Accessibility Standards PolicyPro^® From Policy to Signoff ^™

Ac·ces·si·bil·i·ty

More than your legal obligation!

Including people with disabilities into everyday activities is an increasingly important issue for businesses and non-profits.

Whether it is a physical, mental, learning or developmental disability—or general age-related challenges—everyone has the right to an environment free of barriers, and along with federal and provincial human rights legislation, persons with disabilities have the right to be accommodated so they can participate more fully in communities and society.

Governments are enacting legislation and accessibility standards that require all organizations to establish and maintain policies and procedures designed to identify and expand opportunities for people with disabilities by reducing barriers, changing perceptions (physical, communication and attitudinal, among others), and increasing participation in community life and the workplace.

Organizations that fail to comply face substantial penalties and fines.

Organizations that support persons with disabilities open themselves up to a large and growing market segment.

Consider these benefits of implementing accessibility policies and procedures:

• Making products, communications and the physical environment more usable by as many people as possible
• Expanding access to over 6 million adult Canadians with disabilities with $25 billion of annual discretionary spending power
• Enlarging your talent pool to include skilled persons with disabilities
• Enhancing training for staff and improving relations between employees and customers
• Eliminating the belief that people with disabilities are unhealthy or less capable of doing things
• Demonstrating support for persons with all types of disabilities

In short, besides the importance of meeting accessibility compliance requirements and reducing the risk of legal challenges, implementing and maintaining accessibility policies and practices is a strategic investment that, when done properly, can support business growth, and build corporate and workplace culture.

To assist the development and updating of accessibility policies in compliance with provincial and federal law, First Reference publishes Accessibility Standards PolicyPro (ASPP). It’s the leading source for up-to-date model policies, commentary and required video training based on accessibility compliance and best practice where applicable.*

Thousands of organizations depend on PolicyPro to ensure their policies and procedures are up to date and meet minimum legal requirements.

Au·thor·i·ty

Policies and guidance you can rely on

Accessibility Standards PolicyPro offers a complete and authoritative set of up-to-date model policies and commentaries that meet the accessibility compliance requirements of Ontario and Manitoba.

• Designed to assist anyone who manages accessibility policies and practices to efficiently create, update and distribute policies and training to staff and contractors.
• An organized step-by-step approach to development of policies to meet each of the accessibility standards that are listed below.
• Prepared and updated by accessibility professionals.
• Includes over 75 sample policies, forms and checklists.
• The weekly e-newsletter, Inside Policies™, reports new and revised policies and why the changes are important.
• Authoritative commentary outlines why each policy is needed, the compliance requirements and options to consider when customizing the policy template.
• Plus PolicyPro includes a secure and easy-to-use online application for creating, customizing and updating policies; distributing them to managers, staff and contractors; ensuring everyone reads them; getting signoff; producing reports; and a bulletin board to notify staff about news, policy changes and required postings.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

• AODA Terminology

Standard for Customer Service

• Accessibility self-audit
• Accessible information and communication system feedback form
• Accessible information and communications standard multi-year plan
• Accessible website and web content plan
• AODA standards compliance timetable, 1 to 49 employees
• AODA standards compliance timetable, 50 plus employees
• Communication worksheet – Customer with blindness
• Communication worksheet – Customer with mental illness
• Customer feedback and response forms
• Customer service standard compliance checklist
• Employment standard multi-year plan
• Evaluation report for web accessibility
• Individualized accommodation plan
• Notice regarding availability of communications and availability of documents

• Notices of temporary service disruptions
• Notification of accessible information and communications feedback
• Notification to the public of the availability of information and communications in accessible formats and with communication supports
• Notifications of job postings
• OHRC and AODA training resource materials
• Public spaces multi-year plan
• Recruitment and selection checklist
• Request form for information and communication in an alternative format or with communication support
• Return-to-work plan
• Sample multi-year accessibility plan
• Training Certificate of Completion
• Transportation standard multi-year plan
• Transportation standard multi-year plan chart
• Website accessibility feedback form

Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B., was called to the Quebec bar in 1988 and is a member in good standing. She practised business, employment and labour law until 1999 before becoming Managing Editor at First Reference.

Yosie is responsible for the high-quality, up-to-date content for employment law services and the Internal Controls Library. She is currently enrolled in the Osgoode Professional LL.M. degree program.

Manitoba

MLT Aikins is a full-service law firm with a deep commitment to Western Canada’s unique legal and business landscapes. MLT Aikins is the only law firm to have offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Vancouver and Winnipeg.

Ontario

Stringer LLP is a leader in Canadian workplace law. For over 45 years, they have taken a client-centred approach to responsive service, representing employers with labour relations and employment problems.