905-935-9002
905-935-0555
AODA Policy
Intent
Spring Valley Gardens 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 Spring Valley Gardens 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
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.
Assistive devices
We will ensure that our staff are trained and familiar with various assistive devices we have on site or that we provide that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods or services.
Communication
We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.
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.
Training Requirements
Spring Valley Gardens will provide training to employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public or other third parties on our behalf. Training will also be provided to people involved in the development of policies, plans, practices and procedures related to the provision of our goods and services.
Individuals in the following positions will be trained:
Management and all employees dealing with members of the public or third parties.
This training will be provided to staff 3 months after being hired.
Training will include:
- An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of 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 Spring ValleyGardensgoods and services
Staff will also be trained when changes are made to your accessible customer service plan.
Recruitment, Assessment and Selection
Spring Valley Gardens 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
Spring Valley Gardens 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, Spring Valley Gardens 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.
This process is completed as soon as practicable.
Documented Individual Accommodation Plans
Spring Valley Gardens will develop and have in place written processes for documenting individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. Upon request, the office manager work with the individual requiring accommodation to ensure they are provided with the proper emergency response information as soon as practicable. 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 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.
Return to Work
Spring Valley Gardens will develop and implement return-to-work processes for employees who are absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work.
This process will outline the steps the company will take to enable a smooth return to work for the employee. All steps and individual accommodation plans will be documented and created in consultation with the employee.
Performance Management and Career Changes
Spring Valley Gardens 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, every three years, to ensure that it reflects current practices of Spring Valley Gardens as well as legislative requirements.
Feedback process
Customers who wish to provide feedback on the way Spring Valley Gardens provides goods and services to people with disabilities can call 905-935-9002 or e mail Ron@springvalleygardens.ca
All feedback, including complaints, will be handled in the manner of telephone or e mail response by a manager or member of the Health and Safety Committee.
Customers can expect to hear back in 14 days.
Notice of availability
Spring Valley Gardens will notify the public that our policies are available upon request by posting a notice in the following locations 1846 7th Street and 1330 5th Street, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 6P9.
