Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities
The Advantage Group International, Inc. (Advantage) is committed to excellence in serving all customers including people with disabilities.
Assistive devices
A person with a disability may provide their own assistive device for the purpose of obtaining, using and benefiting from Advantage’s services and facilities. Exceptions may occur in situations where Advantage has determined that the assistive device may pose a risk to the health and safety of a person with a disability or the health and safety of others on its premises In these situations and others, Advantage may offer a person with disability other reasonable measures to assist him or her in obtaining, using and benefiting from Advantage’s services and facilities, where Advantage has such other measures available.
It is the responsibility of the person with the disability to ensure that his or her assistive device is operated in a safe and controlled manner at all times.
Communication
We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.
Service animals
A person with a disability may enter premises owned and/or operated by Advantage accompanied by a service animal and keep the animal with them if the public has access to such premises and the animal is not otherwise excluded by law. If a service animal is excluded by law, Advantage will ensure that alternate means are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from Advantage’s services and facilities.
If it is not readily apparent that an animal is a service animal, Advantage may ask the person with a disability for a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to his or her disability. Advantage may also, or instead, ask for a valid identification card or certificate of training from a recognized guide dog or service animal training school.
It is the responsibility of the person with disability to ensure that his or her service animal is kept in control at all times. If an employee or any other person on Advantage premises has a severe allergy to animals, which could result in health and safety concerns, Advantage will make reasonable efforts in the circumstances to meet the needs of all individuals.
Support persons
A person with a disability may enter premises owned and/or operated by A person with a disability may enter premises owned and/or operated by Advantage with a support person and have access to the support person while on the premises. Advantage may require a person with disability to be accompanied by a support person while on Advantage premises in situations where it is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health and safety of others on the premises. A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will have access to his or her support person while on Advantage premises.
In situations where the support person will be exposed to confidential information, Advantage may require that the support person sign a confidentiality agreement. with a support person and have access to the support person while on the premises. Advantage may require a person with disability to be accompanied by a support person while on Advantage premises in situations where it is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health and safety of others on the premises. A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will have access to his or her support person while on Advantage premises.
In situations where the support person will be exposed to confidential information, Advantage may require that the support person sign a confidentiality agreement.
Notice of temporary disruption
In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities, Advantage will notify customers promptly. This clearly posted notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated length of time, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.
Services/Facilities include: access to customer web portal.
The notice will be made publicly available at the following locations: on website, customer web portal, and/or through email notification.
Training
Advantage will provide customer service training to employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public or other third parties on our behalf. Training will also be provided to people involved in the development of policies, plans, practices and procedures related to the provision of our goods and services.
Individuals in the following positions will be trained: All employees of Advantage
Staff will be trained on Accessible Customer Service within 30 days of being hired.
Training will include:
- An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard
- Advantage’s plan related to 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 the equipment or devices available on-site or otherwise that may help with providing goods or services to people with disabilities. These include:
- What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing Advantage’s goods and services
Staff will also be trained when changes are made to our accessible customer service plan.
Feedback process
Customers who wish to provide feedback on the way Advantage provides goods and services to people with disabilities can provide feedback in the following way(s):
- Email: accessibility@advantagegroup.com
- Contact: Advantage Human Resources at 416-863-0685 x 171
All feedback, including complaints, will be handled in the following manner:
- When necessary, someone from Advantage will contact the complainant to seek clarity of the issue
- the incident will be investigated, including audio tape of the customer service call (if available) or witness accounts of the incident.
- Training or retraining will be given to employees found not to be in compliance with our policies.
- Customers can expect to receive a response on the outcome of the complaint within a maximum of three business days.
Notice of availability
Advantage will notifythe public that our documents related to accessible customer service, are available upon request by posting a notice in the following location(s):
- Advantage’s website
- Intranet portal
Modifications to this or other policies
Any policy, practice or procedure of Advantage that does not respect and promote the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity for people with disabilities will be modified or removed.
Accessible Employment Plan
Providing Opportunities to People with Disabilities
The Accessibility Standard for Employment will help Ontario businesses and organizations like Advantage make accessibility a regular part of finding, hiring and supporting employees with disabilities.
Advantage will:
- let job applicants know that recruitment and hiring processes will be modified to accommodate their disabilities, if requested.
- build the accessibility needs of employees into their human resources practices.
- create a written process for developing and documenting individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities.
- help employees stay safe in an emergency by providing them with individualized emergency response information when necessary.
Information and Communication Plan
Providing Information to People with Disabilities
The Accessibility Standard for Information and Communications will help Ontario businesses and organizations make their information accessible for people with disabilities.
Advantage will:
- make their websites and web content accessible according to the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.
- Example: Advantage has posted a video on it’s website to explain our product offering. The video is captioned for people with hearing loss.
- provide accessible formats and communications supports as quickly as possible and at no additional cost when a person with a disability asks for them.
- make feedback processes accessible by providing accessible formats and communications supports when requested.
- make public emergency information accessible when requested.