1.    INTRODUCTION

Montfort Renaissance (“MRI”) strives to meet the needs of its clientele, staff members and visitors with disabilities and continually works to remove barriers to accessibility.

Our organization is committed to meeting the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”). Accordingly, this Multi-Year Accessibility Plan outlines the overall measures taken to identify, remove and avoid barriers for persons with disabilities who either work or receive MRI’s services, in order to provide them with more opportunities.

Our plan is an example of how Montfort Renaissance is playing its part in making Ontario an accessible province for all Ontarians.

2.    DEFINITIONS

Communication supports: As defined per 191/11 Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, these may include captioning, alternative and augmentative communication supports, plain language, sign language, and other supports that facilitate effective communications.

Service animal: As defined in the paragraph 4(9) of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, an animal is a service animal for a person with disabilities in one of more of the following cases:

1. It is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person with a disability for reasons relating to his or her disability.
2. The person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons related to the disability.

Assistive aid or device related to mobility: Cane, walker, similar aid or device (known as “mobility assistive devices”).

Accessible format: Under the 191/11 Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, implies a large print format, a recorded audio or electronic format, braille, and any other format that can be used by people with disabilities.

Disability: As defined by the AODA, may mean, as the case may be:

1. Any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, among others, diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impairment, deafness or hearing impairment, muteness or speech impairment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal, or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device.
2. A condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability.
3. A learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language.
4. A mental disorder.
5. An injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

Staff members: All MRI employees, whether full-time, casual or contract employees, volunteers, interns or students.

Senior staff members: All full-time and contractual MRI employees holding a position with a supervising or managing role.

Barrier: According to the AODA, anything that keeps someone with a disability from participating fully in all aspects of society as a result of their disabilities. This includes architectural or structural barriers, information or communication barriers, attitudinal barriers, technological barriers, or any barrier resulting from a policy or a practice.

Support person: Person who accompanies a person with a disability in order to assist with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs, or with access to goods or services.

3.    DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION

Montfort Renaissance is non-profit community-based organization giving hope to more than 6,000 vulnerable people in Eastern Ontario. It is the only organization in this province to offer, all under the same roof, a diversity of services in mental health, housing, as well as services for seniors, in French and English.

Vision

Thanks to its team and the impact its interventions have on health and well-being, Montfort Renaissance is a benchmark for its clients and their relatives, for industry professionals and its partners.

Mission

Montfort Renaissance, a Francophone organization, provides a continuum of community services in both official languages, intended to improve the health and well-being of its clients.

Corporate values

Collaboration

Always learning

Respect for each individual

Excellence of services

4.    JOINT HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE (JHSC)

As part of its broad mandate, the JHSC was assigned a certain number of tasks related to accessibility standards:

• Review required accessibility policies and procedures and verify their implementation.
• Comply with MRI’s policies and procedures by fulfilling the related responsibilities.
• Identify, know and understand the structures, the laws, the regulations and the policies, the procedures, the practices and the services within Montfort Renaissance (or applicable to the organization) as they relate to accessibility and the access barriers people with disabilities are faced with on a regular basis.
• Develop, review and establish a multi-year accessibility plan.
• Assess the progress and determine if the plan’s goals are being met.
• Track complaints related to accessibility.
• Be ambassadors for “Montfort Renaissance” on ways to remove barriers within the organization.

5.    COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY PLANNING

Montfort Renaissance is committed to eliminating barriers by adopting appropriate measures in order to ensure that its policies, procedures and services meet the principles of accessibility.

More specifically, Montfort Renaissance is committed to:

• Improving, on a continuous basis, accessibility to its buildings, facilities and to the services offered to its clients and their families, to staff members and members of the community.
• Promoting the values that bolster the relationship between people with disabilities and the organization.
• To the greatest possible extent, engaging people with disabilities or their representatives in the development and review of its accessibility annual plan.
• Ensuring that the policies at Montfort Renaissance are up to date, in order to comply with accessibility principles.
• Entrusting the joint health and safety committee (JHSC) with improving the accessibility plan.

6.  BARRIER IDENTIFICATION METHODS

7.  EXISTING ACCESSIBILITY STRATEGIES AND MEASURES

Client Services:

Montfort Renaissance is committed to offering quality services and facilities, accessible to all. It therefore provides goods and services to people with disabilities with the same quality standards anybody could expect.

Montfort is committed to continuing to apply existing accessibility measures:

• Providing assistive aids and devices: MRI also provides staff members with training regarding the proper use and operating of those assistive devices.
• Authorizing service animals: Such animals are allowed in some facilities. In that case, MRI takes other measures to allow access without barriers for the person.
• Allowing the presence of support persons.
• Posting notices regarding temporary disruption of services in case of an outage or when preventive maintenance of the facilities needs to be performed.
• Training staff members regarding the AODA, and keep a record of all staff members who received the training.
• Aligning Montfort Renaissance’s policies with the accessibility standards adopted within the policy of the organization.
• Installing automatic doors and designating parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities.

Information and Communication

Montfort Renaissance is committed to making all the information it produces accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. MRI continues to adopt the following practices:

• Communicate with people with disabilities in a way that considers their disabilities.
• Offer communication aids upon request.
• Offer communication aids at a cost no greater than the cost usually charged for other people.
• Consult the person with disabilities before deciding what means of communication are the most appropriate.
• Provide invoices in the following formats: email, large print, printed copy.
• Provide, upon request, individualized emergency plans in accessible formats with communication aids, as soon as practicable.

Employment and recruitment

Montfort Renaissance is committed to adopting equitable and accessible employment practices for people with disabilities. MRI shall therefore continue adopting the following practices:

• Inform candidates on existing accommodations, upon request.
• Inform new staff members of accessibility policies, with accessible formats, upon request.
• Allow staff members with disabilities to adapt to their workplace environment through accommodations.
• Prepare a return-to-work program in the event of a workplace accident or a disablement.

8. ACCESSIBILITY STRATEGIES AND MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT

In order to comply with the requirements set forth in the modified regulations of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act of 2005, Montfort Renaissance has decided to adopt the following measures for the next five years:

9. REVIEW AND MONITORING PROCESS

The joint health and safety committee in the workplace makes sure to include at least one item relating to accessibility on its agenda, each and every meeting. Members of the committee meet according to the established timetable, in order to examine the annual status report and monitor the progress made to ensure that all barrier removal and prevention strategies are effectively implemented in a timely manner. Committee members may meet with associations of people with disabilities. The committee will in turn inform the staff members of any potential changes to the accessibility policy and of all new accessibility measures and/or approaches adopted throughout the organization.

10. COMMUNICATION

MRI’s accessibility plan is shared with all staff members via the Intranet (“Mon MRI”), and is also available on Montfort Renaissance’s website, at https://montfortrenaissance.ca/. Hard copies or other accessible formats (e.g. large print) are available upon request through the Human Resources Department (Phone: 613-241-1266, extension 456).