People2.0 Canada

Accessibility Plan 2021-2024

 

 

Message from the President

People2.0 is committed to serving all individuals with respect and dignity. Part of this commitment is ensuring that people with disabilities have the resources and access they require in order to participate as employees, clients, and members of the general public who are interested in learning more about our services.

Our Accessibility plan outlines our planned activities and confirms our commitment to ensuring an accessible, welcoming environment for everyone.

Steve Schaus

President

 

Introduction

People2.0 strives to meet the needs of its employees and customers with disabilities and is working diligently to remove and prevent barriers to accessibility.

Our organization is committed to fulfilling the requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. This accessibility plan outlines the steps People2.0 is taking to meet those requirements and to improve opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

As other provinces and territories develop their own accessibility legislation, People2.0 will ensure that our accessibility activities meet or exceed compliance requirements in all areas for all employees, regardless of location.

People2.0 is committed to a framework for change that begins with articulating a vision of inclusion based on research and self-reflection. We will implement strategies, policies, and practices inspired by that vision, including addressing the organization’s public image and information (communications). We will continuously improve through an on-going process of evaluation and change.

An inclusive approach will be thoroughly integrated into the organization’s on-going activities, operations, and relationships. People2.0 will make every effort to identify and remove barriers to inclusion.

People2.0 is committed to employment diversity with respect to all aspects of employment. Accordingly, all decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, employee development decisions such as training, and all other terms and conditions of employment, will be made without regard to race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, physical and mental disability, age, ancestry or place of origin.

People2.0 will make every effort to make its employee workforce representative and reflective of the communities in which its services are provided. The People2.0 will endeavour to ensure that the workplace, all policies, procedures, and practices are free of deliberate or unintentional (systemic) barriers so that no one is disadvantaged.

Our Human Resources department is embarking on the development of a new 3-year strategy to build on current accessibility achievements. This new strategy will enhance training, access to information and strengthen our commitment through action.

 

Section One: Past Achievements to Remove and Prevent Barriers

Below are some highlights from past accessibility initiatives. They have incorporated compliance to legislation and set the baseline for our new accessibility plan.

Customer Service

  • Provided accessible materials to clients in appropriate formats
  • Ensured that access to physical locations met legislated accessibility requirements
  • Implemented client suggestions to improve accessibility offerings

Information and Communications

  • Ensured that clients, employees, and the general public are aware of our accessibility offerings
  • Provided information regarding service outages, planned construction, and alternative access points
  • Provided a dedicated contact for information and issues

Employment

  • Worked with employees on customized return to work programs
  • Offered accessibility equipment/assistive devices to staff as required
  • Provided materials in accessible formats upon request at all stages of the employment, from applicants to accommodation requests for existing employees

Other

  • Training new and existing employees on the Ontario human rights and accessibility laws.

 

Section Two: Strategies and Actions

The following plan outlines the accessibility commitment and actions of the organization. More detailed information on the activities and objectives are outlined in the Human Resources 3-year strategy on accessibility in the workplace.

 

Customer Service

People2.0 is committed to providing accessible customer service to people with disabilities. This means that we will provide services to people with disabilities with the same high quality and timeliness as others.

Actions

Responsibility

Frequency

Completion Date

Review and plan actions items from results of annual client survey.

Operations

Annual

October 2022, 2023

Provide information and tools to clients as required to fulfill accessibility requests.

Operations/Human Resources

On-going

On-going

Incorporate feedback from all sources, formal and informal in to planning activities for each year to enhance client services.

Operations/Human Resources

Annual

October 2022, 2023

Provide active offer to clients on accessibility options and services,

Operations

On-going

On-going

Track service outages and proactively notify clients of alternative strategies until resolved.

Operations

On-going

On-going

 

Information and Communications

People2.0 is committed to making our information and communications accessible to people with disabilities.

Actions

Resources

Responsibility

Completion Date

Employee Survey on accessibility.

Human Resources

Annual

September 2022, 2023

Client Survey on accessibility.

Human Resources

Annual

September 2022, 2023

Annual communication from the President on commitment to accessibility.

President

Annual

January 2022, 2023

Reminders from Human Resources to managers and employees about accessibility rights and obligations.

Human Resources

2 times per year

2 times per year

All accessibility information posted on intranet with frequent updates to align with best practices and legislative compliance.

Human Resources

On-going

On-going

Review of client and employee accessibility request tracking to identify gaps and trends for the upcoming planning year.

Human Resources

Annual

November 30, 2021, 2022, 2023

Submit accessibility report to senior management for review, action, and inclusion in the organization’s annual report as applicable.

Human Resources

Annual

January 2022, 2023

Posting of initial accessibility plan on the website as well as annual updates on progress.

IT

Annual

January 2022, 2023, 2024

 

Employment

People2.0 is committed to fair and accessible employment practices. Job advertisements will indicate that the organization will meet the needs of people with disabilities, including receiving job postings and descriptions in alternative formats and accommodations as it relates to the interview process. Candidates will also be asked upon hire if they require any workplace accommodation in order to support them in their new role, and the appropriate resources will be provided.

Employees have a right to a fully accessible workplace. People2.0 is committed to an accessible workplace and will collaborate with employees to ensure that they have the tools and support necessary to be successful at work.

Actions

Responsibility

Frequency

Completion Date

Review and refresh existing accessibility policies to ensure compliance in all areas and seek enhancements to improve employee experience based on industry best practices and employee feedback.

Human Resources

Annual

June 30, 2021, 2022, 2023

Audit of Employee HR templates to ensure compliance and seek enhancements to improve the employee experience.

Human Resources

Annual

June 30, 2021, 2022, 2023

Review of all posted materials to ensure WCAG 2.0 compliance on intranet site.

IT

On-going

On-going

Provide active offers to all potential candidates regarding accessibility at all stages of the recruitment process.

Human Resources

On-going

On-going

Provide dedicated, on-going support to employees to ensure that employees have the necessary accessibility tools to be successful at work.

Human Resources

On-going

On-going

Active offer by managers to all employees to ensure that employees are aware of tools and support for accessibility.

All Management

On-going

On-going

 

Training

People2.0 is committed to providing training in the requirements of Ontario’s accessibility laws and the Ontario Human Rights Code as it applies to people with disabilities.

Actions

Responsibility

Frequency

Completion Date

Implementation of Learning Management System (LMS) and new AODA training courses.

Human Resources

One Time

2021

New module/refresher training.

Human Resources

Annual

On-going

Requirement for accessibility objectives for all management as part of performance management expectations.

All Management

Annual

On-going

Annual review of training results to ensure compliance to targets.

Human Resources

Annual

June 30, 2021, 2022, 2023

Environmental scan and review of industry best practices to ensure that accessibility training is best in class and is in compliance with legislation.

Human Resources

Annual

June 30, 2021, 2022, 2023

Ensure that IT staff/service providers have appropriate WCAG training, including any new IT hires, during the course of each year.

IT

Annual

December 31, 2021, 2022, 2023

 

Design of Public Spaces

People2.0 is committed to ensuring that our work premises are accessible to everyone. Where there are plans to renovate existing locations or secure new office space, we will ensure that accessibility is at the forefront of design. At a minimum, we will inspect our physical locations annually to ensure compliance with legislation and look for opportunities to enhance accessibility.

People2.0 will continue to ensure that procedures are in place to prevent service disruptions to the accessible parts of our public spaces and provide the necessary alternatives should a disruption occur.

 

Actions

Responsibility

Frequency

Completion Date

Review of public and employee spaces to ensure alignment with legislation.

Operations

Annual

November 30, 2021, 2022, 2023

Review Client and Employee surveys to identify opportunities to enhance accessibility.

Operations

Annual

November 30, 2021, 2022, 2023

Refer any feedback received from clients and employees on an on-going basis to ensure that enhancements to physical locations are communicated to Operations for planning and implementation in addition to annual inspections.

Human Resources

On-going

On-going

 

Other

Actions

Responsibility

Frequency

Completion Date

3-year Accessibility Strategy Refresh.

Human Resources

Every 3 years

December 2021

Accessibility Annual Report.

Human Resources

Annual

January 2022, 2023

 

For More Information

For more information on this accessibility plan or to request accessible forms of this or other documents, please contact the HR Department at HRCanada@people20.com.