MESSAGE FROM CEO
Laura Canada strives to meet the needs of its employees and customers with disabilities and is working hard to remove and prevent barriers to accessibility. Our organization is committed to fulfilling our requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. This accessibility plan outlines the steps Laura Canada is taking to meet those requirements and to improve opportunities for people with disabilities. Our plan shows how Laura Canada will play its role in making Ontario an accessible province for all Ontarians.
REMOVE AND PREVENT BARRIERS
This document includes a summary of the accessibility initiatives that Laura Canada will be completing by November 30th, 2015.
Maintenance/clutter
- Clutter is always cleared from the hallways and corridors
Customer Service
Laura Canada is committed to providing accessible customer service to people with disabilities. This means that we will provide goods and services to people with disabilities with the same high quality and timeliness as others.
- Laura Canada established a policies and procedures document available for all employees on Customer Service Standards. This document is given at Orientation.
- Persons with disabilities can provide that feedback informally to our staff, by phone at 1-877-973-8638, or formally in writing by sending an email to contact@laura.ca.
Information and Communications
Laura Canada is committed to making our information and communications accessible to people with disabilities.
- Laura Canada has emergency procedures, plans for public safety and will make the information available to the public and provide the information in an accessible format, upon request.
- Laura Canada’s Multi-year plan will be available on the website.
- The majority of the company documents are in an electronic format and available in the internal Portal.
Training will be provided to all employees in Ontario on the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 the customer service standards, the Human Rights Code, how to interact with people with disabilities. Laura Canada will keep a record of these trainings.
Employment
Laura Canada is committed to fair and accessible employment practices.
- Already in place: Some available positions are posted on Laura’s website or on mall sites and Employment Canada.
- We will also add this statement: “Recruitment-related accommodations for disabilities are available to applicants who are selected for an interview. Please notify the interviewer in advance of any accommodations you require.
- Laura Canada will train the employees on Recruitment process to educate members on accommodations.
- Laura Canada will train all employees within 30 days of hire, to inform them of its policies for supporting employees with disabilities. Existing employees will be trained for any changes.
- We will consult employees with a disability to determine which accessible formats or communications supports they require to perform the duties of their job.
- With the consent of the employee with a disability, the employees will be provided with the necessary information to assist the employee with the disability.
- Already in place: The Company provides a return to work plan for its employees who have been absent due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations. The return to work process is documented. If an individual’s injury is covered by the return to work provisions of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, then that Act’s return to work process would apply.
For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact the Human Resources Department at 1-877-973-6090 ext. 2296 or visit www.laura.ca. Standard and accessible formats of this document are free upon request or on Laura Canada’s website.
Our organization will review and update the plan at least every five years.