Intent

This policy applies to the provision of accessible employment services for persons with disabilities, in accordance with O. Reg. 191/11 Integrated Accessibility Standards (IASR) under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).
All employment services provided by OverActive Media Corp. will follow the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity.

Definitions

Accessible formats: Include but are not limited to large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, braille, and other formats usable by persons with disabilities.
Communication supports: Include but are not limited to captioning, alternative and augmentative communication supports, plain language, sign language and other supports that facilitate effective communications.
Conversion-ready: An electronic or digital format that facilitates conversion into an acceptable format.

Guidelines

General Requirements

The following general requirements apply to the two standards: employment and information and communications.

Establishment of Accessibility Policies and Plans

OverActive Media Corp. will:

• develop, implement, and maintain policies governing how it will achieve accessibility through these requirements.
• include a statement of its commitment to meeting the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner in its policies. These documents will be made publicly
• establish, implement, maintain, and document a multi-year accessibility plan outlining its strategy to prevent and remove barriers and meet its requirements under the IASR.
  Accessibility plans will be made available in an accessible format upon request.
• review and update its accessibility plan once every five years and will establish, review, and update our accessibility plans in consultation with persons with disabilities or an advisory committee.

Training Requirements

OverActive Media Corp. will provide training on the IASR accessibility requirements and Ontario’s Human Rights Code as they pertain to individuals with disabilities. This applies to all employees, volunteers, and individuals who participate in developing OverActive Media Corp. policies.
Training will be provided as soon as is reasonably practicable. Training will be provided regularly
to new employees and as changes to OverActive Media Corp.’s accessibility policies occur.

Accessible Formats and Communication Supports

Unless deemed unconvertible, OverActive Media Corp. will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities upon request.
Accessible formats and communication supports will be provided in a timely manner and at no additional cost to the individual.
OverActive Media Corp. will account for the person’s accessibility needs when customizing individual requests and will consult with the individual making the request to ensure suitability.
OverActive Media Corp. will make the availability of accessible formats and communication supports publicly known.
Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees
OverActive Media Corp. will ensure that employees are aware of our policies for employees with disabilities and any changes to these policies as they occur. If an employee with a disability requests it, OverActive Media Corp. will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for the following:

•  Information needed in order to perform their job; and
•  Information that is generally available to all employees in the workplace.

OverActive Media Corp. will consult with the employee making the request to determine the best way to provide the accessible format or communication support.

Emergency Procedures, Plans or Public Safety Information

OverActive Media Corp. will ensure that all publicly available safety and emergency information, such as evacuation procedures and floor plans, are provided in an accessible format or with appropriate communication supports upon request.

Workplace Emergency Response Information

Where required, OverActive Media Corp. will create individual workplace emergency response information for employees with disabilities. This information will account for the unique challenges created by the individual’s disability and the physical nature of the workplace and will be created in consultation with the employee.

This information will be reviewed when:

•  the employee moves to a different physical location in the organization;
•  the employee’s overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed; or
•  OverActive Media Corp. reviews general emergency response policies.

Recruitment, Assessment, and Selection

OverActive Media Corp. will notify employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for job applicants who have disabilities. Applicants will be informed that these accommodations are available upon request for the interview process and for other candidate selection methods. Where an accommodation is requested, OverActive Media Corp. will consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for suitable accommodation. Successful applicants will be made aware of OverActive Media Corp.’s policies and supports for accommodating people with disabilities.

Documented Individual Accommodation Plans

OverActive Media Corp. must develop and have in place written processes for documenting individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. The process for the development of these accommodation plans should include specific elements, including:

•  how the employee can participate in the development of the plan;
•  how the employee is assessed individually;
•  how an employer can request an evaluation by an outside medical expert or other experts at the employer’s expense to determine whether accommodation can be achieved, or how it can be achieved;
•  how an employee can request the participation of a representative from their bargaining agent or, if the employee is not represented by a bargaining agent, another representative from the workplace in the creation of the accommodation plan;
•  the steps taken to protect the privacy of the employee’s personal information;
•  how and how often the individual accommodation plan should be reviewed or updated;
•  how the reasons for the denial of an individual accommodation plan will be provided to the employee; and
•  the means of providing the accommodation plan in an accessible format, based on the employee’s accessibility needs.

The individual accommodation will also:

•  include information regarding accessible formats and communication supports upon request;
•  where needed, include individualized workplace emergency response information; and
•  outline all other accommodation provided.

Performance Management and Career Development and Advancement

OverActive Media Corp. will consider the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities when implementing performance management processes, or when offering career development or advancement opportunities. Individual accommodation plans will be consulted as required.

Return to Work

OverActive Media Corp. will develop and implement return-to-work processes for employees who are absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work. The return-to-work process outlines the steps OverActive Media Corp. will take to facilitate the employee’s return to work and will use documented individual accommodation plans as outlined by the regulation.

Redeployment

The accessibility needs of employees with disabilities will be considered in the event of redeployment. Individual accommodation plans will be consulted as required.

Accessible Websites and Web Content

OverActive Media Corp. will ensure that our website and web content conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as outlined in the IASR and will refer to the legislation for specific compliance deadlines and requirements.

Exceptions

The Information and Communications Standards do not apply to:

•  products and product labels;
•  unconvertible information or communications; or
•  information that the organization does not control either directly or indirectly through a contractual relationship.

Unconvertible Information or Communications

If it is determined in consultation with the requesting party that information or communications are unconvertible, OverActive Media Corp. will ensure that the individual who made the request is provided with an explanation and a summary of the information.

OverActive Media Corp. will classify information or communications as unconvertible where:

•  it is not technically practicable to convert; or
•  the technology required to make the conversion is not readily available.

Review

This policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure that it reflects OverActive Media Corp.’s current
practices and legislative requirements

1. Commitment Statement 

OverActive Media 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 the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and applicable regulations. 

Under the AODA and applicable regulations, the following standards are applicable to OverActive Media:  

• Employment 
• Information and Communications  

2. Employment 

Recruitment  

Commitment 

OverActive Media is committed to fair and accessible employment practices that attract and retain employees with disabilities. This includes providing accessibility across all stages of the employment cycle. 

Action Taken

In accordance with the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR), OAM:  

• Notifies employees and the public of the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment process. 
• Reviews and modifies existing recruitment policies, procedures, and processes, as necessary.  
• Indicates that accommodation is available for applicants with disabilities, on OAM’s website and on job postings. 
• Notifies job applicants—when they are individually selected to participate in an assessment or selection process—that accommodations are available upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used in the assessment/selection process.  

This will include: 

• Provision of suitable accommodations in a manner that considers the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability, if a selected applicant requests an accommodation.  
• When making offers of employment, OAM notifies the successful applicant of its policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.  

Workplace Emergency Response Information  

Commitment  

Where OAM is aware that an employee has a disability and that there is a need for accommodation, individualized workplace emergency response information will be provided to the employee as soon as practicable, if such information is necessary given the nature of the employee’s disability. 

Action Taken

The following measures were implemented by OAM:  

• Individualized workplace emergency response information procedures have been developed for employees with disabilities, as required.  
• Workplace Emergency Response Information plans have been prepared for employees who have disclosed a disability and who are being accommodated according to their disabilities. 
• Where required, OAM provides assistance to specific disabled employees, with the disabled employees’ consent, to help them evacuate the workplace in case of an emergency or disaster. These plans for providing assistance have been set out in individualized emergency plans for the employees.  
• These individualized emergency plans have been communicated to the employees’ respective managers and appropriate Health and Safety members (i.e., Building Fire Warden), on an “as needed” basis.  
• On an ongoing and regular basis, and as per the applicable terms of the IASR, OAM will review and assess general workplace emergency response procedures and individualized emergency plans to ensure accessibility issues are addressed.  

Performance Management, Career Development and Redeployment  

Commitment  

OAM will take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans:  

• When using its performance management process in respect of employees with disabilities  
• When providing career development and advancement to its employees with disabilities  
• When redeploying employees with disabilities.  

Action Taken

In accordance with the IASR, OAM:  

• Reviews, assesses and, as necessary, modifies existing policies, procedures, and training to  
• ensure compliance with the IASR;  
• Takes the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities and, as applicable, their individualized accommodation plans, into account when:  
• assessing performance  
• managing career development and advancement  
• redeployment is required  
• Considers the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities when providing career development and advancement to its employees with disabilities, including notification of the ability to provide accommodations on internal job postings.  

Informing Employees of Supports  

Commitment  

In accordance with the IASR, OAM will inform all employees of policies that support employees with disabilities including, but not limited to, policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to a disability.  

Action Taken

This includes:  

• Informing current employees and new hires of OAM’s policies supporting employees with disabilities including, but not limited to, policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s needs due to disability.  
• Keeping employees up to date on changes to existing policies on job accommodations with respect to disability.  
• Where an employee with a disability so requests it, OAM provides or arranges for provision of suitable accessible formats and communications supports for information that is:  
• needed in order to perform the employee’s job.  
• generally available to employees in the workplace.  

In meeting the obligations to provide the information that is set out in the paragraph above, OAM will consult with the requesting employee in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.  

3. Information and Communication 

Accessible Websites and Web Content  

Commitment 

OAM is committed to complying with the standards set out under the IASR to create an accessible website and create user friendly web content in order to accommodate accessibility needs. 

Action Taken

In accordance with the IASR, OAM will:  

• Ensure AODA compliance is included in website design and planning. 
• Make our websites and web content accessible according to the World Wide Web Consortium.  
• Ensure Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. are adhered to. 

Feedback, Accessible Formats and Communications Supports  

Commitment  

OAM is committed to making company information and communications accessible to persons with disabilities. OAM will incorporate new accessibility requirements under the information and communication standard to ensure that its information and communications systems and platforms are accessible and are provided in accessible formats that meet the needs of persons with disabilities.  

Action Taken

In accordance with the IASR, OAM:  

• Ensures that existing and new processes for receiving and responding to feedback are accessible to persons with disabilities by providing or arranging for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports, upon request and in a timely manner. 
• Consults with the person making the request to determine the suitability of the accessible format or communication support. 
• Provides or arranges for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports in a timely manner that takes into an account the person’s accessibility needs due to disability, and at a cost no more than the regular cost charged to other persons.