This policy applies to all board members, executives, full-time, part-time, occasional and contract employees.
In accordance with the Integrated Accessibility Standards (IAS) of Ontario Regulation 191/11, this policy addresses the following:
A) General Requirements
B) Recruitment, Assessment, and Selection
C) Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees
D) Workplace Emergency Response Information
E) Documented Individual Accommodation Plans
F) Return to Work
G) Performance Management & Career Development
H) Redeployment
I) Policy Review
General requirements that apply across all of the four (4) standards, Information and Communications, Employment, Transportation and Design of Public Spaces, are outlined as follows:
HGCC will develop, implement and maintain policies governing how it will achieve accessibility through these requirements.
HGCC policies will include a statement of its commitment to meeting the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner. These documents will be made publicly available in an accessible format, upon request.
HGCC will establish, implement, maintain a multi-year accessibility plan outlining its strategy to prevent and remove barriers and meet its requirements under the IASR. Accessibility plans will be made available in an accessible format, upon request and will be posted on our website.
HGCC will review and update its accessibility plan once every five (5) years and will establish, review and update our accessibility plans in consultation with persons with disabilities or an advisory committee. Annual status reports will be prepared that will report on the progress of the steps taken to implement HGCC’s accessibility plan. This status report will be posted on our website. If requested, the report shall be created in an accessible format.
HGCC will incorporate accessibility criteria and features when procuring or acquiring goods, services or facilities. The only exception is in cases where it is impracticable to do so.
HGCC 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 HGCC policies, and all other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of the HGCC. Training will be provided on an ongoing basis to new employees and as changes to the HGCC’S accessibility policies occur.
The HGCC will maintain records on the training provided, when it was provided and the number of employees that were trained.
HGCC’s employment practices will include notification of the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities, as well as supports for employees with disabilities. Applicants will be informed that these accommodations are available, upon requests, for the interview process and other candidate selection methods. Where a request is made, we will consult with the applicant to determine the suitable accommodations. Successful applicants will be made aware HGCC’s policies and supports for accommodating people with disabilities.
If an employee with a disability requests it, HGCC, will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for the following:
Information needed in order to preform his/her job; and
Information that is generally available to all employees in the workplace
HGCC will consult with the employee making the request to determine the best way to provide accessible formats or communication support.
HGCC will ensure that our website and all web content published after January 1, 2012, conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 in accordance with the schedule set out in the IASR.
The Information and Communications Standard does not apply to:
Products and product labels;
Unconvertible information or communications; or
Information that the organization does not control either directly or indirectly through a contractual relationship.
If it is determined, in consultation with the requesting party, that information or communications are unconvertible, HGCC will ensure that the individual who made the request is provided with an explanation and a summary of the information. The HGCC will classify information or communications as unconvertible where:
It is not technically practicable to convert; or
The technology required to make the conversion is not readily available.
Where employee needs dictate, HGCC will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability. This information will take into account the unique challenges created by the individual’s disability and the physical nature of the workplace. These plans will be created in consultation with the employee.
Emergency Response plans will be reviewed:
When the employee moves to a different physical location within the organization;
The employee’s overall accommodation plan is reviewed; or
When HGCC review its emergency policies and procedures.
HGCC will develop and written process for documenting individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. The process for the development of these accommodation plans will include specific elements such as:
The ways in which an employee can participate in the development of the plan;
The means by which an employee is assessed on an individual basis
The ways an employee can request an evaluation by an outside medical expert (at the employer’s expense) to determine if accommodation can be achieved, and how it can be achieved;
The steps taken to protect the employee’s personal information;
The frequency with which the plan will be reviewed;
The means by which an employee will receive a copy of his/her accommodation plan, based on the preferred communication formats.
HGCC will maintain a documented return to work process for employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and who require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work. The return to work process outlines the steps we will take to facilitate the return to work and will include documented individual accommodation plans as part of the process.
HGCC’s performance management and career development processes will take into account the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities.
HGCC will take into account the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when redeploying individuals with disabilities as an alternative to layoffs.
This policy on Employment will be reviewed and amended, as required, when additional accessibility related regulations are enacted by the Government of Ontario and/or when changes are made to the legislative framework governing accessibility.