Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Policy
Statement of Commitment
Bustard Brothers Ltd. is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to treating people with disabilities in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration, and we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner. We will do so by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and by meeting our accessibility requirements under Ontario’s accessibility laws. This Policy is intended to meet the requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005; Ontario Regulation 429/07; and Ontario Regulation 191/11.
Purpose
To outline procedures and practices in place to help identify and remove barriers that would impede anyone with a disability from accessing Bustard Chrysler Ltd.'s products and services.
Scope
This policy applies to all goods and services provided by Bustard Brothers Ltd.
Accessible Formats
Bustard Brothers Ltd. will ensure our Policy is accessible to people with disabilities by providing or arranging for Accessible Formats and Communication Supports, on request. Bustard Brothers Ltd. will consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an Accessible Format or Communication Support.
Definitions
Assistive Devices: A device used by a person with a disability used to carry out activities or in accessing goods and services. Examples include wheelchairs, canes, crutches, hearing aids, and real-time captioning services (on-screen typing of what speakers are saying).
Barrier: Anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of his or her disability, including physical, architectural, informational, communicational, attitudinal or technological barriers and policies or practices.
Disability: As defined under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, means 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; (“handicap”).
Service Animal: any animal used by a person with a disability for reasons relating to the disability where:
(a) it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability;
(b) where the person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that he or she requires the animal for reasons relating to his or her disability; or
(c) a valid identification card signed by the Attorney General of Canada or a certificate of training from a recognized guide dog or service animal training school.
Support Person: in relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies him or her in order to help with communications, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods or services.
Policy
Bustard Brothers Ltd. is committed to preventing, identifying and removing any barriers that could impede the ability of people with disabilities to access care and services. This includes but is not limited to, access to facilities, communication of information, customer service, and employment.
Bustard Brothers Ltd. will use every reasonable effort to ensure that its policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the following principles:
- That goods or services must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
- That 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 the goods or services.
- That persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that is given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods or services.
- When communicating with a person with a disability, all employees shall do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.
- Every effort will be made by employees to accommodate and assist a person with a disability in the use of any form of assistive device or service, including the use of service animals and support persons, so that the person will be able to obtain, use or benefit from the Company’s goods or services.
- Every effort will be made by Bustard Brothers Ltd. to ensure that employees with disabilities are accommodated, up to the point of undue hardship, to ensure their safety and that they have equal opportunities as other employees.
Communication
Bustard Brothers Ltd. and its employees will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into consideration their disability. Employees will be training on how to communicate inclusively with people with various types of disabilities. Communication will be provided in accessible formats upon request as able.
Use of Service Animals
Service animals are permitted access to all areas of Bustard Brothers Ltd.’s facilities open to the public, unless specifically prohibited by law. If a service animal is excluded by law from the premises, every effort will be made to provide the person with a disability with the ability to obtain, use or benefit from access to goods or services through another means.
Use of Support Persons
If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, both persons are permitted to enter Bustard Brothers Ltd.’s public areas together and shall not be prevented from having access to each other while on the premises. If deemed necessary by Bustard Brothers Ltd. for the protection of the health and safety of the person with a disability or the health and safety of others on the premises, a support person may be required for the person with a disability while on the premises.
Notice of Temporary Disruptions
From time to time, the facilities used by persons with a disability to access the Company’s goods or services, may not be available for utilization. Examples may include, but are not limited to: a closed entrance with a wheelchair ramp, an elevator, and accessible washrooms. When this occurs, either on a planned or unplanned basis, notice shall be posted at a conspicuous place on the premises. Such notice shall include the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative facilities or services, if any, that are available.
Emergency Situations
All Bustard Brothers Ltd. employees will be trained on emergency procedures and how to assist customers, co-workers and other visitors that may require assistance during an emergency. Emergency plans for people with disabilities will be developed as outlined in the Company's emergency response policies and procedures.
Feedback Process
In order to ensure that Bustard Brothers Ltd. is receiving and responding to feedback from the public about the manner in which it provides goods and services to persons with disabilities, the public is encouraged to contact the Company as follows:
- In Person
- By Telephone at (519) 884-5888
- By E-mail at humanresources@bustard.com
- By Mail to 575 Davenport Rd., Waterloo, ON N2L3Y1
All feedback will be reviewed and a reply will be sent to the person(s) providing the feedback.
Training
Bustard Brothers Ltd. shall ensure that every employee or independent contractor who provides goods or services to the public on behalf of the Company, and every person who participates in developing the Company’s policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods and services to the public, shall receive training about the provision of its goods or services to persons with disabilities.
The training provided shall include:
- 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 guide dog or other service animal or the assistance of a support person.
- How to use equipment or devices available on the Company’s premises or otherwise provided by the Company 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 the Company’s goods or services.
Detailed training records will be kept.
Website
Bustard Brothers Ltd. will ensure that our Internet websites, including web content, conform to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 at Level AA by January 1, 2021 (excluding Success Criteria 1.2.4 Captions [Live] and Success Criteria 1.2.5 Audio Descriptions [Pre-Recorded]).
Documentation
A copy of this Policy will be given to any person upon request, in a format that takes into consideration the person’s disability, if any. A notice to this effect will be placed in a conspicuous place in the premises and on the Company’s website.
Compliance Reports
Bustard Brothers Ltd. will complete and submit all AODA Compliance Reports on or before the deadlines.
Legislations/Standards/Regulations
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
- Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation 191/11
Notice of Service Disruption
There are presently no service disruptions at Bustard Chrysler.