Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

Purpose

Mintz’s Toronto office (“Mintz” or the “Firm”) is committed to meeting the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner. This Multi-Year Accessibility Plan outlines Mintz’s achievements and steps that the Firm will take to prevent and remove barriers and meet the requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (collectively “AODA”).

Training

The Firm has or will take the following steps to ensure all Ontario employees are provided with the training needed to meet Ontario’s accessibility laws and will continue to take these steps, as applicable:

  • Provide training and deliver it in various formats to: (a) all persons who are an employee of, or a volunteer with, Mintz; (b) all persons who participate in developing Mintz’s policies; and (c) all other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of Mintz.
  • Provide training that will cover:
    • the Human Rights Code and the purposes and requirements of AODA;
    • Mintz’s Accessibility Policy;
    • 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 a support person;
    • how to use the equipment or devices available on Mintz’s premises or otherwise provided by Mintz that may help with the provision of goods, services, or facilities to people with a disability; and
    • what to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing Mintz’s goods, services, or facilities.
  • Provide training as soon as practicable and on an ongoing basis, including training with respect to changes made to Mintz’s Accessibility Policy or any other policy governing how Mintz achieves accessibility.
  • Maintain training dates and other information regarding who has been trained.
  • Post accessibility training materials onto its Intranet Portal for internal use by its employees.

Information of Communications

Existing Feedback Processes

Mintz has taken or will take the following steps to ensure existing feedback processes are accessible to persons with disabilities upon request:

  • Identify all existing feedback processes and accessibility barriers pertaining to these processes.
  • Ensure feedback processes are available in accessible formats, by request.
  • Advise clients that feedback can be given in person, by mail, by phone, by fax or by e-mail to:
    • Phone: 1.647.499.2466
    • Email: [email protected]
    • Mail: Attn: Christine Wood, 200 Bay Street, Suite 2800, Toronto, ON, M5J 2J3
  • Respond to all requests for alternate accessible formats of feedback processes in a timely manner and make known the supports available to facilitate the submission of feedback.

Accessible Formats and Communication Supports

Mintz has taken or will take the following steps to make sure all publicly available information is made accessible:

  • Develop a process in place for persons with disabilities to be provided with information and communication in an accessible format.
  • Respond to requests for information in a timely manner that takes into account the person making the request’s accessibility needs due to disability.
  • Consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.
  • Provide such information or explain, in writing, when an accessible format is not feasible and why.
  • Update its public website to include notification that public information will be made available in an accessible format upon request.

Emergency Information

Mintz will ensure that existing, publically available emergency information is accessible to the public by providing emergency information in an accessible format or with appropriate communication support, upon request.

Client Service

Mintz will take the following steps to ensure accessibility with respect to the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities:

  • Develop, implement and maintain an Accessibility Policy governing its provision of goods, services or facilities, as the case may be, to persons with disabilities.
  • Ensure that its accessibility policies deal with the use of assistive devices, service animals, and support persons, in accordance with AODA requirements. Mintz will use reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies are consistent with AODA requirements.
  • Ensure that alternate formats of its Accessibility Policy are available upon request and will take into account a person’s disability.
  • Ensure that it will notify the public of temporary disruptions in its facilities and services. The public will be notified of the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative facilities or services, if any, that are available. Mintz will also create a document describing steps to be taken in connection with a temporary disruption.

Mintz has taken or will take the following steps to ensure a feedback process as relating to accessibility is available:

  • Establish a process for receiving and responding to feedback about the manner in which it provides goods, services or facilities to persons with disabilities and the feedback process itself.
  • Advise the public, via its website, that such feedback process is available and that the Company has prepared a document describing the accessibility feedback process, which is available on request. Such document specifies the actions that Mintz will take if a complaint is received. Such document is available on request.
  • Make known the supports that are available to facilitate the submission of feedback.
  • Commit to responding to feedback as soon as practicable

Employment

Mintz has or will take the following steps to ensure that employees with disabilities will be provided with necessary assistance during an emergency:

  • Ensure that employees with disabilities are provided with individualized emergency response information.
  • Obtain consent and then share the employee’s individualized emergency response information with anyone designated to help them in an emergency.
  • Ensure that the emergency response information is reviewed in the event of a change in the employee’s work location, the employee’s overall accommodation needs, or the organization’s emergency response policies.

Mintz has or will take the following steps to notify the public, job applicants, and employees that people with disabilities will be accommodated during the recruitment, assessment and hiring processes:

  • Revise content in the Careers section of the public and internal websites to include information on accessible employment practices.
  • Review job advertisement procedures and other recruitment processes and update as required to ensure content notifies applicants of accessible employment practices.
  • If a job applicant requests accommodation, consult with the individual and make adjustments that best suit his/her accessibility needs due to disability in relation to the materials or processes to be used and to the extent required by law.

Mintz has or will also take the following steps to develop and put in place a process for developing individual accommodation plans and return-to-work policies for employees that have been absent due to a disability:

  • Implement and update Accommodation and Return to Work policies that describe the requirements for disability related accommodations and meet the AODA requirements.
  • Ensure that it notifies employees and successful job applicants about its policies.
  • Advise employees when any changes are made to the above policies.

Mintz has or will develop and put in place a process for designing Individual Accommodation Plans (“IAPs”) and a return-to-work process for employees that have been absent due to a disability, which will include:

  • The steps taken to facilitate the return to work of an employee who is absent because their disability required them to be away from work;
  • The manner in which the employee can participate in the development of the IAP;
  • Identification of accommodation(s) to be provided;
  • Timelines for the provision of accommodation(s);
  • The manner in which the employee can request the participation of a representative;
  • How Mintz may request an evaluation by outside medical or other expert, at the Company’s expense, to assist with determining necessary accommodation(s) and how to achieve said accommodation(s);
  • Steps to be taken to protect the privacy of the employee’s personal information;
  • The frequency with which the IAP will be reviewed and updated and the manner in which this will be done;
  • If an accommodation is denied, the manner in which the reasons for denial are to be provided to the employee; and,
  • The means of providing accessible formats or communication supports that take into account the employee’s accessibility needs due to disability.

Mintz will take the following steps to ensure the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities are taken into account when using performance management, career development and redeployment processes:

  • Review and update the Performance Management and the Professional Development Policies to ensure content is included that accounts for accessibility needs of employees with disabilities.
  • Make, where required and practicable, documents related to performance management or career development and advancement or redeployment available in accessible formats or with communication supports upon request.

Design of Public Spaces

When building or making major modifications to public spaces, Mintz will commit to meeting the Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces, including requirements regarding preventative and emergency maintenance of the accessible elements in public spaces.

Review and Modifications to this Plan

Mintz is committed to developing AODA policies that respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. All policies and procedures will be developed or updated in such a manner as to respect and promote the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. This Multi-Year plan will be reviewed and updated as required at least once every 5 years.

For More Information

For more information on this plan, contact the Director of Administration, Toronto. This plan will be made publicly available in accessible formats upon request and will be posted on our public website.