Featherlite Industries Ltd. Accessibility Policy – Ontario
Featherlite Industries Ltd. is committed to providing an accessible environment in which all individuals have equal access to Featherlite products and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. This includes creating and fostering inclusive and positive attitudes that are considerate and accommodating of all individuals, including people with disabilities. This also includes discouraging attitudes that devalue and limit the potential of persons with disabilities.
In working towards its goals under this Policy, Featherlite Industries Ltd. is committed to becoming a barrier free environment, and will endeavour to do the following in accordance with provincial legal requirements:
- identify barriers,
- remove identified barriers,
- prevent barriers,
- increase awareness of accessibility initiatives at all levels of our organization,
- promote compliance policies and procedures with respect to accessibility to our staff, as well as to our customers and consumers, and
- provide appropriate training to our employees who deal with the public or other third parties on behalf of Featherlite Industries Ltd., with a view to ensure greater awareness and responsiveness to the needs of those with disabilities. A barrier is anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully taking part in society because of that disability. Some barriers include:
- Physical barriers (e.g. a step at the entrance to the building or a door that is too heavy to be opened by an individual with limited upper body mobility and strength)
- Architectural barriers (e.g. A hallway or door that is too narrow for a wheelchair or scooter)
- Information or communication barriers (e.g. a publication that is not available in large print for people with visual impairment)
- Attitudinal barriers (e.g. ignoring a customer in a wheelchair; assuming people with a disability cannot perform a certain task when in fact they can)
- Technological barriers (e.g. a website that is not accessible for people who require the use of screen readers)
- Barriers created by policies or practices (e.g. Not allowing animals on the premises; excluding or removing individuals who require the use of service animals)
Existing Legislation
This Policy has taken into consideration our obligations under Canadian laws, including Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As legislation changes and develops, Featherlite Industries Ltd. will review and amend its policies, practices and procedures, as necessary.
Featherlite Industries Ltd. Customer Service Policy – Ontario
Featherlite Industries Ltd.’s Accessibility Policy gives guidance to the delivery of goods and services to people with disabilities, in compliance with requirements of provincial legislation such as Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). This applies to all Featherlite Industries Ltd. employees, volunteers, third party contractors who deal with the public on behalf of Featherlite Industries Ltd., and those who are involved in Featherlite Industries Ltd’s policy and procedure development.
The Senior Management of Featherlite Industries Ltd. is committed to, and will work to improve access and opportunity for, people with disabilities by making reasonable efforts to identify, remove and prevent barriers that interfere with their ability to make full use of the services. They will foster an inclusive and accessible business environment for people of all needs and abilities.
Policy
Customer and Consumer Service Philosophy
Featherlite Industries Ltd’s goal is to deliver exceptional customer and consumer service. We endeavour to service our customers and consumers in a manner that reflects the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity. Our commitment is to provide all customers and consumers, including those living with disabilities, the same opportunity to access our goods and services and benefit from those goods and services in the same place and in a similar way.
Guiding Principles
The following guiding principles clarify expected attitudes and behaviours in daily work life with customers, consumers and each other:
- Respect: Each of us will demonstrate honesty, integrity and belief in people.
- Ownership: Each of us is accountable for creating an environment that contributes to the success of our customers, consumers and each other.
- Collaboration: Each of us has an important role in working together for a common purpose.
- Continuous Improvement: Each of us is committed to ongoing improvement in all we do to anticipate and exceed needs as they evolve.
Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities
Featherlite Industries Ltd. is committed to excellence in serving all customers and consumers, including persons with disabilities, by removing barriers to their full participation that might arise in the course of doing business as follows:
- Communication: We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability. We will train staff who communicate with customers and consumers on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.
- Telephone Services: We are committed to providing fully accessible telephone interface to our current and potential customers and consumers. We will train staff to communicate with customers over the telephone in clear and plain language and to speak clearly and slowly if required by the customer or consumer. We will offer to communicate with customers and consumers using email if telephone communication is not suitable to their communication needs or is not available. Training will be provided on how to use the Relay system and TTY (teletypewriter) when needed.
- Assistive Devices: We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our goods and services and as such, customers are free to use their personal assistive devices in any Featherlite Industries Ltd. environment. Where Featherlite Industries Ltd. offers other measures that may assist our customers while on site, we will ensure that our staff is familiar with the various assistive devices that may be used by customers including: lifts, wheelchair ramps and automatic doors. Assistive devices for access to specific services shall be kept in good working order and our customers shall be informed of their availability.
- Billing: We are committed to providing accessible invoices to all of our customers. We will answer any questions customers may have about the content of the invoice in person, by telephone or email.
- Documentation: All published documents can be available in hard copy, large print and email if requested.
Service Animals
Featherlite Industries Ltd. employees, volunteers and third party contractors shall accommodate the use of service animals by people with disabilities who are accessing our services and facilities. To be considered a service animal under this Policy, it must be readily apparent that the animal is being used because of a person’s disability or the person with a disability must provide a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that it is required because of his or her disability.
Support Persons
Where a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, Featherlite Industries Ltd. staff, volunteers and third party contractors shall ensure that both persons are permitted to enter the premises together and shall ensure that the person with a disability can access the support person while on the premises. A support person is a person who accompanies the person with a disability in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with the access to goods or services. The support person can be a paid support worker, volunteer, a friend or a family member.
Notice of Temporary Disruption
Featherlite Industries Ltd. will provide affected customers with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services usually used by persons 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 available. Notice of a service disruption will be placed in a conspicuous area and/or communicated by any method deemed to be reasonable under the circumstances.
Training of Staff
Featherlite Industries Ltd. will provide training to all employees, volunteers and third party contractors who deal with our customers. Featherlite Industries Ltd. will also seek to ensure that the staffs of any third parties acting on Featherlite Industries Ltd’s behalf have received training on serving our customers with disabilities.
Training will cover the following:
- 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.
- How to use any Featherlite Industries Ltd. assistive devices.
- What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing Featherlite Industries Ltd. goods and services.
- Featherlite Industries Ltd. policy, practice and procedures relating to the Customer and Consumer Service Policy.
- Providing goods or services to customers (training only for those involved in policy development).
Training for new employees will occur as part of Featherlite Industries Ltd’s orientation training, and ongoing training will be provided to all employees with respect to any changes to Featherlite Industries Ltd. policies, practices and procedures.
Communication and Feedback Process
Documentation that describes our accessibility commitments will be maintained on Featherlite Industries Ltd’s website and provided to individuals, upon request, in the appropriate format. Comments on the way in which Featherlite Industries Ltd. provides goods and services to persons with disabilities are welcome and appreciated, and can be shared through our website, by email, by phone or via regular mail. Featherlite Industries Ltd. will thoroughly review all customer and consumer feedback, investigate its relevance to our Customer and Consumer Service Policy and to our accessibility commitments, and take steps to rectify any gaps in our delivery of goods and services.
Questions Concerning This Policy
Any questions about this policy should be submitted through our
contact form c/o Garry E. Turgeon, General Manager, Featherlite Industries Ltd.
Garry E. Turgeon
General Manager, Featherlite Industries Ltd.
Date: May 21, 2014