IASR Employment & Communication Policy

AODA – Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) Information & Communications and Employment Standard Policies

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 persons with disabilities.

All employment services provided by Crescent Oral Surgery shall follow the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity.

Statement of Commitment to Accessibility

Crescent Oral Surgery (the “Organization”) is committed to providing a barrier-free environment for all stakeholders including our clients/customers, patients, employees, job applicants, suppliers, and any visitors who may enter our premises, access our information, or use our services. As an organization, we respect and uphold the requirements set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005), and its associated standards and regulations.

Crescent Oral Surgery understands that we have a responsibility for ensuring a safe, dignified, and welcoming environment for everyone. We are committed to ensuring our organization’s compliance by incorporating accessibility legislation into our policies, procedures, equipment requirements, training, and best practices. We will review these policies and practices annually, as organizational changes occur, or in anticipation of compliance deadlines. In addition, we will strive to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in a timely and effective manner.

General Principles

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

General Requirements
Feedback Process
Accessible Formats and Communication Supports
Emergency Procedures, Plans or Public Safety Information
Accessible Websites and Web Content
Recruitment, Assessment and Selection
Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees
Workplace Emergency Response Information
Documented Individual Accommodation Plans
Performance Management and Career Development and Advancement
Return to Work
Redeployment
Review

A. General Requirements

General requirements that apply across all of the four (4) standards, Information and Communications, Employment, Transportation and Design of Public Spaces, are outlined as follows.

Establishment of Accessibility Policies and Plans

Crescent Oral Surgery will develop, implement and maintain policies governing how it will achieve accessibility through these requirements.

The Organization will include a statement of its commitment to meeting the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner in its policies. These documents will be made publicly available in an accessible format, upon request.

The Organization 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 our website.

The Organization will review and update its accessibility plan once every five (5) years and will establish, review and update our accessibility plans in consultation with persons with disabilities or an advisory committee. Annual status updates will be prepared that will report on the progress of the steps taken to implement the Organization’s accessibility plan and will be posted on its website. If requested, the report shall be created in an accessible format.

Procuring or Acquiring Goods and Services, or Facilities

Crescent Oral Surgery 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

Crescent Oral Surgery will provide training for its employees, volunteers and Doctors regarding the IASR and the Ontario Human Rights Code as they pertain to individuals with disabilities. Training will also be provided to individuals who are responsible for developing the Organization’s policies, and all other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of Crescent Oral Surgery.

Training will be provided as soon as is reasonably practicable. Training will be provided on an ongoing basis to new employees, volunteers and Doctors and as changes to the Organization’s accessibility policies occur.

Records

Crescent Oral Surgery will maintain records on the training provided, when it was provided and the number of employees that were trained.

Information & Communications

B. Feedback Process

Crescent Oral Surgery will ensure that all feedback processes (both internal and external) are made accessible to clients/customers or employees, upon request.

In accordance with the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07, the Organization will make the availability of accessible feedback formats publicly known.

C. Accessible Formats and Communication Supports

Unless deemed unconvertible Crescent Oral Surgery, upon request will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities in a timely manner and at no additional cost to the individual.

The Organization will take into account the person’s accessibility needs when customizing individual requests and shall consult with the individual making the request to ensure suitability.

D. Emergency Procedures, Plans or Public Safety Information

Crescent Oral Surgery will ensure that all publicly available safety and emergency information (e.g. evacuation procedures, floor plans etc.) are provided in an accessible format or with appropriate communication supports, upon request.

E. Accessible Websites and Web Content

Crescent Oral Surgery will ensure that our website and all web content published after January 1, 2012, conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 in accordance with the schedule set out in the IASR.

Employment Standard

F. Recruitment, Assessment and Selection

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

Successful applicants will be made aware of the Organization’s policies and supports for accommodating people with disabilities.

G. Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees

Crescent Oral Surgery will ensure that employees are aware of our policies for employees with disabilities and any changes to these policies as they occur.

If an employee with a disability requests it, Crescent Oral Surgery will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for the following:

Information needed in order to perform his/her job; and
Information that is generally available to all employees in the workplace.

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

H. Workplace Emergency Response Information

Where required, Crescent Oral Surgery will create individual workplace emergency response information for employees with disabilities. This information 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.

This information will be reviewed when:

The employee moves to a different physical location in the organization;
The employee’s overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed; and/or
The Organization reviews general emergency response policies.

I. Documented Individual Accommodation Plans

Crescent Oral Surgery must also develop and have in place written processes for documenting individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. The process for the development of these accommodation plans should include specific elements, including:

The ways 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 ways that an employee can request an evaluation by an outside medical expert, or other experts (at the employer’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 should be reviewed or updated and how it should be done; and
The means of providing the accommodation plan in an accessible format, based on the employee’s accessibility needs.

J. Performance Management and Career Development and Advancement

Crescent Oral Surgery will consider the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities when implementing performance management processes, or when offering career development or advancement opportunities.

Individual accommodation plans will be consulted, as required.

K. Return to Work

Crescent Oral Surgery will develop and implement return to work processes for employees who are absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodation(s) in order to return to work.

The return to work process will outline the steps the Organization will take to facilitate the employee’s return to work and shall use documented individual accommodation plans (as described in section 28 of the regulation).

L. Redeployment

The accessibility needs of employees with disabilities will be taken into account in the event of redeployment.