Accessibility Policies and Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

This accessibility plan outlines the policies and actions that will be put in place to improve opportunities for people with disabilities. This policy will updated at least once every five years.

Statement of Commitment

Municipality of East Ferris 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.

We are committed to including people with disabilities in the development of our accessibility plan and will make a status report publicly available each year to highlight our accessibility achievements.

Accessible Emergency Information

Municipality of East Ferris is committed to providing people with disabilities 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

Municipality of East Ferris will provide training to employees, volunteers and other staff members 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, volunteers and other staff members. Municipality of East Ferris will ensure employees are provided with the training needed to meet Ontario’s accessible laws by January 1, 2015.

Training will include:

• An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard
  
• Municipality of East Ferris’ 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 devices or equipment available on-site or otherwise that may help with providing goods or services to people with disabilities
• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing
• Municipality of East Ferris’ goods and services

Staff will also be trained and /or notified when changes are made to your accessible customer service plan.

Procurement

Municipality of East Ferris will take steps to incorporate accessibility criteria and features when procuring or acquiring goods, services or facilities. If it is not possible and practical to do so, we will provide an explanation on request.

Information and communications

Municipality of East Ferris 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.

Municipality of East Ferris will take steps to ensure existing feedback processes are accessible to people with disabilities upon request.

Municipality of East Ferris will take steps to ensure the website and content conform with WCAG 2.0, Level AA by January 1, 2021.

Employment

Municipality of East Ferris is committed to fair and accessible employment practices. We will take steps to notify the public and staff that, when requested, will accommodate people with disabilities during the recruitment and assessment processes and when people are hired.

Municipality of East Ferris will take 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.

We will steps to ensure the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities are taken into account if using performance management, career development and redeployment processes.

The Municipality of East Ferris shall provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability, if the disability is such that the individualized information is necessary and The Municipality of East Ferris is aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability.

If an employee who receives individualized workplace emergency response information requires assistance and with the employee’s consent, The Municipality of East Ferris shall provide the workplace emergency response information to the person designated by The Municipality of East Ferris to provide assistance to the employee.

(3) The Municipality of East Ferris shall provide the information required under this section as soon as practicable after the employer becomes aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability.

(4) The Municipality of East Ferris shall review the individualized workplace emergency response information,

(a) when the employee moves to a different location in the organization;

(b) when the employee’s overall accommodations needs or plans are reviewed; and

(c) when The Municipality of East Ferris reviews its general emergency response policies.

Design of Public Spaces

Municipality of East Ferris will meet the Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces when building or making major modifications to public spaces. Public spaces include:

Recreational trails/beach access routes.
Outdoor public eating areas like rest stops or picnic areas.
Outdoor play spaces, like playgrounds.
Outdoor paths of travel, like sidewalks, ramps, stairs, curb ramps, rest areas.
Accessible on and off street parking.
Service-related elements like service counters, and waiting areas
Municipality of East Ferris will put procedures in place to prevent service disruptions to its accessible parts of its public spaces.

In the event of a service disruption, we will notify the public of the service disruption and alternatives available.

Other Barriers

Municipality of East Ferris will take steps to prevent and remove other accessibility barriers identified.

For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact Paul Gervais at:
Phone: 705-752-2740
Email: paul.gervais@eastferris.ca

Accessible formats of this document are available free upon request:

 

To view the Accessibility Plan for the Municipality of East Ferris, simply click on the links below. 

Disclaimer: This is not a legal document of the Accessibility Plan. To view the actual document, please drop by the Municipal Office any weekday between 8:30am and 4:30pm.