IPC Accessibility Plan
The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) is committed to creating an accessible organization by removing barriers for people with disabilities, as defined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).
The IPC has developed this Accessibility Plan to outline its strategy to prevent and remove barriers from its facilities, services, policies, and practices, and to meet its requirements under AODA, its associated Integrated Accessibility Standards and the IPC Integrated Accessibility Standards Policy.
This Accessibility Plan will be reviewed and updated every five years and will be posted on the IPC website. This Accessibility Plan will be developed, reviewed and updated in consultation with persons with disabilities.
Procurement
The IPC will incorporate accessibility design, criteria, and features when it procures or acquires goods, services or facilities, except where it is not practicable to do so.
Implementation Plan: The IPC will evaluate its policies, practices, and procedures relating to procuring or acquiring goods, services or facilities to ensure accessibility criteria and features are incorporated. Where the IPC determines that it is not practicable to incorporate accessibility design, criteria, and features, the IPC will, upon request, provide an explanation for the determination.
Implementation Timeframe: Implemented and Ongoing
Responsibility: Director of Corporate Services
Training
The IPC will ensure that training is provided on the requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards and the Human Rights Code as it pertains to persons with disabilities (Accessibility Training).
Implementation Plan:
The IPC will provide Accessibility Training to all of its employees.
The Accessibility Training will be appropriate to the duties of the person and will be provided as soon as practicable after the person starts their employment or contractual relationship with the IPC. Updated training will be provided when changes are made to the IPC’s Integrated Accessibility Standards Policy.
The IPC will keep records of the training it provides, including the dates the Accessibility Training was provided and how many people participated in the training.
Implementation Timeframe: Implemented and Ongoing
Responsibility: Director of Corporate Services
Information and Communication Standards
Upon request, the IPC will provide accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities.
The IPC will ensure that its process for receiving and responding to feedback is accessible to persons with disabilities.
The IPC will ensure that its Internet and Intranet websites are accessible.
Implementation Plan:
The IPC will provide accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities in a timely manner that takes into account the person’s accessibility needs due to disability. The IPC will consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support. The IPC will notify the public about the availability of accessible formats and communication supports.
Upon request, the IPC will provide accessible formats and communications support for its feedback process.
The IPC will provide notification in its Integrated Accessibility Standards Policy that these accommodations are available.
The IPC will ensure that its Internet and Intranet websites conform to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, at Level AA.
Implementation Timeframe: Implemented and Ongoing
The IPC’s Intranet website will meet these criteria by the date stipulated in the Integrated Accessibility Standards.
Responsibility: Director of Corporate Services
Director of Communications (for Internet and Intranet accessibility)
Employment Standards
The IPC will inform individuals about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities when recruiting, assessing, selecting and notifying candidates for employment with the IPC.
The IPC will inform its employees of its policies used to support employees with disabilities.
The IPC will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability
Implementation Plan:
Recruitment
The IPC will notify its employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities in its recruitment process.
When an individual is selected to participate in an assessment or selection process, the IPC will notify them that accommodation in relation to the materials or processes to be used are available upon request. If a selected applicant requests an accommodation, the IPC will consult with the applicant and provide a suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability.
When making offers of employment, the IPC will notify the successful applicant of its policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
Supports for Employees
The IPC will inform its employees of its 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 and whenever there is a change to the existing policies.
Upon the request of an employee with a disability, the IPC will consult with the employee to provide accessible formats and communication supports for information that the employee needs 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, the IPC will consult with the employee making the request.
The IPC will maintain a written process for the development of documented individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. If requested, information regarding accessible formats and communications supports provided will also be included in individual accommodation plans. In addition, the plans will include individualized workplace emergency response information where required and will identify any other accommodation that is to be provided.
The IPC will continue to 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, and when redeploying employees.
The IPC will maintain a documented return to work process for its employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and who require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work.
Workplace Emergency Response Information
The IPC will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability, if the disability is such that the individualized information is necessary, and if the IPC is aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability. The IPC will provide this information as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the need for accommodation.
Where the employee requires assistance, the IPC will, with the consent of the employee, provide the workplace emergency response information to the person designated by the IPC to provide assistance to the employee.
The IPC will review the individualized workplace emergency response information when the employee moves to a different location in the organization when the employee’s overall accommodations needs or plans are reviewed, and when the IPC reviews its general emergency response policies.
Implementation Timeframe: Implemented and Ongoing
Responsibility: Director of Corporate Services
Annual Status Report
The IPC will prepare annual status reports on the progress of measures taken to implement the actions set out in the Accessibility Plan
Implementation Plan: The IPC will evaluate annually the progress made to implement this Accessibility Plan and will prepare a status report summarizing the progress. The annual status report will be posted to the IPC’s website and will be made available in an accessible format upon request.
Implementation Timeframe: Annually
Responsibility: Director of Corporate Services
Annual Accessibility Report
The IPC will complete and file Accessibility Reports annually or as otherwise required under the AODA.
Implementation Plan: Accessibility Reports will be completed as required by AODA, and will include a signed statement by the Director of Corporate Services certifying that all the information required to be provided in the report has been provided and that the information is accurate. The IPC will make Accessibility Reports public.
Implementation Timeframe: Annually
Responsibility: Director of Corporate Services