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.