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Accessibility Policy
Our Commitment
Global Child Care Services is committed to providing services in a manner which respects the dignity and independence of all persons, including persons with disabilities.
We are also committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
Children are our primary clients, and for those enrolled in our programs, we promote and offer an inclusive and accessible early learning and care environment. Children with a variety of special needs are fully integrated into our child care programs, and to that end, our staff teams work in cooperation with integration advisors and child behaviour management consultants. When required, program assistants are hired to provide enhanced staffing support to enable full inclusion in the program.
In addition to ensuring inclusive and accessible early learning environments for the children in our care, we are committed to ensuring our interactions with all persons with disabilities with whom we interact at Global sites are characterized by sensitivity and respect for their dignity and independence. Visitors to Global sites regularly include but are not limited to parents, guardians, siblings and other family members of the client-children in our child care programs; parent, caregiver and child attendees of the drop-ins offered by our Community Outreach program; prospective clients of any of our services and members of the general public inquiring about our services.
Communication
We will communicate with people with disabilities with sensitivity, and in ways that take into account their disability. We will consult with people with disabilities to determine their information and communication needs. We will arrange for the timely provision of accessible formats and communication support where necessary.
Use of Service Animals and Support Persons
Service Animals
Global is committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the premises at which we offer services and that are open to the public or other third parties. In the event that a service animal is prohibited by law from the premises, Global will ensure that other measures are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from Global’s services. It is the responsibility of the person using the service animal to ensure that the service animal is kept in control at all times.
In the event one of our employees or one of our client children at the location visited by the person with the service animal is allergic, alternative arrangements will be negotiated.
Support Persons
Persons with disabilities may enter a Global Child Care Services location accompanied by a support person and may have access to that support person at all times.
Assistive Devices
We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our services. We will ensure that applicable staff members are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be required by the parents/guardians of our client-children or others visiting our programs as needed.
Notice of Temporary Disruption
Client families of our child care programs will be notified directly by telephone in the event of a disruption to services or facilities. Clients of our drop-ins will be notified by prominent posting at the location entrance experiencing the disruption to service and by contacting our Head Office location for more information. Information about temporary disruptions to any of our programs which must be extended will be posted on our website. All notifications will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative services, if available. In the event of a disruption due to an emergency, we may not be able to give advance notice.
Employment
We are committed to fair and accessible employment practices. We will notify applicants through the job posting that, when requested, we will accommodate people with disabilities during the recruitment and selection processes and when employees are hired. We will notify successful applicants of our accommodation policies.
We will strive to provide accessible formats and communication supports for disabled employees to do their job and for information that is generally available to all employees.
We have incorporated the requirements under the Integrated Accessibility Standard to ensure that we have a process for developing individual accommodation plans and return to work policies for employees that have been absent due to a disability.
Training for Staff
Global Child Care Services will ensure that all employees of the agency receive training on the AODA Customer Service Standard, this policy and the corresponding practices of our agency which uphold the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity when serving persons with disabilities.
A record of all training received by our employees is kept at Global’s Head Office. Training includes:
- The purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
- The requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service (Ontario Regulation 429/08)
- Information about Global Child Care Services’ policies and procedures pertaining to serving clients with disabilities
- How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disabilities
- What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing our services
- How to interact with people with disabilities who use assistive devices or require the assistance of a service animal or support person
We will also provide training to employees on the Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities. Training will be provided in a manner that best fits the duties of employees.
All employees will receive training during their period of orientation as new hires. Ongoing training will be provided as required if there are modifications to the policy, if new barriers or potential barriers are identified, or to refresh employees’ general awareness and sensitivity to the issues of accessibility.
A log of all training received by employees will be kept at Head Office.
Accessible Emergency Information
We will provide employees with disabilities with individualized emergency response information when necessary.
Websites
We will ensure that we meet the minimum requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standard with respect to any obligations regarding making websites accessible.
Feedback Process
Global Child Care Services welcomes feedback about the delivery of our services to persons with disabilities. Feedback can be made in person, by telephone, in writing or by email. All feedback will be directed to the Executive Director.
Our agency will investigate and respond to all such feedback in a timely, thorough and objective manner, ensuring that:
- the feedback is directed to the appropriate person for action;
- the feedback is assessed for appropriate action (Note: the Customer Service Standard does not require a response to be provided for all feedback);
- where action includes a response to the client, we will endeavour to provide a response within four (4) business days.
Global will ensure that this feedback process is accessible to people with disabilities.
Modifications to this or other Related Policies
Any policy of Global Child Care Services that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be reviewed and amended as appropriate
Availability of Documents
Global Child Care Services will post a copy of this Policy on its website; a copy of this Policy may also be obtained by contacting our Head Office. If a person with a disability requests a copy, it will be provided in a format that takes into account the person’s disability.