Multi-Year Accessibility Plan | Peoples Jewellers

ZALE CANADA CO. ONTARIO MULTI-YEAR ACCESSIBILITY PLAN

Ontario Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

This accessibility plan outlines the processes and actions that Zale Canada Co. (“Zale Canada”) will put in place to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

Our Organizational Commitment

Zale Canada is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to treating people with disabilities in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner. We will do so by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and meeting our accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Ontario’s accessibility laws.

Accessible Customer Service

Zale Canada provides goods and services in a manner that is based upon the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equality for all our customers. We strive to ensure that customers with disabilities receive the same high standards of service that we provide to all customers

  • COMPLETED – We train all employees on accessible customer service as part of the onboarding process. We also train individuals involved in developing our policies, and we require that any third party service providers that will interact with the public on our behalf have received the required training.
  • COMPLETED – We have an accessible customer service plan in place that we review regularly and have made publicly available
  • COMPLETED – We have a feedback process in place for customers to provide feedback on how to provide goods and services to people with disabilities.
  • COMPLETED - In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities, Zale Canada notifies customers promptly with a clearly posted notice in our stores.
  • COMPLETED- A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person accompany them on our premises.
  • COMPLETED- 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 and third parties. When we cannot easily identify that an animal is a service animal, our staff may ask for documentation (template, letter or form) from a regulated health professional that confirms the person needs the service animal for reasons relating to their disability. A service animal can be easily identified through visual indicators, such as when it wears a harness or a vest, or when it helps the person perform certain tasks.
  • COMPLETED- People with disabilities may use their personal assistive devices when accessing our goods, 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 goods, services or facilities

Information and Communications

Zale Canada is committed to making our information and communications accessible to people with disabilities and we will work with the person with disabilities to determine what method of communication works for them.

COMPLETED – When customers with disabilities request that we make available our public information about our products and services available in accessible formats and/or with communication supports, we consult with the person making the request and work with them to provide the information in an accessible manner.

Zale Canada has feedback process in place for customers and we inform the public that this information is available in accessible formats upon request. When customers with disabilities request that we make this information available in accessible formats and/or with communication supports, we consult with the person making the request and work with them to provide the information in an accessible manner.

Zale Canada has feedback process in place for employees and we inform employees that it is available in accessible formats upon request. When employees with disabilities request that we make this information available in accessible formats and/or with communication supports, we consult with the person making the request and work with them to provide the information in an accessible manner.

Zale Canada does not maintain or control any websites in Ontario. If, in future, this situation changes, we will ensure that Ontario-controlled websites conform with applicable WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards as required under the AODA.

Employment

Zale Canada is committed to fair and accessible employment practices.

COMPLETED – We train all employees (and those who develop our policies) on the AODA and Human Rights Code provisions on disability. We require that any third party service providers that will interact with the public on our behalf have received the required training.

COMPLETED – Zale Canada takes the following steps to notify the public and staff that, when requested, Zale Canada will accommodate people with disabilities during the employment recruitment and assessment processes and when people are hired:

COMPLETED – Zale Canada ensures that its personnel responsible for recruitment in Ontario are aware of this requirement;

COMPLETED – Zale Canada has reviewed its current human resource documentation, including its process for issuing advertisements for candidates and other recruitment and hiring documents, and incorporated language to address this requirement; and

COMPLETED – Zale Canada ensures that its personnel responsible for hiring staff are aware of this requirement.

COMPLETED – When we hire new employees we notify them that we have policies on accommodations for employees with disabilities and let them know how to obtain more information.

Zale Canada is taking the following steps to develop and put in place a process for developing individual accommodation plans and return-to-work policies for employees who have been absent due to a disability:

  • Zale Canada will review the types of injuries and types of accommodations most typically provided to employees returning to work after a medical absence;
  • Zale Canada will review its current human resource practices regarding the return of an employee to work after a medical absence; and
  • Zale Canada will, considering all relevant information, develop both a policy to provide guidance in respect of the creation of individual accommodation plans and a policy to provide guidance in respect of return-to-work policies for employees that have been absent due to a disability.
Zale Canada has or will take the following steps to ensure the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities are taken into account when Zale Canada uses performance management, career development and [redeployment] processes:
  • Zale Canada will review its performance management and career development policies or other written documentation to ensure that they do not contain any barriers or unreasonable requirements in relation to employees with disabilities, and to ensure that, where applicable, they incorporate accessibility as part of the performance management, career development and redeployment process; and
  • Zale Canada will review its performance management and career development practices to ensure that they do not contain any barriers or unreasonable requirements in relation to employees with disabilities, and to ensure that staff responsible for performance management, career development and redeployment practices incorporate accessibility considerations when engaging in performance management and career development.
  • COMPLETED – Since 2014, Zale Canada has maintained a process for development of individualized emergency information for employees with disabilities.
  • COMPLETED – Where an employee with a disability needs assistance in accessing information required to perform his or her job duties, Zale Canada consults with the employee and provides communication supports.

The Built Environment

Zale Canada ensures that when it designs or redesigns its stores, it takes into account accessibility for people with disabilities at our service counters. We do so by ensuring that our Real Estate Department is aware of this requirement, and includes this requirement in contracts with third parties retained to design or redesign its stores where this will involve service counters.