Whitby Toyota Accessibility Plan 

Updated: April 19th, 2021 

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Statement of commitment 

Whitby Toyota 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 by meeting our accessibility requirements under Ontario’s accessibility laws. 

Whitby Toyota will provide, on request, information in an accessible format or with communication support to people with disabilities, in a manner that takes into account their disability. 

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Service Animals 

With certain types of disabilities, an animal may be more of an assistive form of aid rather than a device. These service animals are trained to carry out certain tasks that help people with disabilities. There are three types of assistive animals that have been categorized by the international assistance animal community: 

  • Guide Animals: Used to guide the blind 

  • Hearing Animals: Used to help signal the hearing impaired 

  • Service Animals: Used to do work for persons with disabilities other than blindness or deafness 

Under the Customer Service Standard, service animals must be allowed on parts of the workplace premises (excluding certain areas such as a kitchen). Fines for denying a service animal access in areas for the general public can be up to $3000 in Ontario. 

Whitby Toyota is already a dog friendly business. Whitby Toyota will also allow any person with disabilities and their service animals into our workplace when it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability or, if the person provides a letter from a regulated health care professional, confirming the need for a service animal for reasons relating to a disability.

Support Persons 

Support persons are those that help persons with disabilities perform day to day tasks. Without support, the person may not be able to access your organization. All support persons should be welcomed into the workplace. A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person accompany them on our premises. 

Whitby Toyota may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when on premises, but only if a support person is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health or safety of others on the premises. 

Assistive Devices: 

Assistive technology is a term used to describe the various forms of devices such as assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices used to assist persons with disabilities. These devices are used to support the needs of the individual person and specific disability by enabling them to perform tasks that they may not have been able to accomplish formerly. 

Examples of assistive devices include hearing aids, speech amplification devices, white canes, wheelchairs, screen readers, etc. Ontario Employers are not responsible for providing any assistive devices under the Customer Service Standard, but rather, are responsible for ensuring all employees are properly trained. 

Whitby Toyota has its staff trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods and services. 

Communication 

Accessible customer service requires employees to overcome and find ways around different barriers that customers may have. Employers need to ensure that their employees are trained on how to successfully communicate with customers with disabilities to ensure accessible goods and services. 

Whitby Toyota employees may communicate with those who have disabilities in a manner which takes into account their disabilities. This will allow for those with disabilities to have equal access to our products and services that are offered at Whitby Toyota. 

Notice of Temporary Disruption 

In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities, Whitby Toyota will notify its customers. A notice will include information about the reasons for the disruption, its anticipated length of time and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.

Training 

We are committed to training staff and volunteers in Ontario’s accessibility laws and aspects of the Ontario Human Rights Code that relate to persons with disabilities. We will train our employees about accessibility as it relates to their specific roles. 

Procurement 

We will incorporate accessibility criteria and features when procuring or acquiring goods, services or facilities. If it is not possible and practical to do so, we will provide an explanation upon request. 

Self-service kiosks 

We will incorporate accessibility features/consider accessibility for people with disabilities when designing, procuring or acquiring self-service kiosks. 

Information and communications 

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability. When asked, we will provide information about our organization and its services, including public safety information, in accessible formats or with communication support. 

Employment 

We will notify employees, potential hires and the public that accommodations can be made during recruitment and hiring. We will notify staff that support is available for those with disabilities. We will put in place a process to develop individual accommodation plans for employees. 

Design of Public Spaces 

We have considered accessibility laws when building our facility and will do so when making major changes to public spaces. Public spaces include: 

  • Wheelchair ramps inside and outside facility 

  • Wheelchair accessible parking

  • Outdoor waiting areas 

  • Outdoor paths of travel, like sidewalks, ramps, stairs, curb ramps, rest areas ? Service-related elements like service counters, fixed queuing lines and waiting areas 

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

Feedback Process 

A process must be established for receiving feedback on how companies will provide service to customers with disabilities, and how companies will respond back and take action on any complaints.

If a customer wishes to provide feedback on the ability to equally service those with disabilities or ways to improve our facilities to people with disabilities can provide feedback via email at hr@whitbytoyota.com, phone 905-668-4792 or by mail at 1025 Dundas Street West, Whitby, Ontario, L1P 1Z1. 

All feedback, including complaints, will be by appropriate HR representatives and managers of which you can expect a prompt response to discuss your concerns.