Multi-Year Access Plan

This 2014 to 2019 accessibility plan outlines the policies and actions that George Stockfish Ford Sales will put in place to improve opportunities for people with disabilities in accordance with the requirements communicated under the Integrated Accessibility Standards, Ontario Regulation 191/11. The Multi-year Accessibility Plan will be reviewed and updated at least once every five years.

George Stockfish Ford Sales believes in equal opportunity and is committed to providing a barrier-free environment that allows all people to maintain their independence and dignity. As an organization, we respect and uphold the requirements set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005) and its associated Regulations and strive to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in a timely and effective manner.

George Stockfish Ford Sales has an important responsibility for ensuring a safe, dignified, and welcoming environment for everyone. We are committed to ensuring our organization’s compliance with accessibility legislation by incorporating policies, procedures, equipment requirements, training for employees, and best practices. We will review these policies and practices on a regular basis and not less than every five years. Our commitment to making our organization accessible to everyone includes the integration of accessibility legislation with our policies, procedures, programs, and training. We are committed to reviewing and incorporating the following information through a training program for our employees:

George Stockfish Ford Sales has developed policies to comply with AODA Regulation pertaining to Accessibility Standards for Customer Service. This regulation sets out guidelines for preventing and removing barriers to accessibility to improve the customer services of all businesses in Ontario. We have put the customer service policies into practice as required by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Our Customer Service Accessibility Policy is available in an accessible format upon request.

George Stockfish Ford Sales has achieved the following requirements of the Customer Service Standard of the AODA:

George Stockfish Ford Sales has created and put in place a customer service plan that:

• Considers a person’s disability when communicating with them

• Allows assistive devices in the workplace, like wheelchairs, walkers and oxygen tanks

• Allows service animals

• Welcomes support persons

• Lets customers know when accessible services aren’t available

• Invites customers to provide feedback
  
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• George Stockfish Ford Sales has trained staff on accessible customer service, and has created an ongoing process to train new staff with regard to the customer service standard.

George Stockfish Ford Sales has put the customer service plan in writing, and made the plan available to the public and George Stockfish Ford Sales employees.

• The plan is available in accessible formats, if requested

George Stockfish Ford Sales has reported the organization's progress online by filing an accessibility report with the Minister of Community and Social Services. We will continue to comply with the customer service standard by filing reports as required.

George Stockfish Ford Sales is committed to providing employees with disabilities with individualized emergency response information when necessary.

George Stockfish Ford Sales has created a process for documenting individualized workplace emergency response information for employees with a disability, to comply with the AODA Employment Standard: Workplace Emergency Response Information by January 1, 2012.

George Stockfish Ford Sales has advised all employees that they will work with each employee who has accessibility issues to create individualized workplace emergency response plans. This information has also been incorporated into the employee orientation process.

George Stockfish Ford Sales is committed to maintaining a safe workplace for all employees and will continue to document workplace emergency plans, and revise and review existing emergency plans, for employees requiring assistance with accessibility in the event of an emergency.

George Stockfish Ford Sales will review the emergency response information when:

• the employee changes work locations;

• we review the employee’s overall accommodation needs;

• we review our organization’s emergency response policies.

George Stockfish Ford Sales provides training to employees, volunteers and other staff members on Ontario’s accessibility laws and on the Ontario Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities. Training will be provided in a way that best suits the duties of employees, volunteers and other staff members. George Stockfish Ford Sales takes the following steps to ensure employees are provided with the training needed to meet Ontario’s accessible laws by January 1, 2015:

George Stockfish Ford Sales provides training to:

• all employees and volunteers, including paid and unpaid positions;

• anyone who is involved in developing our organization’s policies, including managers, senior leaders, directors and owners, and;

• anyone who provides goods, services or facilities on our behalf;

• All new employees will be trained as part of orientation process.

To comply with the AODA Customer Service Standard, George Stockfish Ford Sales has put into place an accessible feedback process to receive and respond to feedback from customers and members of the public who have a disability.

George Stockfish Ford Sales has made the feedback process available to the public, and is available in accessible formats on request.

George Stockfish Ford Sales has taken the following steps to ensure existing feedback processes are accessible to employees with disabilities upon request by January 1, 2015:

Make the feedback process accessible in multiple formats, such as telephone, email, mail, and in-person and advise each customer of the availability of these various formats.

George Stockfish Ford Sales is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. If we launch a new website or our existing site undergoes significant change, George Stockfish Ford Sales will take the following steps to make all new websites and content on those sites conform to WCAG 2.0, Level A:

• Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language.

• Provide alternatives for time-based media.

• Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.

• Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.
  

• Make all functionality available from a keyboard.

• Provide users enough time to read and use content.

• Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures.

• Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are.
  

• Make text content readable and understandable.

• Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.

• Help users avoid and correct mistakes.
  
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• Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies.

George Stockfish Ford Sales will make all websites and content conform with WCAG 2.0, Level AA (other than criteria 1.2.4 (captions) and 1.2.5 (pre-recorded audio descriptions)) by January 1, 2021.

George Stockfish Ford Sales will take the following steps to ensure all publicly available information is made accessible upon request by January 1, 2016:

Let the public know that we will make information accessible upon request.

Consult with people who request accessible information to figure out how to meet their needs, as soon as possible.

George Stockfish Ford Sales will ensure that all workplace information is accessible to employees with disabilities by working together with the employee to determine how best to meet his/her communication needs. Information will be provided in an accessible format or with communication supports suited to the individual needs of the employee.

All workplace information will be made accessible upon request by January 1, 2016:

Let employees know that we will make information accessible upon request.

Consult with the employee who requests accessible information to figure out how to meet his/her needs, as soon as possible.

George Stockfish Ford Sales is committed to fair and accessible employment practices. We will take the following steps to notify the public and staff that, when requested, George Stockfish Ford Sales will accommodate people with disabilities during the recruitment and assessment processes and when people are hired. The following processes will be in place by January 1, 2016.

• Let job applicants know that we will accommodate disabilities during the selection process.

• If a job applicant requests accommodation, consult with him/her and make adjustments that best suit the individual’s needs.

• Notify successful applicants of our policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.

George Stockfish Ford Sales will take the following steps to ensure employees know about our organization’s policies for supporting employees with disabilities. By January 1, 2016, we will:

• Ensure our staff knows about our organization’s policies for supporting employees with disabilities.

• Inform our employees about these policies when we hire new employees or when policies change.

George Stockfish Ford Sales will take 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. By January 1, 2016, we will:

Develop individual accommodation plans and return-to-work policies for employees that have been absent due to a disability.

Outline 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.

We will take the following steps to ensure the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities are taken into account at George Stockfish Ford Sales when using performance management, career development and redeployment processes. By January 1, 2016, we will make performance management accessible by:

• Reviewing our employees’ accommodation plans to understand their needs and see whether we need to make adjustments to help them succeed

• Making performance management documents, such as performance plans, available in accessible formats, such as large print, when asked, and

• Providing feedback and coaching to employees in a way that is accessible to them, such as using plain language for an employee who has a learning disability.

When we provide career development opportunities, we will consider what accommodations our employees with disabilities may need to:

• learn new skills, or;

• take on more responsibilities in their current position;

• consider what we could do to help our employees with disabilities succeed in other positions in our organization when they change jobs.

George Stockfish Ford Sales will take steps to prevent and remove any other accessibility barriers as identified by the public, employees, and clients of George Stockfish Ford Sales as required and requested.

For more information, questions, or concerns regarding accessibility at George Stockfish Ford Sales or to request communication in an accessible format, please contact the George Stockfish Ford Sales Human Resources Manager.

Phone: 705-476-1506

Email: stockfishhr@netcars.ca