Purpose 



Strik, Baldinelli, Moniz Ltd. (SBM) is committed to ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their abilities, have equal and unobstructed access to services and facilities. This Accessibility Policy outlines SBM’s commitment to accessibility and provides guidelines for achieving accessibility. Details on improvements and maintenance of accessibility standards can be found in SBM’s Multi-Year Accessibility Plan. This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and visitors of Strik, Baldinelli, Moniz Ltd. and covers all services, facilities, and communications provided by SBM. 

Definitions

Accessibility: The design of products, devices, services, or environments for people who experience disabilities. 

Assistive Device(s): Items that ease the strain of daily activities at home, work, or at play. They include medical equipment, mobility aids, information technologies, practical aids, and gadgets to suit many different needs. 

Disability: A physical or mental condition that is permanent, ongoing, episodic, or of some persistence, and is a substantial or significant limit on an individual’s ability to carry out some of life’s important functions or activities, such as employment. This includes impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. 

Employee: Any individual employed by SBM whether full-time, part-time, temporary, or otherwise. 

Service Animal: An animal that is required by a person with a disability for assistance and is certified, in writing, as having been trained by a professional services animal institution to assist a person with a disability. 

Support Person(s): Any person whether a paid professional, volunteer, family member, friend to who accompanies a person with a disability to help with communications, personal care, medical needs, or with access to goods or services. 

Guidelines 

The following provides SBM’s practices to ensure that access to goods, services, and facilities are provided to employees, customers, and members of the community in accordance with the standards outlined in the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) found in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). 

Information & Communication Accessibility 

SBM aims to communicate with people with disabilities in ways that consider their disability and will work with the individual to determine which method of communication works best for them. 

When asked, SBM will provide information about the organization and its services—including public safety information in accessible formats or with communication support, in a timely manner that considers the person’s accessibility needs, and at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons. 

When necessary and upon request, the company will provide emergency procedures, plans, and public safety information that is available to the public in an accessible format or with appropriate communication supports as soon as reasonably possible. 

If information or communications are unconvertible, SBM shall provide the requestor with an explanation as to why the information or communication are unconvertible as well as a summary of the unconvertible information or communications. 

SBM will ensure, except where impracticable, that the company website available to the public will meet the standards outlined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA by the dates specified in the Accessibility Legislation. 

Self-Service Kiosks 

SBM does not currently use self-service kiosks to provide goods or services. If SBM chooses to purchase this technology in the future, including credit/debit machines, the accessibility features of such self-service kiosks will be considered, and preference will be given to kiosks that are accessible at the time of purchase. 

Employment 

SBM notifies employees, job applicants, and the public that accommodations can be made during the recruitment process for persons with a disability. Human Resources (HR) will always notify selected job applicants when they are individually selected to participate in an assessment or selection process that accommodations are available upon request. 

Applicants are to consult with HR to provide or arrange for suitable accommodations at any point during the recruitment process (i.e., during the application, interview, selection, and onboarding processes among others). 

Staff are informed, at hire, that supports are available for those with disabilities as soon as they begin their employment. SBM also provides employees with updated information whenever there is a change to current policies on the provision of job accommodation that consider an employee’s accessibility needs due to a disability. 

HR will consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication supports specifically for information that is needed to perform the employee’s job and information that is generally available to employees in the workplace. 

Where necessary, SBM will also provide customized emergency information to help an employee with a disability during an emergency. Emergency information will be provided to a designated individual who will assist the employee with a disability during an emergency with the consent of that employee. 

Individualized workplace emergency response information will be reviewed in the following situations: 

• When the employee moves to a different location in the organization 
• When the employee’s overall accommodations needs or plans are reviewed 
• When the employer reviews its general emergency response policies/plans 

Information will be provided, as soon as possible, after having been notified of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability. 

Training 

SBM will provide training to employees, volunteers, and others who deal with the public or other third parties on our behalf in accordance with the requirements set out by the Accessibility Legislation. Individuals in all positions will be trained. Training will be provided to staff within 3 months of their date of hire. 

Training will include: 

• An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard 
• SBM’s plan related to the customer service standard 
• How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities 
• How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or support person 
• How to use equipment or assistive devices that may be provided by SBM that may help with the provision of the company’s financial goods and services to a person with a disability 
• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing SBM’s goods, services, or facilities 

SBM will keep records of the training—including the date on which training is provided, the names of the people to whom the training is provided, and the number of individuals to whom it is provided. The names of trained individuals will be recorded for training administration purposes. Staff will also be notified any time changes are made to this policy. 

Updated training will be provided if an employee changes jobs or moves to a different area in the organization, or as may otherwise be required by Accessibility Legislation. 

Transportation 

At times, SBM may hire external transportation services for staff or clients (i.e., such as providing transportation to a social event). When doing so, the accessibility standards outlined by Accessibility Legislation will be followed to prevent any barriers for people with disabilities from accessing transportation. SBM will not charge a fare to a support person who is accompanying a person with a disability. 

Design of Public Spaces 

SBM aims to provide accessible facilities by providing accessible entrances, exits, restrooms, and parking spaces. All accessible areas are designated with clear and appropriate signage to direct individuals to these areas. Accessibility features in these areas are regularly reviewed and maintained to ensure they are in good working order. 

The company will also meet design and accessibility requirements of the Accessibility Legislation when major changes to existing structures or new structures to property owned by SBM, and include public spaces, are made. SBM will make reasonable efforts to ensure all structural features intended to facilitate barrier-free access are available for use in the intended manner on these properties. 

Customer Service 

Assistive Device(s) 

Persons with disabilities have the right to obtain, use, or benefit from SBM’s goods or services through their personal assistive device(s), In such cases, SBM may take other available measures to assist the individual with accessing or obtaining goods, services, and facilities. It is the responsibility of the person with a disability to ensure that their assistive device is always operated in a safe and controlled manner. 

Support Persons 

A person with a disability may enter SBM premises, that are open to the public, with a support person and have access to the support person while on the premises unless it risks, or potentially risks, the security or health and safety of the individual and/or others. 

SBM may also require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person for the health and/or safety reasons of the individual or that of others on the premises. In these circumstances, SBM will always consult the person with a disability to understand their needs, consider health and safety reasons—based on available evidence, and determine if there may be another reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person or others on the premises. 

SBM may require the person with a disability to provide SBM their consent to discuss any confidential information in the presence of a support person. If an individual with a disability has any concerns about discussing confidential information in the presence of a support person, they may ask the support person to leave during the discussion of the confidential information. 

Service Animals 

SBM welcomes people with disabilities and their service animals onto the premises in areas that are open to the public. A service animal may be restricted from entering the premises if it conflicts with health and safety legislation. If restricted, SBM will make a reasonable effort to provide goods, services, and access to facilities via alternative means. SBM will also provide an explanation to the person with a disability as to why their service animal is restricted from entering the premises and discuss alternative measures. It is the responsibility of the person with a disability to ensure that their service animal is always kept in control. 

Feedback Procedures 

Customers who wish to provide feedback on the way SBM provides goods, services, and access to facilities to people with disabilities, can do so to any staff member at any time via letter, email, telephone, in person, or in any means of communication that is preferred by the person with a disability. 

Staff members receiving feedback, including complaints, will pass the information along to their respective manager for action. Customers can expect to hear back within five (5) working days from the date their feedback is received. SBM ensures that the feedback process is accessible to people with disabilities by providing/arranging accessible formats and communication supports, upon request. 

Notice of Temporary Disruptions 

When reasonable, SBM will provide notice of any disruptions to the facilities or services that are usually used by individuals with disabilities. Further information on what actions can be taken during a service disruption will be available upon request. 

Accessibility Plan 

SBM will establish, implement, maintain, and document a multi-year accessibility plan to outline its strategy to prevent and remove barriers as well as meet its requirements under certain Accessibility Legislation. The accessibility plan will be reviewed and updated every two years or more frequently, as necessary, and will be posted on the company website. SBM will also provide a copy of the accessibility plan in an accessible format, upon request. 

Monitoring and Review 

Strik, Baldinelli, Moniz Ltd. will regularly review this policy to ensure ongoing compliance and effectiveness. Feedback from individuals with disabilities will be actively sought and considered in the review process. The policy will be updated, as needed, to reflect changes in legislation, technology, and best practices. 

Adherence 

Any employee who believes this policy is not being adhered to by any individual should contact their manager, Human Resources, or the Principal(s). If you fail to adhere to this policy, you may face disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.