Published: June 30, 2021

Endy Canada Inc. (“Endy”) is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible environment for all Firm members, clients and visitors and to meeting the objectives and requirements outlined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “AODA”). 

This Multi-Year Accessibility Plan, together with the Accessible Customer Service Standard Policy, was developed in accordance with the requirements of the AODA, and together they outline our commitment and strategy to achieve accessibility goals. The policies and plan are available on the company intranet and external website.

Statement of Commitment

Endy is committed to providing a barrier-free environment for our customers, employees, job applicants, visitors and other stakeholders who enter our premises, contact us, or access our information. As an organization, we respect and uphold the requirements set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), and its associated standards and regulations.

We are 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 persons with disabilities in a timely manner and will do so by identifying, removing, and preventing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility standards in accordance with the AODA. Providing an accessible and barrier-free environment is a shared effort, and as an organization, we are committed to working with the necessary parties to make accessibility for all a reality.

We are also committed to ensuring our organization's compliance by incorporating accessibility legislation into our policies, procedures, equipment requirements, training, and best practices. We will review these policies and practices annually, as organizational changes occur, or in anticipation of compliance deadlines. The Company is committed to making every reasonable effort to accommodate people with disabilities.

Standards of Accessibility under AODA:

1. I. General Requirements

   (i) Accessible Emergency Information 

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

   Endy 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.

   Endy has created a process for documenting issues of accessibility and recording and providing accommodation for individualized accessible emergency response information. Endy 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.

   (ii). Accessibility policies and plans

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

   • Our policy requires that the Code of Ethics must be read, reviewed and signed by every employee upon hire.

   • Policy Review takes place within the organization annually.

   (iii). Training

   Endy provides training to employees on Accessibility Standards and on the Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities. Training is provided in a way that best suits the duties and needs of employees and every person who deals with the public on behalf of Endy.  In addition, employees may require training on one or more of the standards—information and communications or employment, as it relates to the duties and responsibilities of their position.

   Endy has taken the following steps to ensure employees are provided with the training needed to meet current standards and legislation in accordance with the IASR:

   • 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 or placement

   • Keep and maintain a database of the training participant’s names and dates of completion.

2. II. Customer Service Standard 

   Endy 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, are 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. 

   • Endy employees, when communicating with a person with a disability, will do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.

   The following measures have been implemented by Endy:

   • Development of the Accessible Customer Service Standard Policy, which is available on the company’s intranet website.

   • Frontline employees who interact directly with customers are trained and familiar with various assistive devices. 

   • Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person or by a service animal will be allowed to enter Endy’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 their support person and/or service animal while on our premises.

   • Online courses on “Diversity in the Workplace,” and “Developing Diverse Teams” are available to all employees. 

   • 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 Endy provides goods and services to people with disabilities. This feedback can be made: verbally, by e-mail, or in writing. All feedback is directed to the Vice President for that business unit.

   • A process is in place to ensure that all feedback collected from customers, staff, or the general public are reviewed and analyzed to identify potential gaps in customer services and to ensure appropriate actions are taken.

   • Notice is provided to customers and visitors with self-disclosed disabilities in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or office facilities. Where possible, we post a notification on the intranet regarding the disruption. The notice includes the reason for the disruption, how long the disruption is expected to last, and a description of any alternative facilities or services available (where applicable).

3. III. Information and Communications Standard

   Endy is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities.

   We want to achieve the most effective and efficient access to information for all users. Endy has undertaken the following plans to ensure compliance with this standard:

   • A feedback process has been established that is accessible, alternate formats are also available such as telephone, mail and in-person.

   • The Accessibility Standards online course that includes the Information and Communication Standard module is provided to staff that are involved in developing or disseminating information internally or externally on behalf of the organization.

   • Our website conforms to WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards. The following measures have been implemented to ensure continued compliance:

   • • Ongoing external digital accessibility training for web developers and designers

     • External and internal audit of web properties to assess compliance utilizing tools such as assistive technologies, browser tools, and visual contrast validation 

     • Accessibility requirements, responsibilities, and goals are identified in all web projects and measured from ideation to quality assurance to production

   Technical Specifications

   Accessibility of Endy relies on the following technologies to work with the particular combination of web browser and any assistive technologies or plugins installed on your computer. These technologies are relied upon for conformance with the accessibility standards used:

   • HTML

   • WAI-ARIA

   • CSS

   • JavaScript

4. IV. Employment Standard 

   Endy 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, Endy will accommodate people with disabilities throughout the recruitment and onboarding process.

5. V. Recruitment 

   Endy is committed to ensuring that our recruitment and assessment processes are fair and accessible. All involved in hiring of any type will be required to complete the Accessibility Standards online course that includes the Employment Standard module and our internal certification.

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

   • Recruitment materials specify that accommodation is available for applicants with disabilities, with regards to interviews and assessments 

   • When making offers of employment, successful applicants are notified of policies for accommodating employees with disabilities

   • Employees are informed of policies supporting individuals with disabilities. 

   • New employees are provided with information as soon as practicable after hiring. 

   • Updated information on accommodations policies is provided to employees when changes occur. 

   • Employees are consulted to determine the suitability of the format or support. 

6. VI. Documented Individual Accommodation Plans 

   Endy 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. 

7. VII. Return to Work 

   Endy 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. 

   Endy 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 Endy takes to facilitate the return to work process and uses the documented individual accommodation plans.

8. VIII. Performance Management, Career Development & Redeployment 

   Endy 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.

   Endy 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

9. IX. Contact Details

   For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact:

   Endy Canada Inc.
   800-60 Adelaide Street East
   Toronto, Ontario
   M5C 3E4
   Phone: 1.866.304.3639
   Email: accessibility@endy.com

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

   Feedback relating to our programs and services are welcomed and appreciated. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers on Endy. Where possible, please include technologies used, page and product information. This feedback can be made: verbally, by e-mail, or in writing and mailed to our head office.