ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, 2005 (AODA)
CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARD AND INTEGRATED ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS (IAS)
Accessibility Policy and Multi-Year Plan
This accessibility policy and plan outlines the actions Octacom Limited (Octacom) has put in place to improve opportunities for individuals with disabilities. It is implemented in accordance with the timeframes set out in the Customer Service and Integrated Accessibility Standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”). The Accessibility Plan is reviewed every five years.
Statement of Commitment
Octacom is committed to ensuring its policies, practices and procedures for the provision of its services are consistent with the legislation in the locations in which it does business to effectively provide services to individuals with disabilities.
Octacom is committed to providing its services, and treating all individuals in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence, and is committed to providing equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities to access, use and benefit from its services. Octacom is committed to meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities in a timely manner and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the AODA and its Standards.
Providing Services to Individuals with Disabilities
Octacom is committed to excellence in servicing clients and visitors with disabilities, including:
communicating with individuals with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability;
serving individuals with disabilities who use assistive devices (to obtain, use or benefit from its services); and
welcoming individuals with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal or a support person.
Emergency Information and Procedures
Octacom is committed to providing clients with publicly available emergency information in an accessible means on request. Octacom will also provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees with disabilities if it is made aware of the need for accommodation.
Training
Octacom will provide training to employees and other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of Octacom on the requirements set out in the Integrated Accessibility Standards and on the Ontario Human Rights Code as it relates to individuals with disabilities.
Training will be provided in a way that best suits the duties of the applicable staff, as part of new hire onboarding, and on an ongoing basis when changes are made to policies pursuant to the Integrated Accessibility Standards. A record of this training will be kept, including the dates on which training is provided and the number of individuals to whom it is provided.
Feedback Processes
Octacom has taken reasonable steps to ensure its existing feedback processes are accessible to individuals with disabilities on request.
Accessible Formats
Octacom is committed to meeting the communication needs of individuals with disabilities. It has taken reasonable steps to ensure that all publicly available information controlled by Octacom is provided in an accessible way on request. Octacom will also consult with the person making the request to determine his or her information and communication needs.
Websites
Octacom will take reasonable steps to ensure that all websites controlled by Octacom and content on those sites published after January 1, 2012 conform with WCAG 2.0, Level AA, by January 1, 2021, except where meeting the requirement is not practical
Employment
Octacom is committed to fair and accessible employment practices. It will take reasonable steps to implement the following actions:
Octacom will notify the public and staff that, when requested, it will accommodate individuals with disabilities during the recruitment and assessment processes and when they are hired;
Octacom will develop and put in place a return to work process for employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work; and
Octacom will ensure the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities are taken into account if using performance management, career development and advancement or redeployment processes.
Octacom will also take reasonable steps to prevent and remove other accessibility barriers that are identified.
Design of Public Spaces
Octacom will meet the Design of Public Spaces Standards when building or making major modifications to public spaces, including to services-related elements and publicly accessible meeting rooms and service counters.
Octacom will also put reasonable procedures in place to prevent service disruption to accessible parts of these public spaces and to deal with temporary disruptions when accessible elements required under these Standards are not in working order.
In the event of a service disruption, Octacom will notify the public of the service disruption and alternatives available, as soon as practicable.
Contact Information
For more information about the accessibility policy and plan, please contact Octacom by:
email to info@octacom.ca;
telephone to 905-737-0700 or 1-888-739-1934; or
mail to:
Octacom Limited
45 Staples Avenue
Suite 120
Richmond Hill, ON
L4B 4W6
Attention: Lee Berger, CEO
Staff members are welcome to contact their Manager or Human Resources if they have any questions or would like to make a request under this accessibility policy and plan.
Accessible formats of this document are also available on request.