AODA: Accessible Customer Service Policy
Accessible Customer Service Policy
Voices.com Corporation (Voices.com) is committed to the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 including the requirements of the applicable regulations (collectively, the “AODA”).
This Accessible Customer Service Policy outlines Voices.com’s actions to comply with the AODA and to identify, remove and prevent barriers for people with visible and non-visible disabilities in accessing Voices.com’s products, services, and facilities.
1. Amendments to our Policies
Voices.com will comply with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal legislation with respect to accessibility and will implement the standards specified under the AODA in effect from time to time. Whenever new or revised standards are developed under the AODA, this policy will be reviewed and updated to the extent necessary to ensure consistency with the legislation.
2. Customer Care
Voices.com is committed to excellence in serving all customers, including those customers with visible and non-visible disabilities. Voices.com is committed to providing its goods and services in a way that respects the privacy, dignity, and independence of persons with disabilities and ensures that customers with disabilities receive the same quality as service as others do.
3. Communication; Assistive Devices; Service Animals and Support Persons
Accessible Communication
Voices.com recognizes that persons with disabilities may use or require communication supports when accessing Voices.com’s goods, services, and/or facilities. Voices.com is committed to ensuring that its employees will communicate with persons with disabilities in a manner that takes into account their disability.
Accessible formats will be provided to persons with disabilities, when applicable, on request, and when such accommodation will not cause undue hardship to Voices.com.
Assistive Devices
Voices.com is committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities who use assistive devices receive equal access to its goods, services, and/or facilities. Voices.com will endeavor to ensure that its employees are trained and/or familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities when accessing our goods and/or services.
Service Animals and Support Persons
Voices.com welcomes persons with disabilities and their service animals and permits service animals on parts of Voices.com’s premises that are open to the public. Voices.com will ensure that all employees dealing with the public are trained in how to interact with persons with disabilities who are accompanied by service animals.
Voices.com is also committed to welcoming persons with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person. Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed on Voices.com’s premises with his or her support person. At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to his or her support person while on our premises.
4. Notice of Temporary Disruption
Voices.com will give notice of temporary disruptions to service or facilities used by persons with disabilities, including any reason(s) for the disruption. These notices will be posted on Voices.com’s website Voices and by any other method that may be reasonable under the circumstances. Voices.com will make reasonable efforts to provide prior notice of planned disruptions, if possible.
5. Employee Training
Voices.com is committed to providing training to all employees who deal with the public and all those who are involved in the development and approvals of customer service policies, practices, and procedures.
Training will include, without limitation: • The purpose and requirements of the AODA; • The requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards (Ontario Regulation 191/11); and • Information about Voices.com’s policies and procedures pertaining to the provision of Voices.com’s services to persons with disabilities
Voices.com will keep records of the training provided under this section, including the dates on which the training is provided and to whom such training is provided.
6. Feedback Process
Policies, procedures, and practices with respect to accessibility, including this Accessible Customer Service Policy and those required under the AODA (our “Policies”) shall be made available in hard copy or can be found on Voices.com’s website Voices Copies of our Policies will also be made available in an accessible format, and with communication supports where necessary, upon request.
Feedback will be accepted in person, by telephone, in writing, or by email. If a feedback method is not suitable, a customer may request another method for communication. Contact details can be found on Voices.com’s website and in this policy. Voices.com will respect the privacy of all individuals that submit feedback, and feedback will be reviewed for possible action that can be taken to improve Voices.com’s services.
7. For More Information
For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact Voices.com’s Human Resources Department at:
Phone: 1-888-359-3472
Email: [email protected]
Accessible formats of this document are available free, upon request.
8. GLOSSARY
“accessible formats” include, without limitation, large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, braille, and other formats usable by persons with disabilities.
“assistive devices” means a technical aide, communication device or other instrument that is used to maintain or improve the functional abilities of people with disabilities. Assistive devices may include, without limitation, wheelchairs, walkers, a personal oxygen tank, or any other device that might assist in hearing, seeing, communicating, moving, breathing, and/or reading.
“barrier” means anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of his or her disability, including a physical barrier, an architectural barrier, an information or communications barrier, an attitudinal barrier, a technological barrier, a policy or a practice.
“communication supports” include, without limitation, captioning, alternative and augmentative communication supports, plain language, sign language, and other supports that facilitate effective communications.
“disability” means:
a. any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation, or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect, or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
b. a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
c. a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
d. a mental disorder, or
e. an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997;
“service animals” for the purpose of this policy means:
a. A guide dog as defined in Section 1 of the Blind Persons Rights Act R.S.O 1990, Chapter B.7;
b. A service animal for a person with a disability. For the purpose of this policy, an animal is a service animal:
i. if it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for the reasons relating to his or her disability;
ii. or of the person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability.
For certainty, a service animal does not include a therapy animal (i.e. an animal trained to provide affection and comfort, but is not trained to perform specific tasks to help a person who has a disability).
“support person” means another person who accompanies a person with a disability in order to aide him or her with communication, mobility, personal care, or medical needs or with access to goods and/or services.