ACCESSIBILITY

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES

Lake Ridge Community Support Services is committed to excellence in serving all caregivers and clients including those with disabilities.

Assistive devices

We will ensure that all our staff are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by caregivers and clients with disabilities while accessing our services.
 

Communication

We will communicate with caregivers and clients with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.
 

Service Animals

We welcome people with disabilities and their service animals.  Service animals are allowed on the parts of our premises that are open to the public. Service animals are also welcome in all therapy areas at Lake Ridge Community Support Services.

For the purpose of this section, an animal is a service animal for a person
with a disability,

1. if it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability; or

2. if the person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability.

Support Persons

A client/caregiver with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person accompany them on the premises.  Lake Ridge Community Support Services may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person, but only if a support person is necessary to protect the health and safety of the person with a disability or the health or safety of others on the premises. 

In this section, “support person” means, in relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies him or her in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs.
 

Notice of Temporary Disruption

In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or our facilities for caregivers and/or clients with disabilities, Lake Ridge Community Support Services will promptly notify those affected.  A notice will be posted which will include the reason for the disruption, its anticipated length of time, and a description of any alternative facilities, if available.  

Training for Staff

Lake Ridge Community Support Services will provide training to all employees, students, and volunteers who deal with caregivers, clients or the public.
This training will be provided to staff within the first 3 months of employment.
Training will include:

• An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard.

• Lake Ridge Community Support Services policy related to the customer service standard.

• How to interact and communicate with caregivers and/or clients with various types of disabilities.

• How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require that assistance of a service animal or a support person.

• How to use the assistive devices of a caregiver and/or client with a disability.

• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing services at Lake Ridge Community Support Services.

Staff will also be trained when changes are made to our Policy.

Feedback process

Lake Ridge Community Support Services is committed to ensuring that it services meet optimum standards of accessibility for people with disabilities.  Comments regarding how well the expectations of accessibility are being met are welcome and appreciated.

Any person who wishes to provide feedback on the way Lake Ridge Community Support Services provides services to people with disabilities can voice their comments or concerns to the Human Resources Administrator in person, by telephone, in writing or email.

All feedback directed to the Human Resources Administrator will be forwarded to the appropriate person.  The consumer can expect to hear back from the Human Resources Administrator within 2 business days, if required.

Any consumer complaints regarding accessibility received by any staff should be brought to the attention of their immediate Supervisor who in turn will bring it to the Human Resources Administrator.  All responses to consumer feedback will be documented.

Documents required by this regulation are available upon request. Thank you for your cooperation. 

Multi-year Accessibility Plan

Accessibility Plan and Policies for Lake Ridge Community Support Services

This 2014-21 accessibility plan outlines the policies and actions that Lake Ridge Community Support Services will put in place to improve opportunities for people with disabilities.
 

Statement of Commitment 

Lake Ridge Community Support Services is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity. We are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
 

Accessible Emergency Information

Lake Ridge Community Support Services is committed to providing the community and our clients with publicly available emergency information in an accessible way upon request. We will also provide employees with disabilities with individualized emergency response information when necessary. 
 

Training

Lake Ridge Community Support Services will provide training to employees, volunteers and other staff members on Ontario’s accessibility laws and on the Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities. Training will be provided in a way that best suits the duties of employees, volunteers and other staff members.
Lake Ridge Community Support Services takes the following steps to ensure employees are provided with the training needed to meet Ontario’s accessible laws.

• All new employees and volunteers will receive Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities training on their first day of orientation.

• All employees will be required to have refresher training yearly.

Information and Communications

Lake Ridge Community Support Services is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. We will consult with people with disabilities to determine their information and communication needs.
Lake Ridge Community Support Services will take the following steps to make all new websites and content on those sites conform with WCAG 2.0, Level A by January 1, 2014:

• Commence compliance with WCAG 2.0 Level A, for all new internet websites and web content on those websites.

• All new documents and forms on internet websites conform with WCAG 2.0, Level A.

Lake Ridge Community Support Services will take the following steps to make ensure existing feedback processes are accessible to people with disabilities upon request by January 1, 2015:

• Post a copy of our commitment to ensuring Lake Ridge Community Support Services meets optimum standards of accessibility for people with disabilities and the procedure for providing feedback on the premises and website using a disclaimer that “the information is available in a variety of accessible formats upon request”.

Lake Ridge Community Support Services will take the following steps to make sure all publicly available information is made accessible upon request by January 1, 2016:

• Institute a standard that documents be created in a structured electronic format to allow for easier conversion to alternate forms.

• Create promotional materials in alternate formats.

Lake Ridge Community Support Services will take the following steps to make all websites and content conform with WCAG 2.0, Level AA (excluding live captioning and audio description) by January 1, 2021:

• Establish third-party contacts for outsourcing materials for captioning, video-description and conversion to Braille or audio as well as, any other formatting that is not feasible to do in-house.

• Familiarize with sources and time-frames associated with booking sign-language interpreters, interveners or captioners.

Employment

Lake Ridge Community Support Services is committed to fair and accessible employment practices.
We will take the following steps to notify the public and staff that, when requested, Lake Ridge Community Support Services will accommodate people with disabilities during the recruitment and assessment processes and when people are hired:

• Where employees needs dictate, we will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability.

• Our performance management and career development processes will take into account the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities.

Lake Ridge Community Support Services will take the following steps to develop and put in place a process for developing individual accommodation plans and return-to-work policies for employees that have been absent due to a disability:

• Lake Ridge Community Support Services maintains a Return to Work Policy that allows for employees to return to modified, alternate or accommodated employment when returning from a disability.

Lake Ridge Community Support Services will take the following steps to prevent and remove other accessibility barriers identified.

• Lake Ridge Community Support Services will correct any barriers, if necessary that are identified through our feedback process.

For more information

For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact J. Capes at:

• Phone: (905) 666-9688 Ext. 223

• Email: jcapes@lrcss.com

Accessible formats of this document are available free upon request from:
Lake Ridge Community Support Services 

• Phone: (905) 666-9688 Ext. 220

• Email: LRCSS@lrcss.com