Accessibility Plan

Stevens is committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and that provides accessibility to all employees, job applicants, customers, vendors, suppliers and visitors, in accordance with AODA and other applicable accessibility legislation in other Canadian provinces. Stevens commits to providing accommodation for needs related to the grounds of the Ontario Human Rights Code, unless to do so would cause undue hardship, as defined by the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Policy on disability and the duty to accommodate, including the applicable accessibility legislation in other Canadian provinces.

Accommodation will be provided in accordance with the principles of dignity, individualization, and inclusion. Stevens will work cooperatively, and in a spirit of respect, with all partners in the accommodation process.

Stevens is dedicated to:

• Ensuring that our employment practices, policies, and procedures are free from discrimination and barriers and are accessible to all employees, job applicants, customers, vendors, suppliers and visitors including those with disabilities.
• Providing accommodation, to the extent required by law, to individuals with disabilities to enable them to fully participate in the employment process and to perform their job duties effectively.
• Engaging in an interactive process with employees, job applicants, customers, vendors, suppliers and visitors to identify appropriate accommodations based on individual needs to the extent it does not constitute an undue hardship.
• Complying with the accessibility standards and requirements set forth by AODA and the applicable accessibility legislation in other Canadian provinces.
• Developing a website that will be fully compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requirements. We are committed to ensuring that our online platform is accessible to all users.

Responsibilities

Human Resources (HR): HR will coordinate the accommodation process, including receiving accommodation requests from candidates & employees, engaging in the interactive process, and facilitating reasonable accommodations during recruitment, onboarding and employment.

HR will maintain confidentiality of accommodation requests and related information to the extent allowed by law.

HR will provide initial training and ongoing guidance to new and existing employees and managers on accommodation principles and processes such as AODA Training and the Human Rights Code. Training will be provided as soon as possible upon or after hire, and on an as needed, ongoing basis such as whenever changes to this plan are made and/or legislative requirements are updated. Training content will cover foundational knowledge about accessibility, relevant legislation, and workplace-specific responsibilities across the relevant accessibility standards to provide employees with the required resources to interact and support individuals with various disabilities.

HR will keep records of training provided, including the dates on which training is provided and the number of individuals to whom it is provided.

Employees and Job Applicants: Employees and job applicants are responsible for communicating their accommodation needs in a timely manner to their supervisor/manager or HR respectively.

Employees and job applicants are encouraged to actively participate in the interactive accommodation process by providing necessary information and engaging in discussions about potential accommodations.

Employees and managers have received training on how to provide accessible customer service to people with disabilities.

Staff have also been trained on the Human Rights Code as it pertains to persons with disabilities.

Supervisors and Managers: Supervisors and managers should collaborate with HR to implement and support accommodations for their employees, customers, vendors and any service provider that puts in a request. They must ensure that accommodations are provided and maintained in a manner that respects the dignity and privacy of the individual requesting accommodation.

Accommodation Process

Request for Accommodation: Employees or job applicants who require accommodation should make their request to HR or their immediate supervisor/manager respectively in writing, verbally, or in any accessible format [email protected]. The request should include specific information about the nature of the disability and the accommodation needed.

HR will engage in an interactive process with the individual requesting accommodation to:

• Understand the nature and extent of the disability.
• Identify barriers to recruitment, onboarding, employment or job performance.
• Explore potential accommodation solutions.
• Determine the appropriateness of the accommodation.
• Develop an individualized accommodation plan.
• Implement and monitor the accommodation plan.

Implementation:

Stevens will make every reasonable effort to provide accommodation in a manner that respects the individual's dignity and privacy to the extent it does not cause undue hardship. Accommodations may include, but are not limited to, modifications to workspaces, modifications to job duties, flexible work hours, or changes to policies or procedures.

Documentation

HR will maintain records of accommodation requests and actions taken in accordance with applicable privacy legislation.

Feedback and Complaints

Process

Stevens strives to improve accessibility for our employees, job applicants, customers, vendors, suppliers and visitors. Accessibility comments, questions, complaints and/or suggestions may be submitted via the following formats:

• By telephone at 1-800-268-0184 (Ontario, Eastern Time) to be directed to HR.
• By email at [email protected]
• By mail at 425 Railside Drive, Brampton, ON, L7A 0N8
• In person at the closest The Stevens Company office location based on region.

Procedure

The purpose of this procedure is to provide clarity and direction regarding the actions that Stevens will take if an employee, job applicant, client, or visitor submits accessibility feedback:

• All feedback will be directed to the HR team, except for in person feedback provided to regional location employees.
• Where possible, feedback submitted in person will be addressed immediately by employees at the location. Feedback that may require additional effort to address will be directed to the HR team to review and action or follow up appropriately.
• The HR team will attempt to acknowledge all feedback submitted within two (2) business days as appropriate, except for mailed feedback which will be acknowledged within 30 business days.
• Stevens will endeavor to reply and action feedback in a format that is accessible to the individual.
• Individuals will be notified of the outcome within the specified timeframe, which should include any actions arising from the feedback and any associated implementation plan.

Review and Evaluation

Stevens will regularly review and evaluate this Accessibility Plan and related procedures every five years to ensure compliance with AODA and other Canadian provinces accessibility legislation. We will make adjustments to this plan as necessary to improve our commitment to providing equal employment opportunities and accessibility to our services and spaces to individuals with disabilities.

Conclusion

Stevens is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and accessible workplace for all. We are committed to working with individuals with disabilities to provide reasonable accommodations that enable them to perform their job duties effectively and participate fully in our employment opportunities.