1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Policy is to outline the practices and procedures of The Hive Strategic Marketing and Hive Beverage Group (collectively known as ‘The Hive’) to meet its obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “AODA”). Through this Policy, The Hive establishes and implements practices and procedures consistent with its goal of compliance with the AODA and its commitment to excellent customer service experience for all.
2. COMMITMENT
The Hive is committed to treating all people in a manner that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in equal opportunity of all people. We are also committed to meeting the needs of persons with disabilities in a timely fashion. We will work in preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meet accessibility requirements in a timely manner.
3. POLICY
Guiding Principles and Scope
The Hive is committed to the principles and goals of the AODA and the Customer Service Standards set out in the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (“Customer Service Standards”) and to providing excellent customer service. The Hive will make every reasonable effort to ensure that its policies, practices, and procedures are consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity for persons with disabilities by:
The Hive encourages open two-way communication to ensure the best possible customer service. It expects and encourages persons with disabilities to communicate their need for accommodation or assistance and work with The Hive to develop accommodations up to the point of undue hardship.
Employment Standards
The Hive is committed to fair and accessible employment practices. The Hive’s job postings will indicate that accommodations are available upon request in relation to materials and processes used in the recruitment process. If a selected applicant requests accommodation, The Hive will consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for the provision of a suitable accommodation in a manner that considers the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability.
Communication
The Hive is committed to communicating with persons with disabilities in ways that consider the person’s disability. The Hive will work with persons with disabilities to provide alternative communication formats that will meet their needs in a timely manner. Persons requesting alternative formats will receive a response within 5 to 10 business days. If telephone or other used forms of communication are not suitable for a person’s needs, alternative forms of communication will be provided, to the extent required by law.
Workplace Accessibility
The Hive will continue to provide a work environment with open access to all persons.
Workplace Accommodation
Upon the request of an employee with a disability, The Hive will consult with the employee to provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for information that is needed to perform their job, and information that is generally available to other employees. In determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support, The Hive will consult with the employee making the request.
Workplace Safety
The Hive will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability. If the disability is such that the individualized information is necessary, and if The Hive is aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability, The Hive will provide this information as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the need for accommodation. Where the employee requires assistance, The Hive will, with the consent of the employee, provide the workplace emergency response information to the person designated by The Hive to aid the employee. The Hive will review the individualized workplace emergency response information when the employee moves to a different location in the organization and/or, when the employee’s overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed.
Return To Work
The Hive short term disability policy outlines a return to work policy for its employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and who require disability-related accommodation to return to work. The return-to-work process outlines the steps The Hive will take to facilitate the return to work and will include documented individual accommodation plans as part of the process. This return-to-work process will not replace or override any other return to work process created by or under any other statute (i.e. the Workplace Safety Insurance Act, 1997).
Support Persons
The Hive may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person, but only if, after consulting with the person with a disability and considering the available information, it is determined that the support person is necessary to protect the health and safety of the person with the disability or of others on the premises and there is no other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person with the disability or others on the premises.
Assistive Devices
Persons with disabilities may use their own personal assistive devices, service animals, or be accompanied by support persons (as defined by the Customer Service Standards and below in this Policy) while obtaining any service provided by The Hive. Service animals are permitted on the parts of our premises that are open to the public unless excluded by law.
Billing
The Hive is committed to providing accessible invoices. For this reason, invoices will be provided in alternative formats, upon request.
Guide Dogs And Service Animals
An employee/visitor with a disability who is accompanied by a guide dog or service animal will be allowed access to premises unless otherwise excluded by law. “No pet” policies do not apply to guide dogs or service animals. Employees may respectfully ask if an animal is a service animal and will not ask the nature of the person’s disability or purpose of the animal.
Exclusion Guidelines
If an employee/visitor’s guide dog or service animal is excluded by law (see applicable laws below), The Hive will offer reasonable alternative methods to enable the person with a disability to access goods and services, when possible.
Applicable Laws
Dog Owners’ Liability Act, 2005: If there is a conflict between a provision of this legislation or of a regulation under this or any other act relating to banned breeds (such as pit bulls) and a provision of a by-law passed by a municipality relating to these breeds, the provision that is more restrictive in relation to controls or bans on these breeds prevails. Employees will respectfully explain that the service animal must be removed from the public area due to a municipal by-law and make alternate arrangements or provide the service outside the public area.
Recognizing a Guide Dog or Service Animal
If it is not readily apparent that the animal is being used by a person for reasons relating to their disability, The Hive may request verification.
Care and Control of the Animal
The individual who is accompanied by a guide dog or service animal is responsible for always maintaining care and control of the animal.
Allergies and Other Health and Safety Concerns
If a health and safety concern presents itself, for example, in the form of a severe allergy to the animal, The Hive will make all reasonable efforts to meet the needs of all individuals. Pursuant to The Hive’s obligations under the Human Rights Code and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, everyone’s accommodation needs will be considered on a case-by-case basis, up to the point of undue hardship.
Due diligence needs to be paid to address health and safety requirements. In very exceptional circumstances where a service animal becomes out of control, causing a clear disruption or a threat to the health and safety of others, and the animal’s behaviour is not corrected by the owner, a person with a disability can be asked to remove their service animal from the premises.
As a courtesy, particularly if the person and service animal have been in attendance on the premises for a long time, employees may ask whether the animal requires water, may designate an area in which the service animal can relieve itself, or ask whether the staff can be of assistance pertaining to the service animal.
Training
The Hive will ensure that all employees and contractors receive appropriate mandatory training about the provision of goods, services, and facilities to persons with disabilities. Continuing training and learning will also be provided on an ongoing basis in connection with changes to the policies and procedures governing the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities.
The training will include instruction on:
The Hive will keep records of the training provided, including dates on which training is completed.
Notice of Temporary Disruptions
Service disruptions may occur for reasons that may or may not be within the control or knowledge of The Hive. In the event of any temporary disruptions to facilities that impact persons with disabilities’ usual access to goods, services, or facilities, reasonable efforts will be made to provide advance notice. In some circumstances, such as in the situation of unplanned temporary disruptions, advance notice may not be possible.
The Hive will provide public notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services for its facilities used by persons with disabilities. Such notices will include information about the reason for the disruption, how long the disruption is expected to last and a description of any alternative services or facilities, if available.
When disruptions occur, The Hive will provide notice by:
Such notice will be placed or available in a location that is appropriate based on the service disruption. For example, if the elevator is out of order, The Hive will ensure a notice is posted on or near the elevator doors.
To make information accessible, signs and printed notices of sufficient size that are easily readable will be prepared.
The signs and printed notices will be displayed prominently at the main entrance to The Hive.
Feedback Process
Questions or requests for AODA information or accommodation plans should be directed to Ted Rakoczy.
Information about the feedback process will be readily available to all customers and notice of the process will be made available on The Hive’s external internet sites: www.thehiveinc.com and www.thehiveinc.com/hbg-intro. Feedback information, along with alternate methods of providing feedback verbally (in person or by telephone) or written (handwritten, delivered, website, or e-mail), will be available upon request.
Accessibility Feedback
To: Ted Rakoczy
Address: 950 Dupont St, 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario M6H1Z2
Phone: 416 923 3800 Ext 299
Email: trakoczy@thehiveinc.com
Those who provide formal feedback will receive acknowledgment of their feedback, along with any resulting actions based on concerns or complaints that were submitted.
The Hive will provide or arrange for accessible formats or communication supports to ensure the feedback process is accessible to persons with disabilities upon request.
Availability and Format of Documents
The Hive will, upon request, provide or arrange for accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities in a timely manner that takes into account the person’s accessibility needs due to a disability at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons. The Hive will consult with a person making such a request to determine their accessibility needs and the appropriate supports or formats.
4. REVIEW
This policy and its related procedures will be reviewed as regularly as necessary to ensure that it reflects current practices of The Hive as well as compliance with legislative requirements.
5. DEFINITIONS
Assistive Device: Any device used by people with disabilities to help increase, maintain, or improve how a person with a disability can function. Such devices may include but are not limited to, wheelchairs, walkers, white canes, oxygen tanks, electronic communication devices, elevators, ramps, and stair lifts.
Customer: Any person who uses the goods and services of The Hive, including employees, clients, service technicians and other members of The Hive community.
Disability: As defined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, section 2, means (a) any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation, or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness; (b) a condition of mental impairment or developmental disability; (c) a learning disability or a dysfunction on 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.
Dignity: Refers to service which is provided in a way that allows the person with a disability to maintain self-respect and the respect of others.
Equal Opportunity: Refers to service that is provided in a way that allows the person with a disability access to goods and services at the same level given to others.
Independence: Allows the person with a disability to do things independently without unnecessary interference from others.
Integration: Refers to service that is provided in a way that allows the person with a disability to benefit from the same services, in the same place and in the same or similar manner as other customers, unless an alternate measure is necessary to enable the person with the disability to access the goods or services.
Service Animal: An animal is a service animal for a person with a disability if:
Support Person: A person who assists a person with a disability with communication, mobility, personal care, or medical needs as they access the services of The Hive. A support person is distinct from a Hive employee who supports a person with a disability.