Accessibility Plan and Policies
The 2020 Accessibility Plan of Académie Ste-Cécile International School (ASCIS) herein outlines the policies and actions that ASCIS has adapted to improve opportunities for persons with disabilities while being associated at ASCIS.
Statement of Commitment
ASCIS is committed to excellence, co-operation and respect in assisting all individuals to maintain their dignity and independence while on-campus. ASCIS also supports integration and equal opportunity.
Committed to assisting persons with disabilities as much as possible and in a timely manner, ASCIS will prevent and remove barriers to accessibility according to the requirements detailed in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
Communication
ASCIS aims to meet the communication needs of individuals with disabilities by first consulting with them so as to determine their needs and better understand their disability issues. As an educational and training institution, ASCIS will offer persons with disabilities an accessible format consisting of:
- educational or training resources and/or materials,
- student records
- information on program requirements, availability and descriptions,
Accessible Websites and Web Content
Based on the availability of our resources, ASCIS will aim that our Internet websites, including web content, conform to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, at Level A by 2016 and Level AA by 2021.
Assistive devices
As required, ASCIS will assist persons with disabilities to access devices to enable them to access our goods or services. The ASCIS Staff will be trained to accommodate the specific assistive devices that may be used by individuals with disabilities while accessing our goods or services.
As per the ASCIS Service Animal Policy, individuals with disabilities will be welcomed with their service animals in common areas on-campus. Since it must be evident to ASCIS Staff that an animal is being used as a service animal, the ASCIS employees will be entitled to ask the individual for clarification confirming that the service animal is indeed required for reasons relating to a disability. Any such clarification will be requested in respectful compliance of an individual’s rights under the Human Rights Code.
Support Persons
ASCIS understands that certain individuals with disabilities may require support people (e.g., paid professionals, volunteers, family members or friends) to help them with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs, or with accessing goods and services. Thus, ASCIS welcomes such support persons on-campus.
Whenever such support persons will be required to assist students on a regular basis, ASCIS should be contacted in advance in order to receive proper instructions to facilitate the process.
ASCIS requests that support persons servicing students must sign non-disclosure agreements.
In general, support persons are allowed on-campus in all areas opened to the public.
ASCIS will not charge additional entrance fees to support workers who are assisting a disabled person in attendance at our school’s events (eg., School Assemblies, Prom, Graduation, etc.)
Accessible Emergency Information and Workplace Emergency Response
Upon request, ASCIS will provide our clients and employees with publicly available emergency information in an accessible way.
After becoming aware of the need for accommodation and, as soon as possible:
- ASCIS will provide individualized emergency response information to students and employees with disabilities.
- ASCIS will establish a plan to assist any student and employee with a disability during an emergency.
- ASCIS will, with the consent of the individual student and/or employee, provide the workplace emergency response information to the ASCIS designated person who will have been assigned to provide assistance to a particular individual with disabilities.
ASCIS will review the individualized workplace emergency response information when the student or employee moves to a different location in the school and /or when the needs for accommodation for a student or employee require re-adjustments in the personal emergency plan.
Training
ASCIS will appropriately train employees, volunteers and other staff members on relevant accessibility laws and corresponding sections of the Human Rights Code.
School Administrators will train new teachers and other staff members on Accessible Customer Service.
Staff will be informed and trained (as needed) whenever there will be changes made to the ASCIS Accessibility Plan.
The ASCIS Training Module includes:
- Review of the purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
- Review of the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Duty to Accommodate, and the duties and rights that everyone has under the Code as it relates to persons with disabilities.
- Instruction on how to interact and communicate with individuals who have various types of disabilities and the use of assistive devices, service animals, and support persons.
- Training on policies and practices relating to the provision of goods or services to individuals with disabilities.
- Training on the Information and Communications Standard that relates to accessible feedback, accessible formats and communications supports.
- Information on the Employment Standard and the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers.
During regular meetings when directives and policies are explained in detail to Staff, the ASCIS Administration will ensure that, in terms of issues of disability, accessibility and accommodation, all ASCIS Staff will fully understand that they must endorse and follow the ASCIS policies and directives whether these be enacted for the common good of the school community or for the specific needs of an individual. Newly-hired employees will receive training on the current ASCIS practices in these matters. At all times, the ASCIS Staff must adhere to the ASCIS Policy Statement “to comport themselves at all times with mutual courtesy and respect”.
Notice of Temporary Disruption
ASCIS understands that individuals with disabilities often rely on certain facilities or services being available at ASCIS (e.g., accessible washrooms, access ramps, designated disabled parking spots, etc.). Thus, ASCIS will promptly notify customers whenever there will be a temporary disruption in such facilities or services. This notice will include the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and all available alternative facilities and services.
The following policies have been established by ASCIS to govern the provision of services according to Regulation 191/11, “Integrated Accessibility Standards” (“Regulation”) under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.
Documented Individual Accommodation Plans
ASCIS will maintain a written process for the development of documented individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. If requested, information regarding accessible formats and communication supports will be included in individual accommodation plans. These plans will also include individualized workplace emergency response information (where required), and will identify any other accommodation to be provided.
The Employment Standards Act mandates that the following elements be included in the written process:
· the manner in which the employee requesting accommodation can participate in the development of the individual accommodation plan;
· the means by which the employee is assessed on an individual basis;
· the manner in which the employer can request an evaluation by an outside medical or other expert, at the employer’s expense, to determine how accommodation can be achieved;
· the manner in which the employee can request the participation of their bargaining agent, or other representative (if not unionized), in the development of the accommodation plan;
· the steps that will be taken to protect the privacy of the employee’s personal information;
· the frequency and manner in which the individual accommodation plan will be reviewed and updated;
· if an accommodation plan is denied, the manner in which the reasons for denial will be proved to the employee; and
· the means of providing the individual accommodation plan in an accessible format; and
· if requested or required, include information regarding the employee’s accessible formats and communication supports provided, individualized workplace emergency response information and any other accommodation measures provided.
ASCIS fully understands that an Individual Accommodation Plan implies a process that will be well-suited to a specific individual and thus, according to the specific circumstances of a particular individual. ASCIS therefore will remain committed and open-minded in clearly understanding the details of these circumstances and then, in collaborating with the individual to acquire the most convenient and efficient solution to readily accommodate the disability of the individual.
Consequently, this process will involve the input and collaboration of many parties: the specific individual requesting accommodation, the assigned ASCIS Team, the experienced professional(s) providing all parties with advice and resources in accommodating the particular disability under review.
Once this Individual Accommodation Plan will have been circulated among all parties and after all parties will have agreed and accepted its wording, this Plan will be considered as the ASCIS Directives for all of the ASCIS Staff who will be assisting the particular individual for whom the policy was drawn-up. As requested, and, therefore whenever necessary, such Plan will be subject to amendments which will have been approved by all parties involved in this individual process.
Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees
Upon request, ASCIS will consult with the employee to determine the suitability of and to provide for accessible formats and communication supports for information as this employee will require to perform his/her job; this employee is entitled to receive all information generally available to other employees.
Recruitment, Assessment or Selection Process
During recruitment periods, ASCIS will notify our employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities.
When applicants are individually selected to participate further in an assessment or selection process, ASCIS will notify them that accommodations are available upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used.
If a selected applicant requests an accommodation, ASCIS will consult with the applicant and provide (or will arrange for the provision of) an accommodation which will meet the applicant’s accessibility needs.
Notice to Successful Applicants
When making offers of employment, ASCIS will notify the successful applicant of the school’s policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
Performance Management, Professional Growth Opportunities, Advancement and Redeployment
When conducting performance management or providing professional growth opportunities and advancement to employees, or when redeploying employees, ASCIS will take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities as well as their individual accommodation plans. Activities related to assessing and improving employee performance, productivity and effectiveness will focus on facilitating employee success.
Return to Work Process
ASCIS maintains a documented return to work process for our employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and who require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work. The return-to-work process outlines the steps which ASCIS will take to facilitate the return to work and this process will include documented individual accommodation plans.
The written return to work process will:
· outline the steps that the employer will take to facilitate the return to work of employees who were absent because their disability required them to be away from work; and
· use individual accommodation plans (as discussed above) as part of the process.
As in the case of Individual Accommodation Plans, ASCIS will follow a similar process when drafting the outline for an individual returning to work. Hence, all parties involved will input and collaborate in order to effectuate a safe and comfortable return to work at ASCIS for this employee. The Outline will be drafted in compliance with all applicable laws (e.g., Employment Standards Act, Labour Code, Human Rights Code, WHMIS/JHSA, etc.). Thus, the Outline will mandate research and reference from more professionals and their corresponding resources. Whenever necessary, ASCIS will receive written permission from the individual employee to consult with the employee’s medical advisors about detailing the proper requirements in the Outline of this individual employee. Once completed, all parties will agree that this Outline will be subjected to edits and amendments as required.
Design of Public Spaces
ASCIS will meet the requirements of the Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces when building or making major modifications to public spaces such as:
- Outdoor play spaces
- Outdoor paths of travel, like sidewalks, ramps, stairs, curb ramps, rest areas and accessible pedestrian signals
- Accessible off-street parking
Feedback
Individuals who wish to provide Feedback about the goods and services which ASCIS provides to people with disabilities may email info@stececile.ca. All feedback, including complaints, will be responded to in a timely and respectful manner.
For more information
For more information on the ASCIS Accessibility Plan and Accessibility Policies, and/ or for accessible formats of these documents (available free upon request), please contact ASCIS at:
Phone: _519-969-1291_ Email: __info@stececile.ca_
As an organization with 20 or more employees in Ontario, ASCIS has filed its compliance reports as per the Customer Service Standards.
As an organization with 50 or more employees in Ontario, ASCIS undertakes to file an additional accessibility compliance report every three years; this report will highlight our requirements as per the Customer Service Standards and the Integrated Accessibility Standards (Integrated Standards).
Barriers
Possible barriers identified at ASCIS are:
| Barrier | Objective | Action | Timeline |
| Updated building construction where required | Update with accessible materials where feasible | Repair or replace less accessible items (door handles, etc.) | As needed |
| Accessible Washrooms | Ensure the convenience of signage and access to such washrooms | Maintain proper signage, beams, lifts, stalls, etc.
Ensure regular cleanliness |
As needed |
| Accommodations for visually impaired | Allow visually impaired access to information | Provide appropriate accommodations | Upon request |
| Automatic Doors | Install ramps, automatic doors, etc. | Maintain automatic door functionality. Train users on how these operate. | Ongoing |
| Training staff | Ensure all staff are properly trained | Review accessibility awareness and training | Ongoing |
| Proper Policies | Ensure policies are up-to-date and relevant | Review policies as required | Annual and as needed |
| Information and Communication | Ensure access to information in different formats as required | Review access to other forms of information as requested by individuals with disabilities | Upon request |
| Information and Communication | Ensure websites conform to WCAG, 2.0 level AA by deadline | Contact Website Team to review criteria | Work-in-progress |
ASCIS remains committed to ensure the ease and comfort of individuals with disabilities who will be associated with ASCIS and who will properly inform ASCIS about their specific needs for accommodation.