ACCESSIBILITY POLICY

STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT

Converge Technology Solutions Corp. (“the Business”) is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to treating people with disabilities in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence.

We believe in integration, and we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner. We will do so by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and by meeting our accessibility requirements under all applicable accessibility laws.

 

APPLICATION AND SCOPE

This Policy is made pursuant to the requirements of applicable accessibility laws and legislation and addresses how Converge will achieve accessibility. This Policy will be reviewed and updated as necessary, at least every five years, and posted on our website.

 

Definitions:

Disability means any degree of physical, mental, emotional, developmental or learning impairment, and includes temporary and permanent disabilities, visible and invisible disabilities (e.g. visual, hearing or mental impairment, or learning or developmental disabilities).
Guide Dog means a dog trained as a guide for a blind person that has completed a training program at a designated training facility set out in the Guide Dogs Regulation.
Service Animals are animals that are considered a service animal for a person with a disability if:

• • The animal can be readily identified as one that is being used by the person for reasons relating to the person’s disability, as a result of visual indicators, such as the vest or harness worn by the animal; or
  • The person provides documentation from a designated regulated health professional college confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability.

Support Person means, in relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies them in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care, medical needs, or access to goods, services, and facilities.

 

TRAINING

Converge provides training to its employees, volunteers, persons who participate in developing its policies and all other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of Converge, where applicable. The training shall be:

(a)   on the requirements of the applicable accessibility and human rights regulations and laws as it relates to persons with disabilities;
(b)   appropriate to the duties of the employees, volunteers and other persons;
(c)   provided as soon as practicable, on an ongoing basis and as necessary to comply with all statutory requirements.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION STANDARDS

Accessible Formats and Communication Supports

Upon request, and as required by applicable regulations, Converge will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities in a timely manner and at a cost that is not greater than the cost charged to other persons, if any.

Converge will consult with the person making the request to determine the suitability of an accessible format or communication support and notify the public about the availability of these formats and supports. If Converge determines that information or communications are unconvertible, we shall provide the requestor with:

• • an explanation as to why the information or communications are unconvertible; and
  •  a summary of the unconvertible information or communications.

We will also meet internationally recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA website requirements in accordance with applicable accessibility laws.

 

Feedback

Converge ensures that its feedback processes are accessible to persons with disabilities by providing or arranging for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports, upon request. We will notify the public of the availability of accessible formats and communication supports including by posting this information online.

Further information about our feedback process is available at the end of this Policy.

 

Emergency Information

Where Converge prepares emergency procedures, plans or public safety information and makes such information available to the public, it shall provide the information in an accessible format or with appropriate communication supports, as soon as practicable, upon request.

 

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

Converge is committed to ensuring that its employment practices are in compliance with applicable accessibility and human rights regulations and laws.

 

Recruitment

Accommodations for applicants (including existing employees) with disabilities are available in Converge’s recruitment processes.

Converge shall notify applicants when they are individually selected to participate in an assessment or selection process that accommodations, including Accessible Formats and Communication Supports, are available upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used. If a selected applicant requests accommodation, Converge will consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for the provision of a suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to a disability.

Converge shall notify successful applicants of its policies for accommodating employees with disabilities when making offers of employment.

Converge shall also notify employees of its policies which support employees with disabilities, including but not limited to policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to a disability.

 

Accessible Formats & Communication Supports for Employees

Where an employee with a disability requests it, Converge will consult with the employee to provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for information that is (a) needed in order to perform the employee’s job and (b) generally available to employees in the workplace.

 

Performance Management, Career Development and Advancement, Redeployment

Converge shall take into account the accessibility needs of employees when using performance management processes, providing career development and advancement, and using redeployment.

 

Workplace Emergency Response Information

Converge provides individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability if the disability is such that the individualized information is necessary and the employer is aware of the need for accommodation. Converge provides this information as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the need for accommodation.

If an employee who receives individualized workplace emergency response information requires assistance and provided that the employee’s consent is obtained, Converge will provide the workplace emergency response information to the person designated by the employer to provide assistance to the employee.

Converge reviews the individualized workplace emergency response information in the following circumstances: when the employee moves to a different location in the organization, when overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed, and when it reviews its general emergency response policies.

 

ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS FOR OUR FACILITIES

Converge is committed to designing our facilities free from barriers and accessible to all persons we serve. Where appropriate, we will provide clients with notice if there is a temporary disruption when accessible elements are not in working order.

 

COPIES

Upon request, all of our policies can be made available in an accessible format and we can provide or arrange to provide communication supports as necessary.

 

FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS

If you have any questions about this Policy or our accessibility initiatives, please let us know. Feedback on this Policy and Converge’s accessibility measures is welcome. Feedback can be provided through various means and in various forms. If you have questions, concerns or comments, please contact your manager.

All feedback received will be reviewed within a reasonable time period and Converge will take all appropriate steps to address any issues raised. All complaints will be processed in accordance with Converge’s complaints process.

 

CUSTOMER SERVICE POLICY

Converge is committed to excellence in serving all customers, including people with disabilities. Our accessible customer service policies are consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity for people with disabilities.

We will do so by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and by meeting our accessibility requirements under the applicable accessibility and human rights regulations and laws.

 

ASSISTIVE DEVICES

People with disabilities may use their personal assistive devices when accessing our goods, services or facilities.

In cases where the assistive device presents a significant and unavoidable health or safety concern or may not be permitted for other reasons, other measures will be used to ensure the person with a disability can access our goods, services or facilities.

We will ensure that our staff are trained and familiar with various assistive devices we have on site or that we provide that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods, services or facilities.

 

COMMUNICATION

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability. We will work with the person with a disability to determine what method of communication works for them.

 

SERVICE ANIMALS

We welcome people with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are allowed on the part of our premises which is open to the public. When we cannot easily identify whether an animal is a service animal, our staff may ask the person to provide documentation from a regulated health professional that confirms the person needs the service animal for reasons relating to their disability.

If service animals are prohibited by another law, we will ensure the customer with disabilities can access our goods, services or facilities by explaining why the animal is excluded and discussing with the customer another way of providing goods, services or facilities.

 

SUPPORT PERSONS

A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person accompany them on our premises.

In certain cases, we might require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person for the health or safety reasons of the person with a disability or others on the premises.

Before making a decision, Converge will:

• • consult with the person with a disability to understand their needs.
  • consider health or safety reasons based on available evidence.
  • determine if there is no other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person or others on the premises.

 

NOTICE OF TEMPORARY DISRUPTION

In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities, we will notify customers promptly. This clearly posted notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated length of time, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.

 

TRAINING

Converge will provide accessible customer service training to all employees and volunteers, any person involved in developing our policies and any person who provides goods, services or facilities to customers on Converge’s behalf.

The training will encompass:

• • purpose of the applicable accessibility legislation and the requirements in respect of customer service;
  • Converge’s policies related to any customer service standards;
  • how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities;
  • how to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or support person;
  • how to use the equipment or devices available on-site or otherwise that may help with providing goods, services or facilities to people with disabilities; and
  • what to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing Converge’s goods, services or facilities.

Staff will be trained on accessible customer service as part of their training when they are first hired and again if changes are made to our accessible customer service policy.

 

FEEDBACK PROCESS

We welcome feedback. Customers who wish to provide feedback on the way Converge provides goods, services or facilities to people with disabilities can provide feedback in the following way(s):

By email to: [email protected]
By mail to: Converge Technology Solutions, c/o People Operations (DEI), 3155 Swansea Cres, Ottawa, ON, K1G 3J3

Converge will make sure our feedback process is accessible to people with disabilities by providing or arranging for accessible formats and communication supports, on request.

All feedback received will be reviewed within a reasonable time period and Converge will take all appropriate steps to address any issues raised. All complaints will be processed in accordance with Converge’s complaints process.

 

DOCUMENTS

Converge will provide this document in an accessible format or with communication support, on request. We will consult with the person making the request to determine the suitability of the format or communication support. We will provide the accessible format in a timely manner and, at no additional cost.

Any policies of Converge that do not respect and promote the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity for people with disabilities will be modified or removed.

 

REVIEW OF THE POLICY

This Policy will be reviewed and may be amended from time to time based on the needs and experiences of Converge.