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Case IQ’s Accessibility Policy and Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

2024-2028

Introduction

Case IQ is committed to working towards full compliance with current standards of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) Policy, Regulation 191/11, under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA); In doing so, we affirm our commitment to providing quality services in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.

Statement of Commitment

Case IQ is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in inclusion 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.

Case IQ is committed to develop, implement and maintain policies that govern how the organization achieves or will achieve accessibility though meeting this Regulation. To facilitate this commitment, Case IQ has established, maintained and documented a multi-year accessibility plan, that is reviewed and updated at least once every five years to identify progress made in addressing barriers and will be posted on the Case IQ website and on the Case IQ HRIS. 

Standards of Accessibility under AODA:

General Requirements

Accessible Emergency Information

Case IQ is committed to providing employees and clients with emergency information, plans or public safety information in an accessible way upon request. This information will also be available to the public.

Case IQ has provided and will continue to provide employees with disabilities with individualized emergency response information when necessary, and as soon as practically possible. If an employee who receives individualized workplace emergency response information requires assistance, with the employee’s consent the workplace emergency response information will be given to the designated employee.

Case IQ will continue to review the individualized workplace emergency response plans when necessary i.e. the location of the employee changes and/or there is a change in disability.

Accessibility policies and plans

Case IQ has developed, implemented and maintained a multi-year plan that outlines strategies and actions to identify, prevent and remove barriers for people with disabilities.

The IASR is incorporated into Case IQ’s Employee Manual and policies. Our policy requires that the Employee Manual must be read, reviewed and signed by every employee upon hire, and on an annual basis by all employees. 

Policy Review takes place within the organization annually.

Training

Accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities is a core value for Case IQ and for that reason, Case IQ provides training to employees and co-op students on Accessibility Standards and on the Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities. 

Case IQ has taken the following steps to ensure employees are provided with the training needed to meet current standards and legislation:

  • Provide educational or training resources in an accessible format that takes into account the accessibility needs of a person with a disability.
  • Ensure new employees complete training within 30 days of employment 
  • Keep and maintain a database of the training participant’s names and dates of completion.

Customer Service Standard

Case IQ uses reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the following principles:

  • Goods or services are provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
  • The provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities, and others, is integrated unless an alternate measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the goods or services.
  • Persons with disabilities are given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods or services.
  • Persons with disabilities may use assistive devices and/or support persons in the access of goods and services.
  • Persons with disabilities and their service animals are accommodated in all aspects of service provision unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law.
  • Case IQ employees, when communicating with a person with a disability, will do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.

Completion of training of all employees is tracked and recorded.

Comments relating to our programs and services with regard to customer service are welcomed and appreciated. A process has been established to encourage feedback regarding the way Case IQ provides goods and services to people with disabilities. This feedback can be made: verbally, by e-mail, by feedback card or in writing. All feedback are directed to the Manager, Human Resources. 

Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person or by a service animal will be allowed to ensure Case IQ’s premises with their support person and service animal. At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person or service animal be prevented from having access to his or her support person and/or service animal while on our premises.

Report compliance on the Accessibility Compliance Reporting tool at Service Ontario’s One-Source for Business website.

Information and Communications Standard

Case IQ 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. We want to achieve the most effective and efficient access to information for all users.

Case IQ has undertaken the following plans to ensure compliance with this standard:

  • Our website has been designed to be user friendly for people with a range of needs. 
  • Our website also provides a feature that allows users to change the size of text they see online to suit their preference.

Case IQ has ensured all new websites and content on those sites conform to World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level A by January 1, 2014 and conforms to WCAG 2.0, Level AA. The organization has exceeded this standard and is at Level AAA.

Case IQ has taken the following steps to ensure compliance with this standard:

  • Continue to assess accessibility of existing website organization and content.
  • Consult with persons requesting alternative formats.
  • Internet websites and web content conforms to WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
  • Post a notice on the website and of premises that information is available in a variety of accessible formats.

Employment Standard

Case IQ is committed to inclusive and accessible employment practices that attract and retain individuals with disabilities. We have taken the following steps to notify the public and employees that, when requested, Case IQ will accommodate people with disabilities throughout the recruitment and onboarding process.

Recruitment

Case IQ is committed to ensure that our recruitment and assessment processes are fair and accessible. All supervisors and other employees involved in staffing of any type will be required to complete the AODA training module. 

Case IQ has taken the following steps to ensure compliance with this standard:

  • Specify that accommodation is available for applicants with disabilities in recruitment material, and with regards to interviews and assessments
  • When making offers of employment, notify successful applicant of policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
  • Inform employees of policies supporting employees with disabilities. Provide this information to new employees as soon as practicable after hiring.
  • Provide updated information on accommodations policies to employees when changes occur.
  • Consult with employee to determine suitability of format or support.

Documented Individual Accommodation Plans

Case IQ is committed to producing and providing documented individual accommodation that includes the following:

  • Participation of the employee requiring the individual accommodation plan.
  • Ability to request outside medical evaluation to determine if accommodation can be achieved and how.
  • High level of privacy.
  • Regular review and updates.
  • Reason for denial if applicable.
  • The means of providing Individual Accommodation Plans in a format that takes into account the needs of the employee.
  • And if required, include individualized workplace emergency response information.

Return to Work

Case IQ is committed to developing and putting in place a process for developing individual accommodation plans and return-to-work policies for employees that have been absent due to a disability.

Case IQ has developed and maintained a return to work process for our employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and require disability related accommodations in order to return to work. The process includes: steps Case IQ takes to facilitate the return to work process & uses the documented individual accommodation plans.

Performance Management, Career Development & Redeployment

Case IQ is committed to ensuring the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities needs are taken into account with regards to performance management, career development and redeployment processes.

Case IQ has reviewed and updated the Human Resources policies and procedures to include the following elements:

  • Accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans are taken into account when using performance management processes
  • Accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual
  • accommodation plans are taken into account when providing career development and advancement opportunities.
  • Accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual

accommodation plans are taken into account when redeploying employees with disabilities.

Transportation Standard

Case IQ is committed to maintaining policies, planning for accessibility and training staff to comply with the accessibility standards related to the Transportation Standards outlined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. 

Design of Public Spaces

Case IQ will establish plans to meet the Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces when building or making major modifications to public spaces.

Case IQ will take appropriate measures 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 disruptions and alternatives available.

Multi-Year Accessibility Plan Details

Year 1: 2024

  • Accessibility Policy Annual Review 
    • Review and adjust if needed, our accessibility policy. Communicate this policy to all employees and contractors through our employee manual. 
  • Website & Webinar Accessibility
    • Review and ensure the website is up to date with the most current web standards for accessibility.
    • Review webinars and video content and ensure link is provided to company YouTube channel to provide access to closed captioning on video content.  
  • Feedback Mechanism Review 
    • Review and adjust if needed our feedback mechanism for employees, clients and the public to report accessibility challenges and provide suggestions. Encourage active participation in shaping our continuous improvement efforts.

Year 2: 2025

  • Accessibility Policy Annual Review 
    • Review and adjust if needed, our accessibility policy. Communicate this policy to all employees and contractors through our employee manual. 
  • Records Maintenance Audit
    • Ensure the maintenance of detailed records of accessibility initiatives, training sessions, and improvements. Identify any gaps in employee trainings. 
  • In-Office Accessibility Audit 
    • Complete an audit of the in-office accessibility requirements to ensure compliance with AODA.
  • Continuous Improvement Initiatives
    • Collect and regularly review/ address feedback received. Implement continuous improvements to resolve identified barriers, fostering a culture of inclusivity through collaboration with employees.

Year 3: 2026 

  • Accessibility Policy Annual Review 
    • Review and adjust if needed, our accessibility policy. Communicate this policy to all employees and contractors through our employee manual. 
  • Remote Infrastructure Assessment
    • Evaluate and enhance remote infrastructure, focusing on accommodating employees with disabilities in virtual meetings, online collaboration, and documentation sharing.

Year 4: 2027 

  • Accessibility Policy Annual Review 
    • Review and adjust if needed, our accessibility policy. Communicate this policy to all employees and contractors through our employee manual. 
  • In-Office Accessibility Audit 
    • Complete an audit of the in-office accessibility requirements to ensure compliance with AODA. 
  • Continuous Improvement Initiatives
    • Collect and regularly review/ address feedback received. Implement continuous improvements to resolve identified barriers, fostering a culture of inclusivity through collaboration with employees.

Year 5: 2028 

  • Accessibility Policy Annual Review 
    • Review and adjust if needed, our accessibility policy. Communicate this policy to all employees and contractors through our employee manual. 
  • Records Maintenance
    • Ensure the maintenance of detailed records of accessibility initiatives, training sessions, and improvements. Document specific examples of how the company has addressed accessibility challenges in the remote work environment.
  • Accessibility Report Submission
    • Prepare and submit the required accessibility reports to the AODA, demonstrating the company’s commitment to and compliance with AODA regulations.

Contact Details

For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact: 

Case IQ Human Resources Department

300 March Road, Suite 501

Ottawa, Ontario K2K 2E2

Canada

Phone: 613.552.0556

Email: hr@caseiq.com 

Standard and accessible formats of this document are available free upon request.