Introduction
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal’s 2021 Accessibility Plan is designed to support the principles and requirements outlined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA’) and Ontario Regulation 191/11 – “Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation” “Regulation”). This plan outlines the Tribunal’s strategy for 2021 (January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021) to prevent and remove barriers to accessibility. This plan will be reviewed and revised during 2021.
Accessibility Commitment
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (“the WSIAT”) is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive environment for all individuals, including parties that appear before it, to ensure equal access to our services. The WSIAT is committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, which respects their dignity and independence. As an employer, the WSIAT is committed to ensuring that it provides equality of access to employment opportunities, and a workplace that is accessible and accommodates the needs of its employees and decision-makers.
Application of the Plan
This plan applies to all WSIAT staff and decision-makers, which includes Vice-Chairs and Members who are all Order in Council appointees. In general, the WSIAT will review and update its accessibility plan at least once every 5 years, in consultation with persons with disabilities and an advisory committee. As set out above, this specific plan will be reviewed and revised during 2021.
This plan is available on the WSIAT’s website at www.wsiat.on.ca and in various accessible formats upon request. If you would like to receive a copy of the plan in an alternate format, or a paper copy, please contact the WSIAT’s Call Centre at: 416-314-8800; Toll Free: 1-888-628-8846; TTY 416-314-1787. You may also contact the WSIAT’s Accessibility Coordinator by email at Accessibility.Coordinator@wst.gov.on.ca. Copies of this plan are also available at our Reception Desk at 505 University Avenue, 7th Floor, Toronto.
Current Status and Planned Actions
1. Customer Service
Current Status:
The WSIAT is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive environment for all individuals, including parties that appear before it, witnesses and representatives. The WSIAT’s Policy: Accessibility Policy for Customer Service outlines how the WSIAT will provide accessible customer service for hearings and for non-hearing related matters.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Provide reasonable accommodation to parties that appear before it on a case-bycase basis.
- Conduct a yearly review of the types of hearing accommodation requests received to assess how the accessibility of WSIAT hearings can be improved.
- Review any feedback received on how the WSIAT provides accessible services in order to identify barriers and respond to concerns.
- Provide new staff and decision-makers with training on providing accessible customer service to people with disabilities as soon as it is practicable to do so after commencing their duties.
- Provide training for employees and decision-makers as a refresh and/or when there are changes related to accessibility obligations and policies.
2. Procuring or Acquiring Goods, Services or Facilities
Current Status:
The WSIAT incorporates accessibility criteria and features when procuring or acquiring goods, services and facilities whenever practicable to do so. Upon request, the WSIAT provides an explanation when it is impracticable to incorporate accessibility criteria and features when procuring or acquiring goods, service or facilities.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
Ensure its procurement practices continue to comply with the AODA, Regulation and all other applicable legislation.
3. Training for WSIAT Staff and Decision-makers
Current Status:
The WSIAT provides employees, decision-makers and all other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of the WSIAT, training on the requirements of the AODA and the Regulation, as well as other relevant legislation such as the Ontario Human Rights Code that pertains to people with disabilities.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Provide training for employees, decision-makers and others on the requirements of the AODA, the Regulation and other legislation that pertains to people with disabilities.
- Tailor this training for employees and decision-makers depending on the job duties performed by the specific employees or decision-makers being trained.
- Keep a written record, including dates and number of participants, of the training provided.
- Include accessibility training as part of the WSIAT’s general orientation program for new staff which will be provided as soon as it is practicable after an employee or decision-maker commences employment.
- Provide training for employees and decision-makers as a refresh and/or when there are changes related to accessibility obligations and policies.
4. Information and Communication
Current Status:
The WSIAT provides information to and communicates with individuals, including parties that appear before it, in a way that takes into account people’s accessibility needs due to disability.
I. Feedback
The WSIAT has developed an Accessibility Feedback Process in accordance with the requirements of the Regulation. The WSIAT’s Accessibility Feedback Process can be found in the WSIAT’s external website. The WSIAT ensures that its feedback process is accessible to people with disabilities by providing or arranging for accessible formats and communication supports, on request. The WSIAT currently receives (and responds to) feedback about the accessibility of its services:
- By email, at Accessibility.Coordinator@wst.gov.on.ca
- By telephone, by contacting the WSIAT’s Accessibility Coordinator at (416) 314-8800; Toll Free 1-888-618-8846; TTY: (416)314-1787
- By Fax, at 416-326-5164
- In person, at the WSIAT’s reception. Our office is located at 505 University Avenue, 7th Floor, Toronto, ON M5G 2P2.
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By mail, by writing to:
Accessibility Coordinator
Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal
505 University Avenue, 7th Floor
Toronto, ON M5G 2P2
The WSIAT regularly reviews this feedback to identify ways to remove barriers to accessibility, improve customer service and respond to individual concerns.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Review feedback received on how it provides accessible services to identify ways to remove barriers to accessibility, improve customer service and respond to individual concerns.
II. Accessible Formats and Communication Supports
The WSIAT provides, or arranges for the provision of, WSIAT generated documents in an accessible format and/or with communication supports to people with disabilities on request. Documents are provided in a timely manner and in a way that considers the individual’s accessibility needs at no additional cost.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Work with individuals to provide information in a manner that meets their accessibility needs.
III. External Website
The WSIAT’s public website, including web content, conforms to the requirements set out in the AODA, the Regulation and other applicable legislation, except where it is not practicable to do so.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Review its external website to identify options to increase accessibility and ensure continued compliance with all applicable statutory obligations.
- Add new content in accordance with the requirements set out in the AODA, the Regulation and any other applicable legislation.
IV. Notices of Temporary Disruptions
The WSIAT has established procedures for providing notification of any disruption to accessibility of services. This includes the posting of bilingual physical notices as well as notifications on the WSIAT website. The WSIAT’s procedure for providing notice of temporary service disruption is explained in the WSIAT’s Accessibility Policy for Customer Service. The WSIAT ensures that information about this procedure is accessible to people with disabilities by providing or arranging for accessible formats and communication supports, on request.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Provide notification of any disruption to the accessibility of services by posting physical notices and notifications on the WSIAT’s website.
5. Annual Accessibility Status Reports
Current Status:
The WSIAT prepares annual reports summarizing the WSIAT’s progress to implement the accessibility strategies identified in the WSIAT’s Accessibility Plan and has made copies available on the WSIAT’s public website. The reports are also available in an accessible format on request.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Prepare annual accessibility status reports and publish them on the WSIAT’s external website. The WSIAT will also continue to make the reports available in an accessible format on request.
6. Employment
Current Status:
The WSIAT ensures that its employment practices, including recruitment and selection, are accessible and inclusive, enabling persons with disabilities to fully participate.
I. Recruitment:
On request, the WSIAT provides accommodation for job applicants with disabilities to support them when they are selected to participate in our recruitment and applicant assessment process. In doing so, the WSIAT consults with the applicant and provides for, or arranges for, the provision of accommodation in a way that takes into account their accessibility needs due to disability.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- When posting an employment opportunity, include information in the notice about the availability of accommodation for persons with disabilities on request, where needed, to support their participation in the recruitment process.
- Write employment postings in plain language and make postings available in alternate formats on request.
- Consult with applicants who request accommodation and provide or arrange for the provision of accommodation in a way that takes into account their accessibility needs due to disability.
- Notify successful applicants of the WSIAT’s policies for accommodating employees with disabilities when making an offer of employment.
- Provide training and toolkits/checklists to Managers on barrier-free recruitment.
II. Information, Communication Supports and Accessible Formats for Employees and Decision-makers
Current Status:
The WSIAT will support our employees and decision-makers with disabilities by providing information in a clear and accessible way in order to effectively perform their jobs.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Inform our employees and decision-makers about the WSIAT’s policies outlining the support provided to employees and decision-makers with disabilities. This information includes, but is not limited to, our policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee or decision-maker’s accessibility needs due to disability.
- This information is provided to employees and decision-makers as soon as it is practicable after they commence employment.
- Consult with an employee or decision-maker to provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for information that is needed to perform the employee or decision-maker’s job and/or for information that is generally available in the workplace.
- Provide updated information to all employees and decision-makers whenever there is a refresh and/or when there are changes related to accessibility obligations and policies.
III. Workplace Emergency Response Information Current Status:
Current Status:
- The WSIAT provides individualized workplace emergency response information to employees or decision-makers who have a disability, if the disability is such that the individualized information is necessary and the WSIAT is aware of an accommodation need due to the disability.
- If an employee or decision-maker who has received individualized information requires assistance, the WSIAT will, with the consent of the employee or decisionmaker, provide the workplace emergency response information to the person designated by the WSIAT to provide assistance to the employee.
- The WSIAT provides this workplace emergency response information as soon as practicable after the WSIAT becomes aware of the need for accommodation due to the disability.
- The WSIAT reviews the individualized workplace emergency response information if the employee or decision-maker moves to a different location; when the employee’s or decision-maker’s overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed; and when the WSIAT reviews its general emergency response policies.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Ensure its workplace emergency response processes continue to comply with the AODA, Regulation and all other applicable legislation.
IV. Documented Individual Accommodation Plans Current Status:
Current Status:
- The WSIAT follows an established process when developing documented individual accommodation plans for employees or decision-makers with disabilities.
- As necessary, the accommodation plan will include information regarding accessible format and communication supports provided, individualized emergency response information, if required, and any other accommodation that is to be provided.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Ensure its processes regarding establishing documented individual accommodation plans continue to comply with the AODA, Regulation and all other applicable legislation.
V. Return to Work Process
Current Status:
The WSIAT provides support to employees and decision-makers when they have been absent from work due to disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Ensure its processes regarding return to work continue to comply with the AODA, Regulation and all other applicable legislation.
VI. Performance Management, Career Development and Advancement and Redeployment
Current Status:
The WSIAT takes into account the accessibility needs of its employees and decisionmakers with disabilities and individual accommodation plans, if any, when using performance management, providing career development and advancement, and/or redeploying employees, as necessary.
In 2021, the WSIAT will continue to:
- Ensure its current practices regarding performance management, career development and advancement and redeployment continue to comply with the AODA, Regulation and all other applicable legislation.