensures Courtland Landscape & Grounds provides services and employment practices that follow the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity.

Definitions

Accessible format: Includes large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, braille, and other formats usable by persons with disabilities.

Communication supports: Includes captioning, alternative and augmentative communication supports, plain language, sign language, and other supports that facilitate effective communication.

Information: Includes data, facts, and knowledge that exists in any format, including text, audio, digital, or images, and conveys meaning.

Career development and advancement: Additional responsibilities within an employee’s current position and the movement of an employee from one job to another in an organization or any combination of them. Both additional responsibilities and employee movement are usually based on merit, seniority, or a combination of both.

Performance management: Activities related to assessing and improving employee performance, productivity, and effectiveness with the goal of facilitating employee success.

Redeployment: The reassignment of employees to other departments or jobs within the organization as an alternative to layoff, when a particular job or department has been eliminated by the organization.

Support person: In relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies a person with a disability in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care, or medical needs, or with access to goods, services, or facilities.

General Principles

ESTABLISHMENT OF ACCESSIBILITY POLICIES AND PLANS

Courtland Landscape & Grounds will implement and maintain policies governing how it will achieve accessibility through these requirements.

The company is committed to meeting the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner. This is reflected in policies which upon request will be made publicly available in an accessible format.

The company will review and update its accessibility plan once every five years and will establish, review, and update its accessibility plans in consultation with persons with disabilities or an advisory committee.

Training Requirements

Courtland Landscape & Grounds will provide training for its employees and volunteers regarding the IASR and the Ontario Human Rights Code as they pertain to individuals with disabilities. Training will also be provided to individuals who are responsible for developing the companies’ policies, and all other persons who provide goods, services, or facilities on behalf of the company.

Training will be provided as soon as is reasonably practicable. Training will be provided regularly to new employees and as changes to the companies’ accessibility policies occur.

Courtland Landscape & Grounds will maintain records on the training provided, when it was provided, and the number of employees who were trained.

Recruitment, Assessment and Selection

Courtland Landscape & Grounds will notify employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for job applicants who have disabilities. Applicants will be informed that these accommodations are available, upon request, for the interview process and for other candidate selection methods. Where an accommodation is requested, the company will consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for suitable accommodations in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability.

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

Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees

Courtland Landscape & Grounds will ensure that employees are aware of policies for employees with disabilities and any changes to these policies as they occur. The company will provide the information required to new employees as soon as practicable after they begin their employment.

If an employee with a disability requests it, the company will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for the following:

• Information needed in order to perform their job; and
• Information that is generally available to all employees in the workplace.

The company will consult with the employee making the request to determine the best way to provide the accessible format or communication support.

Workplace Emergency Response Information

Where required, Courtland will create individualized workplace emergency response plans for employees with disabilities. This information will be created in consultation with the employee and take into account the unique challenges created by the individual’s disability and the physical nature of the workplace.

This information will be reviewed when:

• The employee moves to a different physical location in the organization;
• The employee’s overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed; or
• The company reviews general emergency response policies.

Documented Individual Accommodation Plans

Courtland will develop and have in place written processes for documenting individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. The development process for these plans will include:

• The ways in which the employee can participate in the development of the plan;
• The means by which the employee is assessed individually;
• The ways that an employer can request an evaluation by an outside medical expert, or other experts (at the employer’s expense) to determine whether accommodation can be achieved, or how it can be achieved;
• The ways that an employee can request the participation of the H&S or HR from the workplace for the creation of the accommodation plan;
• The steps taken to protect the privacy of the employee’s personal information;
• The frequency with which the individual accommodation plan should be reviewed or updated and how it should be done;
• The way in which the reasons for the denial of an individual accommodation plan will be provided to the employee; and
• The means of providing the accommodation plan in an accessible format, based on the employee’s accessibility needs.

The individual accommodation should also include information regarding accessible formats, communication supports (upon request), individualized workplace emergency response information, and any other accommodation provided.

Performance Management and Career Changes

Courtland will consider the accessibility needs, including documented individual accommodation plans, of employees with disabilities during the company’s performance management process. These will also be considered in the event of redeployment, or when offering career development or advancement opportunities.

Review

This policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure that it reflects current practices of Courtland as well as legislative requirements.