Accessibility Multi Year Plan

This 2014-2021 accessibility plan outlines the policies and actions that Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics will put in place to improve opportunities for people with disabilities.

Statement of Commitment

Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity. We are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.

Accessible Emergency Information

Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics is committed to providing members and clients with publicly available emergency information in an accessible way upon request. We will also provide employees with disabilities with individualized emergency response information when necessary.

Training

Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics will provide training to employees and other staff members i.e. co-op students, interns on Ontario’s accessibility laws and on the Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities. Training will be provided in a way that best suits the duties of employees.

Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics will take the following steps to ensure employees are provided with the training needed to meet Ontario’s accessible laws by January 1, 2015:

• Design job specific AODA training for each group of employees in our organization
• Include job specific AODA training in our orientation sessions for every new employee
• Train all existing employees on AODA and how it applies to their job

Information and communications

Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. We will consult with people with disabilities to determine their information and communication needs.

Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics will take the following steps to make all new websites and content on those sites conform to WCAG 2.0, Level A by January 1, 2014:

• Inform Web Management of WCAG 2.0 site to ensure any new designs follow these guidelines and design principles
• Add compliance to WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards as a job requirement for Web Developers job descriptions
• Train Web Development team on WCAG 2.0 Level A guidelines

Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics will take the following steps to ensure existing feedback processes are accessible to people with disabilities upon request by January 1, 2015:

• Include links on our website to inform visitors on other forms of communication to provide feedback such as telephone number and address

Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics will take the following steps to make sure all publicly available information is made accessible upon request by January 1, 2016:

• Continue to serve our members and potential members how they want to be served

Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics will take the following steps to make all websites and content conform to WCAG 2.0, Level AA by January 1, 2021:

• Train Web Development team on WCAG 2.0
• Starting in 2014, ensure WCAG 2.0 guidelines are followed when updates and new additions to our website are being developed

Employment

Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics is committed to fair and accessible employment practices.

We will take the following steps to notify the public and staff that, when requested, Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics will accommodate people with disabilities during the recruitment and assessment processes and when people are hired:

• Allow alternative application method and include those on all job ads
• Request 3rd party vendors to provide alternative methods for completing parts of the application process where possible

Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics will take the following steps to develop and put in place a process for developing individual accommodation plans and return-to-work policies for employees that have been absent due to a disability:

• Review cases of employees who have returned to work after a long term disability period
• Draw best practices and allow flexibility in the process to accommodate any form of disability
• We will ensure the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities are taken into account when performance management and career development plans are formulated.

Design of Public Spaces

Bernstein Diet & Clinics will consult the Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces when building or making major modifications to the offices it occupies. In an office environment, Bernstein Diet & Clinics, public spaces may include:

• Outdoor paths of travel, like sidewalks, ramps, stairs, curb ramps, rest areas and accessible pedestrian signals; and
• Accessible off street parking.

Bernstein Diet & Clinics will also continue to notify the public of any service disruption and of alternatives available.

For More Information

For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact Human Resources:

Michael McGuire, Director of Human Resources
Email: micheal@drbdiet.com
Phone: 416-447-3438, ext. 232

Stacy Little, Human Resources Manager
Email: stacy@drbdiet.com
Phone: 416-447-3438, ext. 295