Employment Standard Policy

Statement of Commitment to Accessibility

According to AODA legislation,PLASP Child Care Services is committed to meeting the accessibility needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner and providing a barrier-free environment for our employees, volunteers, students on placement, job applicants, customers, and visitors, who enter our premises, access to our information and/or services. As an organization we respect and uphold the requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation for Customer Service, Information and Communications, Employment, and Transportation set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005).

We are committed to ensuring our organization’s compliance with accessibility legislation by incorporating policies, procedures, equipment requirements, training for employees and volunteers and students on placement, and best practices. We will review these policies and practices as required. Our commitment to making our organization accessible to everyone includes integration of accessibility within our policies, procedures, programs and training.

Disability is defined as:

• any degree of physical disability, 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 co-ordination, blindness or visual impairment , deafness or hearing impairment, muteness or speech impairment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device;
• a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability;
• a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language;
• a mental disorder, or
• an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

Barrier is defined as:

• anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of his or her disability, including a physical barrier, an architectural barrier, an information or communications barrier, an attitudinal barrier, a technological barrier, a policy or a practice.

Intent

This policy is intended to meet the requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards, Ontario Regulation 191/11 for the Employment Standard set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. This policy applies to the provision of accessible employment services for people with disabilities.

All employment services provided by PLASP shall follow the principals of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity.

Scope

This Policy applies to all PLASP employees, volunteers, students on placement or service providers.

Guidelines

General Principles

In accordance with the Integrated Accessibility Standards, Ontario Regulation 191/11, this policy addresses the following:

A. General Requirements
B. Recruitment, Assessment and Selection
C. Accessible Format and Communication Supports for Employees
D. Workplace Emergency Response Information
E. Documented Individual Accommodation Plans
F. Plans and Processes
G. Return to Work and Redeployment

A. General Requirements

General requirements that apply to PLASP under the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation are as follows:

Establishment of Accessibility Policies and Plans

PLASP will develop, implement and maintain policies governing how it will achieve accessibility through these requirements. PLASP is responsible for including a statement of its commitment to meeting the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner in its policies. This will be achieved through documentation in PLASP policies and making these documents publicly available, in an accessible format upon request.

PLASP will establish, implement, maintain and document a multi-year accessibility plan outlining its strategy to prevent and remove barriers and meet its requirements under the IASR regulation. PLASP will post its accessibility plans on their website, and provide the plan in an accessible format upon request. PLASP 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. Annual status reports will be prepared to report on the progress of steps taken to implement PLASP’s accessibility plan and post this status on its website. If required, the report will be created in an accessible format.

Procuring or Acquiring Goods and Services, or Facilities

PLASP 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.

Training Requirements

PLASP will provide training for its employees, students on placement and volunteers regarding the IASR and the Ontario Human Rights Code. Training will be provided for individuals who are responsible for developing PLASP’s policies, and all other persons who provide goods, services, or facilities on behalf of PLASP.

B. Recruitment, Assessment and Selection

PLASP will notify employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for job applicants who have disabilities. Job applicants will be informed that these accommodations are available, upon request, for the interview process and other candidate selection methods. Where an accommodation is requested, PLASP will consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for suitable accommodation.

PLASP will notify all successful applicants of the policies and supports for accommodating people with disabilities.

C. Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees

If an employee with a disability requests it, PLASP 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.

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

D. Workplace Emergency Response Information

Where required, Human Resources will provide a tailored workplace emergency response plan or information for employees with disabilities. The plan will take into account the unique challenges created by the individual’s disability and the physical nature of the workplace, and will be created in consultation with the employee.

Employee Notification

PLASP shall inform its employees of policies used to support its employees with disabilities, including but not limited to, policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to a disability. Such information will be provided as follows:

• i. to new employees as soon as practicable after they begin their employment;
• ii. to existing employees whenever there is a change to existing policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to a disability.

E. Documented Individual Accommodation Plans

PLASP will also have in place written processes for documenting individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. The process for the development of these accommodation plans will include specific elements, including:

• the manner in which the employee can participate in the development of the plan;
  
• the means by which the employee is assessed on an individual basis
  
• the manner in which an employer can request an evaluation by an outside medical expert, or other experts (at PLASP’s expense) to determine if 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 will be reviewed or updated and the manner in which it will be done;
  
• if the individual accommodation plan is denied, the manner in which the reasons for the denial 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.

F. Plans and Processes

PLASP will utilize performance management tools and provide career development and advancement to employees, respecting the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities when developing these processes and making decisions related to career development and advancement.

G. Return to Work and Redeployment

PLASP has a return to work process in place for employees who are absent from work due to disability, and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work. The return to work process includes an outline of the steps PLASP will take to facilitate the employee’s return to work and use documented individual accommodation plans.

If PLASP uses redeployment processes, it will take into account the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities.
Redeployment may mean the reassignment of employees to other departments within the organization as an alternative to a “layoff”, when a particular job or department has been eliminated. These standards do not apply to volunteers, students on placement or other non-paid individuals.