Equity is committed to upholding Ontario’s legislation and the Accessible Canada Act, intended to remove barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities. This includes providing equal access to information, goods and services, and treating persons with disabilities with dignity and respect in a way that takes their disability into account.
Accessibility Policy
Scope
This policy applies to anyone who interacts with Equity: members, employees, contractors and others working at or visiting Equity’s offices.
Definitions
Definitions are taken from the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, S.O. 2005, C. 11 or Ontario Human Rights Code.
“Accessible formats” may include, but are not limited to, large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, braille, and other formats usable by persons with disabilities.
“Barrier” means anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of their disability, including a physical barrier, an architectural barrier, an information or communications barrier, an attitudinal barrier, a technological barrier, a policy, or a practice; (“obstacle”).
“Disability” is defined broadly by the Ontario Human Rights Code as:
- 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, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device;
- A condition of mental impairment or a developmental 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.
Policy
Equity will make every reasonable effort to meet the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005, including all applicable elements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards as follows:
- Information and communication
- Service to members, non-members, engagers, and industry partners, and others who interact with Equity
- Design of public spaces
- Employment
Equity will provide training to all employees to ensure they are familiar with our policies, practices, and procedures for communicating with and providing services to persons with disabilities.
Information & Communication
Equity will provide information in an accessible format for people with disabilities when logistically possible and financially reasonable, and will notify the public of the types of accessible formats provided.
Further, Equity will deliver alternate formats of information, upon request. If a particular material cannot be converted into an accessible format that meets the needs of the person requesting it, Equity will provide details of why it cannot be converted and provide a summary of the information or communication in another way that is suitable to the person requesting it.
This extends to any emergency procedures or safety information prepared by Equity.
Service to members, non-members, engagers, industry partners, and others who interact with Equity
Equity will endeavour to provide service in a manner that removes barriers for people with disabilities according to the following key principles of the AODA:
- Goods and services will be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities;
- Service to people with disabilities will be integrated with others, unless an alternate way of providing the good, service or facility is required by the person with the disability;
- Persons with disabilities will be given equal opportunity to use and benefit from the goods, services, or facilities an organization or business has to offer;
- We will communicate with people with disabilities in a way that takes the individual’s disability into account.
Everyone interacting with Equity will be advised of the Association’s commitment to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities via Equity’s website, email signatures and recorded phone greetings on the main Equity phone number. They will be invited to let Equity know if they require accommodation in order to access services.
Staff will answer all enquiries in a polite and respectful manner and be sensitive to the need to offer accommodation based on their interaction.
Persons with disabilities who use an assistive device will be permitted to use their own device to access the goods and services of Equity.
If a person with a disability is accompanied by a guide dog or other service animal, Equity shall ensure that the person is permitted to enter the premises with the animal and to keep the animal with them, unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law from the premises.
If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person Equity will ensure that both persons are permitted to enter the premises together and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person while on the premises.
If there is a temporary disruption in any of our services either in whole or in part, Equity will provide notice of the disruption to the public via as many channels as possible, in accessible formats, where available. We will physically post notices where the disruption is taking place as well as through any other channels that are appropriate such as email, phone, text, social media, or on our website.
Notice of the disruption will include the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative facilities or services, if any, that are available.
Equity will accept feedback about the way in which it provides goods and services to persons with disabilities in person, by phone or email, or in another way that is suitable to a person with a disability.
When a complaint is received about the way we provide goods, services, or facilities to persons with disabilities, Equity will let the person who submitted the feedback know about the actions the organization will take to resolve the issue
Design of Public Spaces
If Equity redesigns or redevelops our offices, we will do so in accordance with the Design of Public Spaces Standard of the AODA. Equity will also ensure any newly redesigned or redeveloped areas are maintained in accordance with the rules set out by the AODA.
Employment
Equity welcomes and encourages employment applications from people with disabilities and will do our part to make hiring and employee support practices more accessible by providing accommodation during all stages of recruitment, hiring, and employment.
New employees will be informed about Equity’s employee disability management and accommodations program as soon as possible upon being hired and notified when any future changes are made to policies.
This policy is reviewed as necessary and no less than every three years.
This policy was last updated on December 16, 2025.