Accessibility Policy

The Ontario PC Caucus and their respective offices are committed to treating all people with dignity, allowing them to maintain their independence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity. We are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Definitions

For the purposes of this policy: “Disability” means:

Any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co‐ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device;
A condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability;
A learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language;
A mental disorder; or
An injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

“Service animal” means an animal accompanying a person with disabilities where it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability or where the person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that he or she requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability. This definition includes guide dogs used by the blind or visually impaired.

“Support person” means, in relation to a person with disabilities, another person who accompanies him or her in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs.

Application of Policy

This policy applies to services that are provided to the public by the Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices. The policy applies to all staff and visitors at the Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices, who are accountable for providing accessibility to persons with disabilities.

Providing Services to Persons with Disabilities

We are committed to excellence in serving all people, including persons with disabilities, and will carry out our functions and responsibilities by:

Communicating with persons with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.
Serving persons with disabilities who use assistive devices. Ensuring that persons with disabilities who are accompanied by their guide dog or other service animals are permitted to enter the premises of the Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices with the animal and to keep the animal with them, unless the animal is excluded by law from the premises.
Ensuring that persons with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person are permitted to enter the Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices’ premises with their support person. At no time will persons with disabilities who are accompanied by their support person be prevented from having access to their support person while on Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices premises.

Support Persons

Person with disabilities may enter and have access to the support person while on the Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices’ premises. In certain circumstances, Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices may require persons with disabilities to be accompanied by a support person when on the premises, but only if a support person is necessary to protect the health and safety of the person with disabilities or the health or safety of others on the premises.

Service Animals

A person with disabilities may be accompanied by a guide dog, or other service animal when on Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices’ premises. In the event that service animals are excluded by law from the premises or a part thereof (e.g. an area where food is being prepared), the Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices will provide other resources or support to enable the person with disabilities to access the services offered by the Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices.

Notice of Temporary Disruption

In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services for areas that are specifically under the control of the Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices, notice will be clearly posted and include anticipated length of time of the service disruption.

Training for staff

The Ontario PC Caucus will train its staff who provide services to the public. This policy will also be shared as soon as practicable with new hires. Ontario PC Caucus training will include the following topics:

The purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard;

How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disabilities;
How to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a guide dog, service animal or a support person;
How to use or access the equipment or devices available in those office premises, that may help with the provision of services to persons with disabilities;
What to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty in accessing services; and
This policy.

Ontario PC Caucus will provide training on an ongoing basis when changes are made to our policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of services to persons with disabilities.

Feedback process

The Ontario PC Caucus and their respective offices welcomes any feedback regarding the methods we use to provide services to persons with disabilities. Individuals may provide their feedback in person, in writing, or by e-mail to:

PCCS Accessibility Team, Room 124NW, 111 Wellesley Street West, Toronto, ON, M7A 1A8 or email pccshr@pc.ola.org

Accessible formats are available on request. The Accessibility Team will review and assess all feedback received with respect to the Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices’ accessibility practices and policies.

If the feedback is in the nature of a complaint, the comment(s) or allegation(s) will be investigated, unless they are made in bad faith, or are frivolous or vexatious.

Feedback will be shared with the appropriate departments and office contacts.

Modifications to this policy

Any existing policy that is not aligned with the Accessibility Policy will be removed or modified.

Questions about this policy

If anyone has a question about the policy, or if its purpose is not understood, please contact the Accessibility Team. The Ontario PC Caucus welcomes suggestions from staff for improving this policy and the manner in which we provide services to persons with disabilities.

Requests for AODA compliance documents

Upon request, the Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices, shall provide a copy of this policy to any person. When a request for this policy is received, Ontario PC Caucus or their respective offices will provide the document or information in a format that takes into account the requestor’s disabilities.