Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

Download PDF Version Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

1. PURPOSE
Cecchetto & Sons’ Multi-Year Accessibility Plan (“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 Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (“IASR”) pursuant to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”).
This Multi-Year Accessibility Plan will be posted on Cecchetto & Sons’ website, eCompliance and will be available in an accessible format upon request. The Accessibility Plan will be reviewed and updated, if applicable, at least once every five (5) years.

2. STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT
Cecchetto & Sons (Cecchetto) is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. Cecchetto is committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner by providing a barrier-free environment for all stakeholders including our clients/customers, employees, job applicants, suppliers, visitors, and any other individual who enters our premises, job sites, or accesses our information. Where the complete removal of barriers is unattainable, Cecchetto will attempt to accommodate persons with a disability in an appropriate and effective manner.

3. SCOPE
This Accessibility Plan applies to all staff, including but not limited to employees, students, contractors, and all other third parties involved in the operations of the company.
The Accessibility Plan outlines Cecchetto’s strategies to achieve accessibility generally and meet IASR requirements in the following areas:
a) Information and Communication

Accessible Emergency Information
Websites and Web Content
Feedback from Customers and Employees
Accessible Formats and Communication Supports

b) Employment

Recruitment and Selection
Workplace Emergency Response Information
Return to Work and Accommodation Plans

4. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
The company is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. We will consult with people with disabilities to determine their information and communication needs.

5. ACCESSIBILITY EMERGENCY INFORMATION
The company will provide our customers, clients, and employees with publicly available emergency information in an accessible way, upon request. The company will take the following steps to ensure its customers, clients, and employees are provided with accessible emergency information as per the AODA requirements:

Provide publicly available emergency procedures/plans or public safety information in an accessible format.
Provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees with disabilities when necessary.

6. WEBSITES AND WEB CONTENT
The company will maintain compliance with the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA. We will utilize online accessibility validator tools to identify any accessibility problems with new or existing content and will have a third-party web developer correct the problems in a timely manner.

7. FEEDBACK PROCESS
The company will continue to take the following steps to ensure feedback processes are accessible to people with disabilities: Encourage feedback about our accessibility, including customer service, website, and employment practices.
Those wishing to ask questions or provide feedback to Cecchetto & Sons regarding this policy or other AODA initiatives may contact the Human Resources Manager, Natalie Parent, by email at nparent@corpservices.ca or by calling 705-688-4436 or visiting our head office at 1 Ceasar Road, Sudbury, ON P3E 5P3.
In situations where you prefer to stay anonymous, feedback can also be sent through our EthicsPoint hotline. The information you provide will be sent to us by EthicsPoint on a totally confidential and anonymous basis if you should choose.
Online https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/media/en/gui/74101/index.html
Telephone: 1-844-994-2318
A response will be provided in no less than seven (7) business days.

8. ACCESSIBLE FORMATS AND COMMUNICATION SUPPORTS
The company will take the following steps to ensure its policies and information are accessible to people with disabilities upon request:

Post on our website that we can provide information in accessible formats upon request.
Ensure that the information is provided in a timely manner, at no extra cost, and that the person making the request is consulted in order to determine the appropriate format or support.
Train all staff in the availability of communications in accessible formats and to whom requests should be forwarded.
Ensure that specific people (Human Resources, Health & Safety, Marketing) are aware of the importance of responding to information requests.

9. EMPLOYMENT
The company is committed to fair and accessible employment practices.

10. RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
The company will take the following steps to ensure it meets the employment standards:

Notify employees and the public of the availability of accommodation(s) for applicants in the recruitment process.
Notify applicants who have been invited to participate in an interview or other stage in the selection process that accommodation(s) are available.
Notify all new hires of policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
Post on our website that accommodation(s) can be made available to those that request them.
Informing existing employees of all policies used to support employees with disabilities on an annual basis and when a change in policy occurs.
Train hiring managers to ensure that accommodations are offered and made available throughout the interview process.

11. WORKPLACE EMERGENCY RESPONSE INFORMATION
The company will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees with disabilities where the disability is such that individualized information is necessary, and the company is aware of the need for accommodation.
Where an employee requires an individualized workplace emergency response, the company will designate a person to provide assistance and, with the employee’s consent, the company will provide the workplace emergency response information to such person.
The company will review individualized workplace emergency response information at a minimum whenever:

The employee moves to a different location within the company;
The employee’s overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed;
The company reviews its general emergency response policies.

12. ACCOMMODATION PLANS AND RETURN TO WORK
The company will maintain the process for developing individualized accommodation plans and return to work plans for employees that have been absent due to a disability in accordance with its Return to Work and Accommodation Policy. In this regard, the company will:

Work to identify those employees that require an individualized accommodation plan and involve them in the development of said plan which outlines the accommodations we will provide.
Provide plans in accessible formats.
Keep all individualized accommodation plan information private.
The company’s Return to Work and Accommodation Policy will document the steps that will be taken to develop an individual accommodation plan and facilitate the return to work of employees who are away from work due to disability.

13. ACCESSIBILITY REPORT
The company will file the next accessibility report as per the stipulated timeline.

14. DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this Policy:
Barrier: As defined in the AODA, anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of their disability. This includes a physical barrier, an architectural barrier, an information or communications barrier, an attitudinal barrier, a technological barrier, a policy, or a practice.
Disability: As defined in AODA and the Human Rights Code, includes the following:
a) Any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation, or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect, or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device.
b) A condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability.
c) A learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language.
d) A mental disorder. or
e) An injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance
plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997

15. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Accessibility Policy
Customer Service Policy
Return to Work and Accommodation Policy

16. REFERENCES

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
Ontario Human Rights Code, 1990
World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

REV. NO.	APPROVAL DATE	AUTHOR	APPROVER	COMMENTS
01	2022-11-15	C. Heystee	M. Gran, M. Croskery	Initial Document
02	2023-06-21	N. Parent	M. Gran, M. Croskery	Review & update content and template format.