B. M. Ross and Associates Limited strives at all times to provide accessible customer services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are also committed to giving people with disabilities a similar opportunity to access our goods and services and allowing them to benefit from our services in a similar way as other customers (upon request).
Feedback regarding the way B. M. Ross and Associates provides accessible customer service can be arranged to be in an accessible format agreed upon with the customer and B. M. Ross and Associates Limited. If you have any questions, wish to provide feedback, or to view this policy in its entirety, please contact:
Dale Erb, President
B.M. Ross and Associates
62 North Street Goderich, ON
N7A 2T4
Phone: (519) 524-2641
@email
Accessibility Plan
Introduction
This 2014-21 accessibility plan outlines the actions that BMROSS has or will put in place to improve opportunities for people with disabilities.
The Ontario government passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in 2005. It is the goal of the government of Ontario to make Ontario accessible by 2025.
Under the AODA, the following accessibility standards are applicable to BMROSS:
A. Customer Service
B. Information and Communications
C. Employment
D. Design of Public Spaces
A. ACCESSIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE
- Required Compliance Date: January 1, 2012
- COMPLETE – Required Compliance Date for Changes: July 1, 2016 -- COMPLETE
A1. Statement of Commitment
- B. M. Ross and Associates Limited (BMROSS) 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 accessible requirements under the Act.
A2. Customer Service Policy Statement: Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities
- A Policy was developed; a notice that we have this policy and who to contact appears on our web site; the Policy is posted on bulletin boards in all of our buildings and it is a part of our Orientation Manual for new employees. If requested, we can provide this information in an accessible format.
- The Policy will be reviewed every 5 years and redistributed to all employees if changes are made.
- The Policy includes:
- Our Mission
- Our Commitment
- Accessible Customer Service Policy
- a) Communication
- b) Telephone Services
- c) Assistive Devices
- d) Billing
- Use of Service Animals and Support Persons
- Notice of Temporary Disruption
- Training for Staff
- Feedback Process
- Modifications to this or other Policies
- Questions About this Policy
A3. Training
- All employees were trained in accessible customer service in three sessions in the summer of 2010, led by a facilitator who had taken the appropriate training courses. Each new employee (full-time, part-time and students) who has been hired since also has been provided with training through our orientation process.
B. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
Required Compliance Date: January 1, 2021 - COMPLETE
- The BMROSS website was revamped (2020-12-31) to be in compliance with WCAG 2.0 Level AA, as directed by the AODA guidelines.
C. EMPLOYMENT
Required Compliance Date: January 1, 2016 - COMPLETE
C1. Recruitment and Selection
A barrier-free recruitment strategy has been implemented to remove barriers from the hiring process:
- A paragraph has been added to the BMROSS website, under the “Employment Opportunities” section, that states that accommodation is available for applicants with disabilities.
- If a selected applicant requests an accommodation, BMROSS will consult with the applicant and arrange for provision of suitable accommodations in a manner that considers the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability.
- When making offers of employment, BMROSS will notify the successful applicant of BMROSS’ policy on accommodating employees with disabilities in the offer of employment letter.
- Should BMROSS have any employees with disabilities, a multi-pronged approach will be developed to creating an inclusive work environment for those employees with disabilities. Principles of inclusion and accessibility will be integrated into every stage of an employee’s career.
C2. Individualized Emergency Response Information
- A memo was sent out to all staff in February of 2012, asking whether there was anyone who felt that they may need assistance of any kind in the case of an emergency. They were informed that, following the individual’s consent, the information would be shared with a designated staff member to assist the employee in an emergency.
- This same memo is part of the “Orientation Manual” (Appendix Q) given to all new employees as part of the BMROSS orientation process.
C3. Helping Employees with Disabilities Return to Work/Accommodation Plans
BMROSS has taken 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.
- Individual accommodation plans and return-to-work policies for employees that have been absent due to a disability.
- An outline of the steps we will take to help our employees return to work when they:
- have been absent because of a disability, and
- need some form of disability-related accommodation to return to work.
D. DESIGN OF PUBLIC SPACES
Required Compliance Date: January 1, 2017 – N/A
BMROSS does not have any public spaces; therefore, this Standard is not applicable.
Our latest Compliance Report (2020) under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) has been approved by the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility and is available on request. If you require this report(s) in an alternate format, please contact us.
For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact Mr. Dale Erb, President, at:
519-524-2641, Extension 222
@email
Accessible formats of this document are available free upon request from:
Brenda Fisher
519-524-2641, Extension 234
@email