Accesiblity Policy

Promote Unions will develop, implement, and maintain policies governing how it will achieve accessibility through these requirements.

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.

The company 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. Accessibility plans will be made available in an accessible format upon request and will be posted on its website.

The company 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 the steps taken in implementing the company’s accessibility plan. This status report will be posted on our website. If requested, the report will be created in an accessible format.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline practices and procedures in place at Promote Unions to help identify and remove barriers that impede a person’s ability to access care and services.

Customer Service Policy

Purpose

All goods and services provided by Promote Unions will follow the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity.

Communication

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take their disability into account.

We will train staff who communicate with customers on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.

Telephone Service

We are committed to providing fully accessible telephone service to our customers. We will train staff to communicate with customers over the telephone using clear and plain language and to speak clearly and slowly.

We will offer to communicate with customers by email if telephone communication is not suitable to their communication needs or is not available.

Assistive Devices

We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our goods and services. We will ensure that our staff is trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods or services.

Employment

Upon the request of an employee with a disability,  Promote Union will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports to ensure that all employees have the information required to perform his/her job and that any information generally available to employees in the workplace is accessible to all.

Use of Service Animals and Support Persons

We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the parts of our premises that are open to the public and other third parties.

We are also committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person. Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to enter ’s premises with his or her support person. At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to his or her support person while on our premises.

All Promote Union staff, dealing with the public will be properly trained in how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal or support person.

Notice of Temporary Disruption

Promote Union will provide customers with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services usually used by people with disabilities. This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if applicable.

The notice will be placed at all public entrances and services counters on our premises. Appendix A provides a template to be used in these instances.

Training of Staff

Promote Union will provide training to all employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public or other third parties on their behalf, and all those who are involved in the development and approval of company policies, practices and procedures. These individuals will receive training within their first 30 days of employment.

Training will include the following:

• All provincial human rights and accessibility legislation, including the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and human rights codes applicable in each province.
• Interaction between the legislation and people with disabilities.
• Information on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.
• Information on how to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or support person.
• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing Promote Union’s goods and services.
• Promote Union’s internal policies, practices and procedures relating to accessibility.
• Areas of the accessibility standards that are relevant to each employee’s work responsibilities, particularly surrounding employment, information and communications, transportation and the design of public spaces.

Staff will also be trained on an ongoing basis when changes are made to these policies, practices and procedures.

Information and Communications Policy

Promote Unions id committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. Those individuals with disabilities can consult with their advisor to determine how we can best meet their information and communication needs.

Employment Policy

Promote Union is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a workplace free of any discrimination or harassment. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply to an open requisition, including women, aboriginal peoples, members of visible minorities and persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are available at all stages of the recruitment process. Job applicants who have an accommodation need are asked to contact the Human Resources Department as soon as possible to make appropriate arrangements.

Candidates selected to participate in an assessment or selection process are further notified that accommodations are available upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used. Applicants requesting accommodation due to a disability are consulted in a manner that considers the applicant’s accessibility needs.

Successful candidates will receive training on Promote Union’s policies and procedures regarding human rights, accommodation, relevant legislation on accessibility and any other accessibility requirements that apply to the organization and their specific job duties during the orientation process.

Design of Public Space Policy

Promote Unions will meet the Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces when building or making major modifications to public spaces.

Communication and Feedback Process

Promote Union’s goal is to meet and surpass expectations while serving customers and employees with disabilities. Comments on our services regarding how well those expectations are being met are welcome and appreciated.

Feedback regarding the way Promote Union provides goods and services to people with disabilities can be made by email, by phone or verbally. All feedback will be directed to the Human Resources Department.

Feedback received shall be recorded, documented and forwarded to the appropriate department for review and response. Customers can expect to hear back in 10 business days.

Where employee related feedback is formally requested, (e.g. opinion surveys, performance evaluation, etc.), the employee will be offered suitable accommodations, such as the provision of additional time, a private space, a support person, etc. if necessary and upon request. 

Questions Concerning This Policy

Any client questions about this policy should be referred to:

[email protected]