Accessibility Plan

Translations: EN

Multi‐Year Accessibility Plan and Policies

Unifor Legal Services Plan is committed to compliance with the provisions of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”) and the requirements of the Customer Service Standard Regulation and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (the “Regulations”)

This policy does not apply outside of Ontario.

Statement of Commitment

The Plan is committed to maintaining an accessible environment for persons with disabilities in the delivery of its services and treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and complying with the AODA and its Regulations.

Accessible Client Service

The Plan will use reasonable efforts to ensure that its services to persons with disabilities are consistent with the following principles:

  • Services are provided in a way that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities;
  • Persons with disabilities are able to benefit from the same services, in the same place and in a similar way as other persons;
  • Persons with disabilities have opportunities equal to those given to others to obtain, use and benefit from our services.

In order to achieve excellence in serving all clients, including those with disabilities, the Plan will:

  • Communicate with persons with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability
  • Serve persons with disabilities who use assistive devices and ensure that employees are trained on how to use such devices if used on Plan premises
  • Ensure that persons with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal are permitted to enter the premises with the animal unless the animal is excluded by law from the premises. If the animal is excluded by law, the Plan will provide arrangements to the person with a disability to access Plan services.
  • Ensure that persons with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person are permitted to enter Plan premises with their support person and have access to their support person unless it is determined that a conflict of interest will arise.

Notice of Temporary Disruption

The Plan will notify clients in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities usually used by persons with disabilities. This notice will include any known information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, if known and any available alternative, if available. Notice will be communicated by such means as is reasonable in the circumstances.

Accessible Emergency Information

The Plan will provide clients with publicly available emergency information in an accessible format upon request. We will develop and maintain individualized emergency response information for employees with disabilities if this information is necessary and the Plan has been made aware of the need for such an accommodation due to the employee’s disability.

Individualized Emergency Workplace Information

If an employee who receives individualized workplace emergency response information requires assistance and provides consent, the Plan will provide such information to a person designated by the Plan to provide the assistance. The information will be provided as soon as practicable after the Plan is made aware of the need for accommodation.

The Plan shall review the individualized workplace emergency response information when the employee moves to a different location within the Plan, when the employee’s overall accommodation plan is reviewed and when the Plan reviews its general emergency response policies.

Training for Staff

The Plan is committed to training staff in Ontario’s accessibility laws and aspects of the Ontario Human Rights Code that pertain to persons with disabilities. Training will be provided as soon as practicable after an employee is hired and commences their duties, and will be provided to existing employees with respect to any changes to our accessibility polices. A record of individuals who have received training will be maintained.

Accessible Website and Web Content

The Plan is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. The Plan will ensure that, where practicable, our website conforms to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level A, and Level AA requirements in accordance with Ontario’s accessibility laws.

Accessible Formats and Communication Supports

Plan staff will communicate with people with disabilities by means that take into account their disability. When requested, we will provide information about the Plan in accessible formats or with communication supports. We will consult with persons making the request to determine the suitability of the accessible format or communications support.

Feedback

The Plan will ensure that existing and new processes for receiving and responding to feedback are accessible to persons with disabilities by providing or arranging to provide accessible formats and communications supports upon request. Contact information for feedback purposes is found at the end of the Policy.

Employment

The Plan is committed to fair and accessible employment practices. The following processes and policies have been adopted to ensure that employment at the Plan is more accessible to persons with disabilities:

Recruitment and Assessment The Plan will notify employees and the public of the availability of accommodation for job applicants who have disabilities. Accommodations will be available, upon request by the applicant, for the interview process and any other selection method. The Plan will notify successful applicants of its policies and supports for accommodating persons with disabilities.

Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees If requested by an employee with a disability, the Plan will, in consultation with the employee, provide accessible formats and communication support, for information needed in order to perform their duties, and information that is generally available to all employees in the workplace.

Documented Individual Accommodation Plans The Plan will document individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. The process to develop these plans will include:

  • employee participation
  • individual assessment of the employee
  • availability of an employee representative
  • availability of employer‐requested evaluation from a third party medical expert or other experts to determine if/how accommodation can be achieved
  • privacy of the employee’s personal information except as required to develop a plan
  • timetable and process for review or update of the plan
  • provision of the plan in an accessible format based on the employee’s needs

Performance Management The Plan will take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities and any accommodation plans, when conducting performance reviews.

Return to Work The Plan has developed return to work policies for employees who are absent from work due to a disability and require accommodations in order to return to work. The Plan will document the steps the Plan will take and will use individual accommodation plans.

Design of Public Spaces

The Plan will meet the Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces, as applicable.

Policy Access

The Plan will notify persons to whom it provides services of its policies, by posting the information at a conspicuous place on the Plan’s premises, on the Plan’s website or by such method as is reasonable in the circumstances. The Plan will provide a copy of this document to persons with a disability when required to do so under this policy. The information in this document will be provided in a format that takes the person’s disability into account. Any Plan policy that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities will be modified or removed.

Contact

This Policy and information about related practices and procedures will be made available to any member of the public upon request. The Plan welcomes any feedback and/or questions regarding this policy. Any complaints will be reviewed and assessed in accordance with the Plan’s regular complaints procedure and, where possible, the issues will be addressed. If a complaint cannot be addressed, the complainant will be so advised.

Individuals may contact the Plan in person, by phone, in writing, or by email as follows:

Jennifer Kalant, LL.B.
Assistant to the Executive Director
Suite 600 ‐ 1 St. Clair Ave. West
Toronto ON M4V 3C3
Phone: 1‐800‐268‐7573 or 416‐960‐2410
Email: jkalant@uniforlsp.com\

January 2024