M&P TOOL PRODUCTS INC.

Statement of organizational commitment

M&P Tool Products Inc. is committed to providing an accessible environment for all clients, employees, job applicants, suppliers, and visitors who enter our premises, access our information, or use our services. M&P Tool Products Inc. respects and complies with our current and ongoing obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) and its associated regulations and the Ontario Human Rights Code (Human Rights Code) respecting non-discrimination, and to promote an accessible environment and remove barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities. M&P Tool Products Inc. understands that obligations under the AODA do not substitute or limit its obligations under the Human Rights Code or obligations to people with disabilities under any other law.

Our vision for accessibility is that people with disabilities, both visible or non-visible, are given the same opportunity as others to obtain and benefit from services offered by us. Our goal is to make reasonable efforts to provide services, not products, in a timely manner and in such a way that the key principles of independence, dignity, integration, and equality of opportunity for persons with disabilities are respected.

Communication

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that consider their disability. This may include the following:

Communication disabilities can affect one or more communication areas such as a person’s ability to speak, understand what others are saying, read, and/or write. When communicating with people with disabilities, we will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that consider their disability. This may include the following:

Visual

  • Don’t assume a person can’t see you.
  • Addressing person directly and say your name — don’t touch person.
  • Offer to read or describe printed information.
  • Don’t be afraid to use words like “see”, “read”, or “look.”
  • Allow extra time to communicate.
  • Write down things, if necessary.
  • When guiding someone:
    • hold out your elbow.
    • give clear, precise directions.
    • if uncertain, ask person how to do so.

Audio

  • Ensure you have person’s attention before speaking — discreetly wave your hand or gently tap their shoulder, if needed.
  • Reduce background noise or move to quieter place in room.
  • Keep your face visible and hands and objects away from your face to aid speechreading.
  • If person using interpreter, speak directly to person not interpreter.
  • Speak clearly, pacing speech and pausing normally.
  • If necessary, ask if another method of communicating would be easier, such as pen and paper.

Physical

  • Ask before helping.
  • If person uses wheelchair or scooter, sit down beside them to enable eye contact.
  • If permission to move person in wheelchair, avoid leaving person in awkward position.
  • Let person know about accessible features in immediate area.

Speech or language

  • Don’t assume person also has intellectual or developmental disability.
  • Allow person to complete what saying without interruptions.
  • If you don’t understand, ask person to repeat information.
  • Ask questions that can be answered “yes” or “no”
  • If person uses communication board, symbols, or cards, follow their lead.

Learning

  • Don’t assume person also has intellectual or developmental disability.
  • Allow person to complete what saying without interruptions.
  • If you don’t understand, ask person to repeat information.
  • Ask questions that can be answered “yes” or “no”
  • If person uses communication board, symbols, or cards, follow their lead.

Intellectual or developmental

  • As much as possible, treat person like anyone else.
  • Don’t assume what person can or cannot do.
  • Use plain language and speak in short sentences.
  • Consider asking person to repeat message back to you in their own words.
  • If can’t understand what said, ask again.
  • Provide one piece of information at a time.
  • Be supportive and patient.

Mental health

  • Treat person like anyone else.
  • Be patient.
  • Be confident and reassuring.

Service Animals

We welcome people with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are allowed on the parts of our 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 our premises.

In certain cases, M&P Tool Products Inc. might require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person for the health or safety reasons of:

  • The person with a disability.
  • Others on the premises.

Before deciding, M&P Tool Products Inc. will:

  • Consult with the person with a disability to understand their needs.
  • Consider health or safety reasons based on available evidence.
  • Determine if there is no other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person or others on the premises.

Assistive Devices

People with disabilities may use their personal assistive devices when accessing our services, or facilities.

In cases where the assistive device presents a significant and unavoidable health or safety concern or may not be permitted for other reasons, other measures will be used to ensure the person with a disability can access our services, or facilities.

We will ensure that our employees are trained and familiar with various assistive devices we have on site or that we provide that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our services, or facilities.

Notice of Temporary Disruption

In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for persons with disabilities, this organization will notify the specific persons 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, and contact information, if available.

Services/Facilities include:

  • Closure of our offices
  • Closure of our plant
  • Shutdown of any of our manufacturing services offered.

The notice will be made available in the following ways:

  • A sign posted at our entrance.
  • An email notification to the person scheduled to visit our facility, sent by the direct contact person involved.

Training

M&P Tool Products Inc. will provide accessible customer service training as soon as practicable after being hired to:

  • All employees and volunteers.
  • Anyone involved in developing our policies.
  • Anyone who provides services, or facilities to customers on our behalf.

Training will include:

  • The purpose of the AODA
  • Our Accessibility Policy
  • The accessibility standards and the Ontario Human Rights Code as it relates to accessibility and disability.

Employees will also be trained when changes are made to our Accessibility Policy, specifically relating to customer service.

Feedback Process

M&P Tool Products Inc. welcomes feedback on how we provide accessible customer service to persons with disabilities. This feedback will help us identify barriers and respond to any concerns.

Customers will be notified of how to provide feedback in the following ways:

  • In this Accessibility Policy and the Accessibility Plan, available on our website.

Individuals who wish to provide feedback on the way M&P Tool Product Inc. provides services, or facilities to persons with disabilities can do so by visiting our website www.spaceaidmfg.com and clicking on the feedback link which can be found in the Accessibility link at the bottom of the home page.

Individuals can expect to be acknowledged within two business days. We strive to resolve all feedback within fourteen days; however, individuals will be given an approximate timeframe of resolution at the time that they provide their feedback. They will also be informed of the progress of their feedback on a regular basis, especially if there are any delays or changes to what has been agreed.

M&P Tool Products Inc. will make sure our feedback process is accessible to people with disabilities by providing or arranging for accessible formats and communication supports, on request.
If you would like to leave feedback, please press here Submit your feedback

Procuring or acquiring goods and services, or facilities

M&P Tool Products Inc. will incorporate accessibility criteria and features when procuring goods, services, or facilities. The only exception is in cases where it is impracticable to do so.

Information

We have a process for receiving and responding to feedback and the process is accessible to persons with disabilities upon request.

When asked, we will provide information about our organization and its services, including public safety information, in accessible formats or with communication supports:

  1. in a timely manner, considering the person’s accessibility needs due to disability.

We will consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support. If the organization determines that information or communications are unconvertible, the organization shall provide the requestor with:

  1. an explanation as to why the information or communications are unconvertible; and
  2. a summary of the unconvertible information or communications.

M&P Tool Products Inc. notifies the public about the availability of accessible formats and communication supports in this Accessibility Policy, available on our website.

We have updated our website to meet internationally recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA website requirements in accordance with Ontario’s accessibility laws.

Employment

We notify employees, job applicants and the public that accommodations can be made during recruitment and hiring. We notify job applicants when they are individually selected to participate in an assessment or selection process that accommodations are available upon request. We consult with the applicants and provide or arrange for suitable accommodation.

We notify successful applicants of policies for accommodating employees with disabilities when making offers of employment.

We notify employees that supports are available for those with disabilities as soon as practicable after they begin their employment. We provide updated information to employees whenever there is a change to existing policies on the provision of job accommodation that consider an employee’s accessibility needs due to a disability.

We will consult with employees when arranging for the provision of suitable accommodation in a manner that considers the accessibility needs due to their disability. We will consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication supports specifically for:

  1. Information that is needed to perform the employee’s job; and
  2. Information that is generally available to employees in the workplace.

Where needed, we will also provide customized emergency information to help an employee with a disability during an emergency. With the employee’s consent, we will provide workplace emergency information to a designated person who is aiding that employee during an emergency.

We will provide the information as soon as practicable after we become aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability.

We will review the individualized workplace emergency response information:

  1. When the employee moves to a different location in the organization;
  2. When the employee’s overall accommodations needs or plans are reviewed; and
  3. When the employer reviews its general emergency response policies.

We have a written process to develop individual accommodation plans for employees.

We have a written process in our Company Manual for employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations to return to work.

Our performance management, career development and redeployment processes consider the accessibility needs of all employees.

Modifications to this or existing policies

Any policies of M&P Tool Products Inc. that do not respect and promote the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity for people with disabilities will be modified or removed.

Design of public spaces

We will meet accessibility laws when building or making major changes to public spaces. Our public spaces include:

  • Outdoor public eating areas like rest areas or picnic areas
  • Accessible off-street parking
  • Accessible on-street parking
  • Service-related elements like service counters and waiting areas.

We put procedures in place to prevent service disruptions to the accessible parts of our public spaces.