Skip to main content
  • About CIRA

Accessibility standards policy

Statement of commitment

CIRA is committed to providing a respectful, welcoming, accessible and inclusive environment for all persons with disabilities. CIRA will make every reasonable effort to ensure that our policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity.

Accessibility policy

This policy outlines CIRA’s standards to providing a welcoming, accessible and inclusive environment for all persons with disabilities in compliance with the Accessibility Policy for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that CIRA complies with the Government of Ontario’s AODA—specifically the Customer service standard (Ontario Regulation 429/07) and the Integrated accessibility standards covering Information and Communication and Employment (Ontario Regulation 191/11).

Application and scope

This policy applies to all CIRA employees and governs CIRA’s policies, practices and information directly under its control.

CIRA’s scope of responsibility is limited to that which is within its control; CIRA will make every effort to support Registrars and any third-party partners that CIRA deals with, in achieving accommodation of their customers with disabilities.

Definitions

“Customer” includes members, vendors, partners and any other third parties with whom CIRA directly interacts.

“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, and 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 service animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device
  • A condition of mental impairment or a development 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.

“Barrier” includes anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in one or more aspects of society, including a physical barrier, and architectural barrier, information or communications barrier, attitudinal barrier, policy or practice;

“Assistive device” any piece of equipment a person with a disability uses to help them with daily living. Personal assistive devices include, but are not limited to, wheelchairs, hearing aids, white canes or speech amplification devices.

“Service animal” is any animal used by a person with a disability where it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to their disability.

“Support person” is a person who accompanies a person with a disability in order to help them with daily tasks.

“Accessible format” means a format of communication that may include but is not limited to large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, Braille or other format usable by persons with disabilities.

“Communication supports” include, but are not limited to, captioning, alternative and augmentative communication supports, plain language, sign language and other supports that facilitate effective communications.

Training

CIRA will provide training to all employees and other individuals who deal with the public or other third parties on its behalf on the provision of its goods, services, or facilities, as well as those who participate in the development of CIRA’s policies, practices and procedures relating to CIRA’s interaction with the public.

Training will be provided to new employees as part of CIRA’s onboarding training, and will include the following topics:

  • Overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard.
  • The Human Rights Code as it pertains to persons with disabilities.
  • CIRA’s plan related to the Customer service standard.
  • 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.
  • What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing CIRA’s goods and services.

Revised training will be provided in the event of changes to CIRA’s existing policies as well as changes to legislation, procedures and/or practices.

CIRA will retain a record of training that includes the dates training was provided.

  1. Customer service standard

CIRA will use reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisioning of its services are consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity by:

  • Providing services in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities;
  • Providing services so that persons with disabilities are able to fully benefit from the same services, in the same place and in the same or similar way as persons without disabilities, unless an alternative measure is necessary to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use, or benefit from CIRA’s services; and
  • Offering people with disabilities the same opportunity equal to that of persons without disabilities to obtain, use or benefit from CIRA’s services.

Assistive devices

CIRA will ensure that staff members are trained and familiar with various assistive devices available on CIRA’s premises which may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing CIRA’s goods or services.

Communication

CIRA will communicate with people who have disabilities in a manner that takes into account their disability.

Service animals

CIRA welcomes people with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are permitted on CIRA’s premises that are open to the public.

Support persons

A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person accompany them on CIRA’s premises. Fees will not be charged for support persons to enter CIRA’s premises.

  1. Information and communication

This policy governs how CIRA will achieve the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in the provision of information and communication

Accessible formats and communication supports

Upon request, CIRA will provide or arrange for accessible formats and communication supports where appropriate for persons with disabilities in a timely manner that takes into account each person’s accessibility needs.

CIRA will consult with the person making the request to determine the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.

Communications supports will be provided at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons.

Accessible websites and web content

When designing or redesigning CIRA websites and web content, CIRA will ensure that it conforms to WCAG 2.0, level AA standards.

Notice of temporary disruption

In the event of any planned or unexpected disruption to facilities or services that customers with disabilities rely on to access or use CIRA’s goods or services, CIRA will make every reasonable effort to 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.

The notice will be posted on the CIRA website at www.CIRA.ca or by any other method that may be reasonable under the circumstances.

Feedback process

Customers who have questions or who wish to provide feedback on the way CIRA provides goods and services to people with disabilities can contact CIRA through any of the following means:

  • via email to [email protected]
  • via telephone at 1-877-860-1411
  • in-person, via mail or courier to 979 Bank Street, Suite 400, Ottawa, ON K1S 5K5

All feedback, including complaints, will be handled promptly. CIRA will make sure our feedback process is accessible to persons with disabilities by providing or arranging for accessible formats and communication supports, upon request.

Multi-year accessibility plan

CIRA’s multi-year accessibility plan can be found here.

Modifications to this or other policies

Any policy of CIRA’s that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed. This policy and its related procedures will be reviewed and amended as required and/or in the event of legislative changes.

Loading…