AODA Policy

Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga Dufferin Accessibility Policy

Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga Dufferin (HFH-HMD) strives at all times to provide its services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are also committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our services, in the same place and in a similar way as other donors, volunteers, employees, and partners.

Providing Services to People with Disabilities

HFH-HMD is committed to excellence in serving all donors, volunteers, employees, and partners including people with disabilities and we will carry out our functions and responsibilities in the following areas:

Communication

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability. We will train staff on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.

Telephone services

We are committed to providing fully accessible telephone service to our donors, volunteers, employees, and partners. We will train staff to communicate over the telephone in clear and plain language and to speak clearly and slowly. We will offer to communicate by other means including letter mail, email, or facsimile if telephone communication is not suitable to their communications needs or is not available.

Assistive devices

We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our services. We will ensure that our employees are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by people with disabilities while accessing our support or services. We will ensure that employees know how to use the assistive devices available at our offices for those with disabilities.

Documentation

We are committed to providing all written communication including invoices, charitable tax receipts, letters, etc. in a format that is accessible to all of our donors, volunteers, employees, and partners. This may include large print, email, etc. We will answer any questions about the content of any written document in person, by telephone, or by email.

Use of Service Animals and Support Persons

We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the areas of our offices that are open to the public and other third parties. We will 2 ensure that all staff, volunteers, and others dealing with the public are properly trained in how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.

We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person. Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to enter Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga’s offices with his or her support person. At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to his or her support person while on our premises.

Notice of Temporary Disruption

Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga Dufferin will provide donors, volunteers, employees and partners with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services usually used by people with disabilities. This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available. The notice will be placed at all public entrances and reception counters on our premises.

Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga Dufferin Training

Training of Staff Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga Dufferin will provide training to all employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public and other third parties on their behalf, and all those who are involved in the development and approvals of policies, practices and procedures.

Training will include the following:

• The purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) and the requirements for the customer service standard.

• How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.

• How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person.

• How to use any assistive devices maintained by Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga Dufferinto assist people with disabilities.

• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga’s services.

• Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga’s policies, practices and procedures relating to these customer service standards.

Applicable staff will be trained on policies, practices and procedures that affect the way services are provided to people with disabilities. Staff will also be trained on an ongoing basis when changes are made to these policies, practices and procedures.

Feedback Process

The ultimate goal of HFH-HMD is to meet and surpass public expectations while serving people with disabilities. Comments on our services regarding how well those expectations are being met are welcome and appreciated.

Feedback regarding the way HFH-HMD provides services to people with disabilities can be made by letter, email, voicemail, or in person. All feedback should be directed to HFH-HMD Executive Director. A response may be expected within 10 days.

Recruitment

HFH-HMD will notify its employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities in its recruitment process.

Recruitment, Assessment, or Selection Process

HFH-HMD will notify job applicants when they are individually selected to participate further in an assessment or selection process that accommodations are available upon request about the materials or processes to be used.

If a selected applicant requests an accommodation, HFH-HMD 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.

Notice to Successful Applicants

When making offers of employment, HFH-HMD will notify the successful applicant of its policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.

Informing Employees of Supports

HFH-HMD will continue to inform its employees of its policies (and any updates to those policies) used to support employees with disabilities, including policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to disability. This information will be provided to new employees as soon as practicable after commencing employment.

Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees

Upon the request of an employee with a disability, HFH-HMD will consult with the employee to provide or arrange for the provision of, accessible formats and communication supports for information that is needed to perform his/her job, and information that is generally available to other employees.

In determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support, HFH-HMD will consult with the employee making the request.

Performance Management, Career Development, and Advancement & Redeployment

HFH-HMD will take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when conducting performance management, providing career development and advancement to employees, or when redeploying employees.

Policy Modifications and Questions

We are committed to developing customer service policies that respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. Therefore, no changes will be made to this policy before considering the impact on people with disabilities.

Any policy of Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga Dufferin that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed. This policy exists to achieve service excellence for people with disabilities. If anyone has a question about the policy, or if the purpose of a policy is not understood, an explanation should be provided by or referred to Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga Dufferin.