Multi-Year Accessibility Plan
Accessible Customer Service Policy
Voices.com Corporation (Voices.com ) is committed to recognizing the dignity and independence of all employees, customers, and visitors and seeks to ensure that persons with disabilities have unhindered access to services, facilities, employment, buildings, and premises.
This Multi-Year Accessibility Plan outlines Voices.com ’s strategies and actions to identify, remove and prevent barriers for people with visible and non-visible disabilities in accessing Voices.com ’s products, services, and facilities. This Plan has been developed in accordance with the requirements of the AODA and Accompanying Standards, as defined below.
Policies, procedures, and practices with respect to accessibility, including this Multi-Year Accessibility Plan and those required under the AODA and the Accompanying Standards (our “Policies”) shall be made available in hard copy or can be found on the Company Website Voices Copies of our Policies will also be made available in an accessible format, and with communication supports where necessary, upon request.
1. Amendments to our Policies
Voices.com will comply with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal legislation with respect to accessibility and will implement the standards specified under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “AODA”) including the applicable requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service (O.Reg. 165/16, s.19) and the Integrated Accessibility Standards (O. Reg. 191/11) (collectively, the “Accompanying Standards”).
The AODA sets out various standards and deadlines to increase accessibility to all Ontarians by 2025. Voices.com has implemented an Accessible Customer Service Policy as well as an Integrated Accessibility Policy which ensure Voices.com ’s compliance with the AODA and the Accompanying Standards through to 2017. As the additional standards and deadlines in the AODA become applicable to Voices.com, Voices.com will review its policies, practices, and procedures to ensure compliance with the AODA.
2. Statement of Commitment
Voices.com is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity. We are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities, both visible and non-visible, in a timely manner, and will do so by identifying, preventing, and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the AODA and the Accompanying Standards.
3. Accessible Emergency Information
Voices.com is committed to providing the customers and clients with publicly available emergency information in accessible formats, upon request. We will also provide employees with disabilities with individualized emergency response plans when necessary.
Implementation Deadline: January 1, 2012 Status: Complete
4. Training
Voices.com provides training to employees, volunteers, and other staff members on the AODA, the Accompanying Standards, and the Human Rights Code on an ongoing basis. Training is always provided in a way that best suits the duties of employees, volunteers, and other staff members.
Voices.com will keep records of all such training, and the dates on which such training takes place.
5. Information and Communications
Accessible Websites and Web Content
Voices.com is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. Consumer-based internet websites and web content controlled directly by Voices.com, or through a third-party contractual relationship that allows for modification of the website or web content will conform to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) at Level A.
6. Employment
Recruitment, Assessment, and Selection
Voices.com is committed to fair and accessible employment practices. We will take the following steps to notify the public and staff that, when requested, Voices.com will accommodate people with disabilities during the recruitment and assessment processes and when people are hired:
• Recruitment advertising will contain a statement outlining that Voices.com will, upon request, accommodate persons with disabilities throughout the recruitment process.
• Managers and staff will be provided with the appropriate guidance on how to accommodate persons with disabilities at individual meetings.
• Successful candidates will be notified about Voices.com ’s policies for accommodating employees with disabilities as part of their offer of employment.
Voices.com will consult with any candidate who requests an accommodation in a manner that takes into account the candidate’s disability and individual needs.
Implementation Deadline: January 1, 2016 Status: Complete
Accessible Formats; Communication Supports; Barriers to Accessibility
If requested by an employee with a disability, Voices.com will provide, or will arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for: (i) information needed by the employee in order to perform his/her job; and (ii) information that is generally available to all Voices.com employees. Additionally, Voices.com will take the following steps to prevent and remove other identified accessibility barriers:
• Any accessibility barriers identified will be brought to the attention of management for appropriate review to ensure resolution where possible.
Implementation Deadline: January 1, 2016 Status: Complete
Documented Individual Accommodation Plans
Voices.com has developed and put in place a process for developing individual accommodation plans and return-to-work policies for employees that have been absent due to a disability:
• Voices.com ’s existing accommodation plans and return to work policies apply to all employees.
• Individual plans are developed according to the specific needs of the employee and the accommodation required as appropriate to the role.
• Steps are taken to ensure and protect the privacy of the employee’s personal information.
• The employee’s individual accommodation plan will be made available to the employee in an accessible format, if required, based on the employee’s individual accessibility needs.
Implementation Deadline: January 1, 2016 Status: Complete
We will take the following steps to ensure the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities are considered if Voices.com is using performance management, career development, and redeployment processes:
• Human Resources will provide accessible formats of the Performance Appraisal documents as required. Performance Management discussions will be conducted in an accessible manner.
• Human Resources will ensure the needs of employees are met in any career development or redeployment processes.
Return to Work; Redeployment
Voices.com will develop and have in place a return to work process for its employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and who require disability-related accommodations to return to work. Documented individual accommodation plans outlining the steps Voices.com will take to facilitate the employee’s return to work shall be part of the return to work process.
If Voices.com reassigns employees to other departments or jobs within the organization as an alternative to layoff (a “redeployment”), Voices.com will take into account the individual accommodation plans and accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities.
Implementation Deadline: January 1, 2016 Status: Complete
Performance Management
When using performance management in respect of employees with disabilities, Voices.com will take into account the employee’s individual accommodation plan as well as the employee’s individual accessibility needs. Implementation Deadline: January 1, 2016 Status: Complete
Career Development and Advancement
When providing career development and advancements to its employees, Voices.com will take into account the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities as well as any individual accommodation plans in place for these employees.
Implementation Deadline: January 1, 2016 Status: Complete
7. Design of Public Spaces
Voices.com will meet the Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces when building or making major modifications to public spaces. For clarity, public spaces include service-related elements like service counters and waiting areas.
8. For More Information
For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact Voices.com ’s Human Resources Department at:
Phone: 1-888-359-3472
Email: [email protected]
Accessible formats of this document are available free, upon request.