Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Accessibility Plan
Black & Mcdonald Limited (“the Company”)

Black & McDonald Accessibility plan outlines strategies and actions that will identify, remove, and prevent barriers for people with disabilities and meet the Company’s obligations under the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.

This Accessibility Plan will be available in an accessible format upon request.  The Accessibility plan will be reviewed and updated, if applicable, at least once every five years.

The following accessibility standards are currently applicable:

• Customer Service
• Employment Standard
• Information and Communication

Customer Service Standard

Black & McDonald will provide services in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities;

Black & McDonald will provide integrated services to people with disabilities wherever possible and we will provide alternative measures to provide services to people with disabilities where integration is not possible.

Actions Taken:

• Develop, review and revise as necessary a plan to provide Accessibility Standards for Customer Service.
• Ensure all persons who deal with the public or other third parties and all those involved in developing policies in this regard are trained to communicate and provide the best customer service to all clients, including persons with disabilities.
• Ensure completion of accessibility training is tracked and recorded.
• Ensure that if a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, the support person is accommodated and that there will be no additional fees or charges as a result.
• Ensure that persons with disabilities who require the use of a service animal are permitted to access all areas of our premises open to the public or third party, with the service animal.
• Provide notice to clients or third parties in the event of a temporary service disruption as soon as possible.
• Welcome and appreciate feedback from persons with disabilities through multiple communication channels.
• An Accessibility tab has been added to our website
• File compliance report

The Company’s policy on Customer Service Standard is reviewed every four years.

Employment Standard

Workplace Emergency Response Information

Where the Company is aware that an employee has a disability and that there is a need for accommodation, individualized workplace emergency response information will be provided to the employee if such information is necessary given the nature of the disability.

Actions Taken:

• Individualized workplace emergency response information procedures have been developed for employees with disabilities, as required.
• Workplace emergency response information forms have been prepared for employees who have disclosed a disability and who are being accommodated according to their disabilities.
• Where required, the Company will provide assistance to specific disabled individuals, with the disabled individual’s prior consent, to help them evacuate the workplace in the case of an emergency or disaster.
• These individualized emergency plans have been communicated to the individuals’ respective managers and safety personnel on an as needed basis.
• On an ongoing and regular basis, the Company will review and assess general workplace emergency response procedures and individualized emergency plans to ensure accessibility issues are addressed.

The Company has an Emergency Response Information and Emergency Individualized plans. We will continue to review this information to ensure that it continues to be applicable as employees join and leave the Company and as we become aware of individuals with disabilities.

Accessibility in Employment

Black & McDonald is committed to fair and accessible employment practices that attract and retain employees with disabilities. This includes providing accessibility across all stages of the employment cycle.

Actions Taken & Planned:

• Notify our employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities in its recruitment processes.
• During our recruitment process, we will notify job applicants, when they are individually selected to participate in an assessment or selection process, that accommodations are available upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used.
• In circumstances where a selected applicant requests an accommodation, we will consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for the provision of a suitable accommodation, in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability.
• When making offers of employment, we will notify the successful applicant of our policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
• We will inform our employees of our policies used to support our employees with disabilities, including, but not limited to, policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to disability.
• In circumstances where an employee with a disability(s) requests accommodation, we will consult with the employee to provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for information that is needed in order to perform the employee’s job and information that is generally available to employees in the workplace.
• We will develop and have in place a written process for the development of documented individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities.
• In circumstances where employees are absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work, we will develop and have in place a return to work process for these employees and we will document the process.
• In circumstances where we use performance management plans for our employees, we will take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans.
• In circumstances where we provide career development and advancement to our employees, we will take into account the accessibility needs of our employees with disabilities as well as any individual accommodation plans.
• In circumstances where we redeploy employees, we will take into account the accessibility needs of our employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans.

Completed

The Company’s policy on Accommodation and Early & Safe Return to Work is reviewed at least once every four years.

Information and Communications Standard

Black & McDonald is committed to making our information and communications accessible to persons with disabilities. The Firm will make changes to the website and web content which take into consideration the four principles of accessibility: perceivable; operable; understandable and robust. We will ensure that the content is directly accessible to as many people as possible, and capable of being re-presented in different formats to match different peoples’ sensory, physical and cognitive abilities.

Feedback, Accessible Formats and Communication Supports

Action Taken & Planned:

• Provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports.
• Consult with the person making the request to determine the suitability of the accessible format or communication support.
• Provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communicating supports in a timely manner that takes into account the person’s accessibility needs due to disability,

The Customer Service Standard requirements have been completed.

Accessible Websites and Web Content

Black & McDonald shall make their web content conform with the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) 2.0 at Level AA.

• Ensure that the development of the next generation of websites and any digital platforms meet AODA Information and Communications Standards and that partnering vendors have necessary expertise with such technology.
• Use guiding principles in the development of any applications as outlined by the Ontario Government’s new online Design Program Standard, which specifies compliance with international accessibility guidelines, W3C WCAG 2.0.
• Expand Company awareness of requirements for compliance with Information and Communications Standards of AODA.

Required Legislative Time Frame:

January 1, 2014 for WCAG 2.0 Level A – January 1, 2021 – new internet websites and web content.

The Company will maintain compliance for new internet websites and web content.

Training

In addition to the training provided to Black & McDonald employees under Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, we will ensure that all employees and volunteers who provide services on the Company’s behalf, and individuals participating in the development and approval of the Company’s policies, are provided with appropriate training on the requirements of the IAS and on the Ontario Human Rights Code as it pertains to persons with disabilities, and are provided with such training as soon as possible.

Actions Taken and Planned:

• Determine and ensure that appropriate training on the requirements of IAS and on the Ontario Human Rights Code as it pertains to persons with disabilities, is provided to all employees, volunteers or third-party members who deliver services on behalf of the firm.
• The training materials will be presented to new employees during the orientation process.
• Keep and maintain a record of the training provided.
• Ensure that training is provided on any changes to the prescribed policies on an ongoing basis.

Customer Service Standard training has been completed and is ongoing. General Requirements under Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) have been completed and are ongoing.

Questions and Comments

For any questions or comments, please contact:

The Corporate Communications Department at [email protected] or (647) 749-0691.