Accessibility Policy

Background

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is aimed at improving accessibility for individuals with disabilities. The goal of this act is to create an inclusive and accessible society through the identification, removal, and prevention of barriers for people with disabilities. To achieve this objective, businesses and organizations are required to comply with applicable accessibility standards and make efforts to remove barriers that may hinder the full participation of individuals with disabilities.

Statement of Commitment

Mister Safety Shoes is committed to promoting accessibility by meeting the objectives and requirements outlined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “AODA”). We aim to provide and maintain a working environment that is based on respect for the dignity and independence of all our team members, clients, customers, and other partners to the organization.

Accessibility Policy

The AODA — Accessible Customer Service Standards Policy covers the accessibility standard for customer service. As a company, Mister Safety Shoes is committed to excellence in serving all customers including people with disabilities.

We also support the goal of the Ontario government to make Ontario barrier-free by 2025 through the implementation of accessibility standards for persons with disabilities, as detailed in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

The accessibility standard is a set of guidelines that Mister Safety Shoes must follow to identify, remove, and prevent barriers for customers with disabilities. Please see below for a summary of principles that guide and inform the act.

Guiding Principles

• Dignity and Independence: Our goods or services must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
• Integration: The provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities and others must be integrated unless an alternate measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from our goods or services.
• Equal Opportunity: Persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from our goods or services.

Procedure & Guidelines

To support this Policy’s guiding principles and requirements, Mister Safety Shoes has developed procedures and guidelines in the following areas:

• Provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities
• Communication with persons with disabilities
• Assistive devices
• Support persons and service animals
• Disruptions in services
• Training
• Customer Feedback
• Modifications to this Policy or other policies

Provisions of Goods & Services

Mister Safety Shoes will make every reasonable effort to accommodate persons with disabilities following this Policy’s guiding principles.

Communication

• Mister Safety Shoes will consider a person’s disability when communicating with them, with the end goal being to communicate in an effective way. Where possible and helpful, staff will ask persons with disabilities directly how best to communicate with them.
• The following are examples of optional measures that may be implemented by Mister Safety Shoes as alternate formats of communication:
  • Large print for those who have limited vision
  • Videos that may be helpful to those with certain learning disabilities
  • Easy-to-read, simplified summaries of materials for those with developmental or intellectual disabilities
  • Alternate services or channels of communication, such as offering phone service rather than in-person service, or providing email rather than postal notices

Assistive Devices

Mister Safety Shoes will ensure that we’re prepared to serve customers with various assistive devices that may be used by persons with disabilities while accessing our goods and/or services, provided the accommodation does not present a safety hazard, in which case staff will make every reasonable attempt to accommodate all individuals.

• Mister Safety Shoes allows and welcomes all forms of assistive devices on our premises. This may include, for example, the use of walkers or oxygen tanks.

Service Animals

Mister Safety Shoes allows and welcomes customers with disabilities and their service animals, provided the accommodation does not present a safety hazard or is otherwise excluded by law, in which case staff will make every reasonable attempt to accommodate all individuals.

Service animals and support persons are permitted to enter our premises that are open and accessible to third parties or the public, and in all situations where a disabled customer requires the service animal and support person to access Mister Safety Shoes goods and services.

If it’s not readily apparent that the animal is a service animal, Mister Safety Shoes may ask the customer with disabilities for a letter from a professional health practitioner confirming that they require the animal for reasons relating to the disability.

It’s the customer’s responsibility to ensure that their service animal is in control at all times.

Support Persons

• Mister Safety Shoes allows and welcomes people with disabilities and their support persons.
• Support persons are permitted to enter our premises that are open and accessible to third parties or the public, and in all situations where a disabled customer requires the support person to access Mister Safety Shoes goods and services.
• Mister Safety Shoes may require a customer with a disability to be accompanied by a support person where it’s necessary to protect the health and safety of everyone on the premises.
• Before making a decision to require a support person, Staff will:
• Consult with the person with a disability to understand their needs.
• Consider health or safety reasons based on the available evidence.
• Determine if there’s any other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person or others on the premises.

Disruption of Services

• Persons with disabilities often go to a lot of trouble to visit our premises or access our goods or services, such as booking accessible transit or other arrangements that require additional effort and planning.

As such, if Mister Safety Shoes encounters any disruption to our facilities and services that are in place for persons with disabilities or if our premises can’t be opened to the public for some reason, Mister Safety Shoes will ensure the following:

• We provide notice of the disruption to the public.
• The notice of disruption will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative facilities or services, if any, that are available.
• As soon as we’re aware of an interruption, a notice will be posted in a conspicuous place on our premises and online.

Training

• Mister Safety Shoes will ensure that everyone receives training about the provision of our goods or services to persons with disabilities, including the following staff:
• Every person who deals with members of the public or other third parties on behalf of Mister Safety Shoes, whether the person does so as an employee, agent, volunteer, or otherwise
• Every person who participates in developing Mister Safety Shoes policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to members of the public or other third parties.
• The training will include a review of the purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and the requirements of this regulation and instruction about the following matters:
• How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disability
• How to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device, or require the assistance of a service animal or the assistance of a support person
• How to use equipment or devices that may be available on our premises, and that may help with the provision of goods or services to a person with a disability
• What to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty accessing our goods or services
• The training will be provided to each person as soon as practicable after they’re assigned the relevant duties.
• Training will also be provided on an on-going basis in connection with changes to the policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities.
• Mister Safety Shoes will prepare a document describing its training guidelines; the document must include a summary of the contents of the training and details of when the training is to be.
• Mister Safety Shoes will keep records of the training provided under this section, including the dates on which the training is provided and the number of individuals to whom it’s provided.

Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

Under the AODA, the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) mandates that Mister Safety Shoes create, implement, uphold, and document a multi-year accessibility plan. The purpose of this plan is to outline our approach to preventing and eliminating barriers for individuals with disabilities in accordance with the IASR requirements. The following accessibility standards are relevant to our operations –

1. General Requirements
2. Customer Service Standards
3. Employment Standards
4. Information and Communication Standards
5. Design of Public Spaces

In accordance with the requirements of the AODA and IASR, Mister Safety Shoes will review and update the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan every 5 years, with the most recent update being completed in 2023.

Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation

1. General Requirements

Commitment

Mister Safety Shoes is committed to promoting accessibility by meeting the objectives and requirements outlined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “AODA”).

Actions Taken

Establishment of Accessibility Policy

In accordance with the IASR, the Accessibility Policy was developed to address how Mister Safety Shoes will achieve accessibility and meet with the requirements of the IASR. The Multi-Year Accessibility Plan was developed in accordance with the regulation, and it outlines our strategy to address the current and future accessibility goals.

Training

Training in the requirements of Ontario’s accessibility laws and the Ontario Human Rights Code as it applies to people with disabilities is provided to all employees during the new hire orientation process and on an ongoing basis when changes are made to relevant policies and procedures.

2. Customer Service Standards

Commitment

Mister Safety Shoes is committed to providing access to our facilities and delivering excellent service at all times in a way that respects the dignity and independence of all of our clients and visitors.

Actions Taken

Establishment of Accessibility Policy

Development of the Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities policy: AODA – Accessible Customer Service Standards, which is available on the company intranet and external website. Our policy outlines the following components within the framework of accessibility:

• Communication
• Assistive Devices
• Service Animals
• Support Persons
• Disruption of Services
• Training

3. Information and Communication Standards

Commitment

Mister Safety Shoes is committed to ensuring that company and product information, as well as feedback processes, are accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Actions Taken

Feedback

Processes for receiving and responding to feedback are made accessible to individuals with disabilities. Currently, feedback can be submitted by sending an email to our dedicated teams, calling to speak to our dedicated teams, or by speaking directly to someone in our stores.

Accessible Formats and Communication Supports

When a request for accessible formats or communication supports is made, these materials will be prepared and delivered in a timely manner, with consideration of individualized accessibility needs, and at no extra cost above what is charged to other persons.

Planned Action

Accessible Websites and Web Content

Any new Mister Safety Shoes website will conform with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (“WCAG”) 2.0, Level A increasing to Level AA. Additionally, ability to comply with AODA will be incorporated into the selection criteria for vendors for technology, website, and software development initiatives.

Emergency Procedure, Plans, or Public Safety Information

Any information pertaining to public safety that is prepared by Mister Safety Shoes and made available to the public will be made accessible with communication supports available, upon request.

4. Employment Standards

Commitment

Mister Safety Shoes is dedicated to providing an equitable and inclusive workplace for all team members by ensuring accessibility throughout the employment cycle.

Actions Taken

Recruitment, Assessment or Selection Process

During the recruitment, assessment, or selection process, we emphasize that accommodation options are readily available for applicants with disabilities. In our communications with candidates, we proactively share information about the availability of accommodations during the entirety of the hiring process, assuring that candidate requests are accommodated, when possible.

Notice to Successful Applicants and Informing Employees of Supports

When extending an offer of employment, we inform applicants about our approach to accessibility and the process to request accommodation due to a disability. On a recurring basis, we also review and inform our existing and new team members of policies supporting employees with disabilities by sharing them on a multitude of platforms.

Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees

If requested, we provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for information that is readily available to all or deemed necessary for an employee to perform their job duties.

Workplace Emergency Response Information

If made aware of the need to devise accommodations in this regard, workplace emergency response information is provided to the employee as soon as possible, with consideration to individualized needs.

Documented Individual Accommodation Plans

Mister Safety Shoes is committed to accommodating people with disabilities and has a documented Individual Accommodation Plan process in place that details the following steps in identifying and meeting employee accommodation needs:

1. Recognize the need for accommodation
2. Gather relevant information and assess individual needs
3. Write an individual accommodation plan
4. Implement, monitor, and update the plan

Return to Work Process

Mister Safety Shoes is committed to supporting employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and has a documented Return to Work process in place that details the following steps to help employees who require accommodation to return to work:

1. Initiate the leave and stay in contact with the employee
2. Gather relevant information and assess individual needs
3. Develop a return to work plan
4. Implement, monitor, and update the plan

Performance Management, Career Development and Redeployment

Mister Safety Shoes will consider the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans when we:

• Hold formal or informal performance reviews
• Promote or move individuals to a new job

Examples of these considerations may include:

• Making documents available in accessible formats
• Providing feedback and coaching in a way that is accessible for all employees
• Providing necessary accommodations to successfully learn new skills or take on more responsibilities

5. Design of Public Spaces

Commitment

Mister Safety Shoes is committed to creating spaces that enhance accessibility through thoughtful design and construction.

Planned Action

When building or making major modifications to public spaces, Mister Safety Shoes will meet the Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces.

Accessible Formats and Communication Supports

Mister Safety Shoe’s is committed to making written information and other forms of communication accessible, upon request. When a request for an accessible format is received, Mister Safety Shoes will:

• Work with the individual making the request to determine how to meet their needs.
• Provide the requested information in a timely manner.

For a copy of the accessibility policy or multi-year accessibility plan in an accessible format, please contact us by, please contact us using the feedback process below.

Feedback Process

The ultimate goal of Mister Safety Shoes is to meet and surpass customer expectations while servicing customers with disabilities. Comments on our services regarding how well those expectations are being met are welcome and appreciated. Feedback regarding the way Mister Safety Shoes provides goods and services to person with disabilities can be made by email, verbally, or in writing. All feedback should be directed to:

Mister Safety Shoes
info@mistersafetyshoes.com
1-800-707-0051
2300 Finch Ave. W. Unit 6
Toronto, Ontario M9M 2Y3

We are committed to developing customer service policies that respect and promote the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. Therefore, no changes will be made to this policy before considering the impact on persons with disabilities. Any policy of Mister Safety Shoes that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities will be modified or removed.

Questions About this Policy

The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework through which Mister Safety Shoes can achieve service excellence for people with disabilities. If anyone has questions about this policy, please contact: Mister Safety Shoes at info@mistersafetyshoes.com