Carefor’s commitment to accessibility
In keeping with our values, Carefor is committed to meeting the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner that respects their dignity and independence. We embrace a broad definition of disability which includes those disabilities that may not be visible or apparent.
Carefor will strive to provide clients and their care partners, staff, volunteers and members of the community with barrier-free access to its facilities, programs and services. Carefor will continue to foster and endorse attitudes and behaviours that eliminate barriers for persons with disabilities by bringing an accessibility lens to the entire organization.
About Carefor’s Accessibility Plan
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires all public institutions to put into motion several initiatives that will result in greater accessibility in the province of Ontario by 2025. Carefor’s accessibility plan demonstrates its commitment to work in partnership with all stakeholders, including clients, residents and their care partners with a range of accessibility needs, to meet the minimum standard specified as AODA requirements by 2025, and to bring an accessibility lens to the entire organization with the goal of ensuring that we can provide “the best life” to all clients and residents. It is recognized that achieving accessibility and/or eliminating barriers for all clients and residents may require efforts beyond those specified in the AODA legislation.
This Accessibility Plan is a living document which will evolve as the organization continues to identify and eliminate barriers to equal accessibility. The aim of this plan is to help us achieve our vision of making Carefor fully accessible to all individuals who receive care, work in or visit its facilities.
About Carefor
Carefor supports thousands of people across Eastern Ontario every year. As an organization with an annual budget of approximately $70 million that provides service from the upper Ottawa Renfrew border to the Quebec border our scope may seem large, but our impact is very personal.
Our staff work with people in need, in their homes, and in the community. These people are our neighbours, friends, and family. Often elderly and vulnerable, our clients and their families rely on us in countless ways: in-home healthcare and personal support services, meal delivery, non-urgent medical transportation, respite, and adult day programs for people living with dementia, retirement homes and palliative programs are just some of the services we offer people in our communities.
While diverse, what ties our programs and services together is a desire to help people lead their best lives. Through caring and professionalism, our staff make people’s lives better. We work with our clients, their care partners, and the local health-care system to tailor a care plan that supports the whole person.
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Policy
Carefor has an internal policy to guide our practices in ensuring accessibility for persons with disabilities. This policy applies to all Carefor employees, students and volunteers.
The policy is reviewed on a regular basis and clearly defines responsibilities and procedures that must be followed as it relates to the Accessibility Standards.
Accessibility Workplan
General Integrated Accessibility Standards
| Regulation/ Section | Carefor’s Compliance Action | Status | Next Review Date | Most Responsible |
| Establishment of Accessibility Policy (O.Reg. 191/11 s.3) | Carefor has established a policy and associated procedures for Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities. This policy will be reviewed on a regular basis, will be made available on Carefor’s public-facing website, and will be provided in another accessible format upon request. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
| Accessibility Plans (O.Reg 191/11 s.4) | Carefor has established a documented multi-year accessibility plan, which outlines the organization’s strategy to prevent and remove barriers to meet the requirements of the AODA policy. Carefor will ensure that the multi-year accessibility plan is updated at least every five years, is posted on the organization’s external website, and is made available at no cost in other accessible formats upon request. | Compliant | January 2028 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
| Training (O.Reg 191/11 s.7) | Carefor will train/educate employees, students and volunteers to meet the needs of persons with disabilities. This includes the training requirements in the AODA and its regulations as well as the Human Rights Code as it pertains to persons with disabilities. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
Information and Communications Standards
| Regulation/ Section | Carefor’s Compliance Action | Status | Next Review Date | Most Responsible |
| Feedback (O. Reg. 191/11 s.11) | Carefor will ensure that feedback processes are accessible to persons with disabilities by providing or arranging for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports, upon request. Carefor will ensure that clients/the public are aware of the opportunity to request accessible formats and communication supports with respect to providing feedback. | Compliant | July 2025 | Director, Marketing, Communications and Fundraising |
| Accessible formats and communication supports (O. Reg. 191/11 s.12) | Carefor will arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports to enable a person with a disability to obtain, provide feedback, use or benefit from Carefor’s programs and services. Carefor will consult with the person making the request to ensure suitable accessible formats and communication supports are identified, bearing in mind the nature of the disability. Accessible supports will be made available at a cost that is no more than what is charged to other persons and be provided in a timely manner. | Compliant | July 2025 | Director, Marketing, Communications and Fundraising |
| Emergency procedure, plans or public safety information (O. Reg. 191/11 s.13) | Carefor will ensure that any emergency procedures that are made available to clients/the public are provided in an accessible format or with appropriate communication supports, as soon as practicable, upon request. | Compliant | July 2025 | Director, Marketing, Communications and Fundraising |
| Accessible websites and web content (O. Reg. 191/11 s.14) | Carefor will ensure that its public-facing and internal websites and web content conform to the latest accessibility guidelines (World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA). | Compliant | July 2025 | Director, Marketing, Communications and Fundraising |
Employment Standards
| Regulation/ Section | Carefor’s Compliance Action | Status | Next Review Date | Most Responsible |
| Recruitment and Selection (O.Reg. 191/11 s. 22, 23, 24) | Carefor will notify its employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities in its recruitment processes. If an applicant is invited to participate in an assessment or selection process, Carefor will notify the applicant that accommodations are available upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used. If a selected applicant requests an accommodation, the employer shall consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for the provision of a suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability. When making an offer of employment, Carefor will notify the successful applicant of its policies for accommodating employees with disabilities. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
| Accommodations (O.Reg. 191/11 s.25) | Carefor will inform new employees, and all employees when there are changes, of its policies used to support employees with disabilities, including, but not limited to, provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to disability. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
| Accessible Formats (O.Reg. 191/11 s.28) | Carefor will consult with employees requesting the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for information that is needed in order to perform their job and information that is generally available to employees in the workplace to determine the suitability of the accessible format or communication support. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
| Workplace Emergency Response Information (O.Reg. 191/11 s.27) |
Carefor provides appropriate workplace emergency response information and individualized processes for those employees with disabilities as required as soon as is practicable upon learning about the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability. If the employee requires assistance, and with the employee’s consent, Carefor will provide the workplace emergency response information to a designated person who will provide assistance to the employee. Individualized workplace emergency response information will be reviewed when the employee moves to a different location within Carefor, when the employees overall accommodations needs or plans are reviewed, and when Carefor reviews its general emergency response policies. |
Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
| Individual Accommodation Plans, Performance Management, Career Development and Advancement, Redeployment (O. Reg. 191/11 s.28, 30, 31, 32) | Carefor will develop documented individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. Carefor will take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when using its performance management process and career development and advancement process in respect of employees with disabilities and when redeploying employees with disabilities. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
| Return to Work (O. Reg. 191/11 s.29) | Carefor will develop, document and have in place a return to work process for its employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work. The process will outline the steps Carefor will take to facilitate the return to work and will use documented individualized accommodation plans as part of the process. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
Design of Public Spaces Standards
| Regulation/ Section | Carefor’s Compliance Action | Status | Next Review Date | Most Responsible |
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Accessible parking
• On-street parking spaces (O.Reg. 191/11, s.80.32-80.39, O. Reg 413/12 s.6) |
Carefor exceeds current legal standards. Accessibility requirements will be considered in parking areas/space renovation | Compliant | Ongoing Commitment | Chief Operating Officer/Facilities Manager(s) |
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Obtaining Services:
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If Carefor newly constructs or re-develops any public spaces, we are committed to ensuring that this new construction meets accessibility standards for the built environment. | Compliant | Ongoing Commitment | Chief Operating Officer/Facilities Manager(s) |
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Maintenance of accessible elements (O.Reg. 191/11 s.80.44, O.Reg. 413/12 s.6) |
All accessible parts of public spaces will be maintained and plans will be put in place to deal with temporary disruptions. Carefor will endeavour to do preventative maintenance and repairs on off-peak hours, where possible, to limit disruption of services. We will ensure where possible, to have multiple accessible routes to public spaces. In the event of a service disruption, we will notify the public of the service disruption and alternatives available. | Compliant | Ongoing Commitment | Chief Operating Officer/Facilities Manager(s) |
Customer Service Standards - Workplan
| Regulation/ Section | Carefor’s Compliance Action | Status | Next Review Date | Most Responsible |
| Establishment of Policies (O.Reg. 191/11 s.80.46) | Overall accessibility policy posted on website, which is consistent with the principles described in this regulation. The policy is available upon request in different formats. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
| Use of Service Animals and Support Persons (O.Reg. 191/11 s.80.47) | Overall accessibility policy addresses use of service animals and support persons. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
| Notice of Temporary Disruptions (O.Reg 191/11 s.80.48) | Overall accessibility policy addresses notices of temporary disruption. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, Client Care / Manager, Facilities |
| Training (O.Reg 191/11 s.80.49) | All staff and volunteers are trained on Accessible Customer Service Standards legislation, which covers the requirements of this regulation. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
| Feedback Process (O.Reg. 191/11 s.80.50) | Overall accessibility policy addresses process for providing feedback. | Compliant | July 2025 | Vice-President, People & Culture |
| Format of Documents (O.Reg. 191/11 s.80.51) | Overall accessibility policy addresses the availability of documents upon request and in different formats. | Compliant | July 2025 | Director, Marketing, Communications and Fundraising |
Communication of Accessibility Plan
Carefor makes its Accessibility Plan available to staff, volunteers and members of the community. We also look for opportunities to further inform clients, residents and care partners of major changes, as they arise.
Carefor’s communication of its accessibility plan will include:
Internal Audience
- Informing all leaders within the organization of the availability of the most recent Accessibility Plan;
- Posting the Accessibility Plan on Carefor’s intranet site, which enables all employees and volunteers to consult or refer to the plan;
- Providing training and awareness about the plan and Carefor’s commitment to accessibility, including at orientation and via articles, reminders and updates via the intranet.
External Audience
- Posting of the most recent plan on Carefor’s three web sites (Carefor.ca; cornwallhospice.com; guesthouseottawa.ca) to ensure that clients, residents, care partners and the community at large have access to the plan;
- Promoting the availability of our executive lead (Director, HR) to express concerns or provide feedback on issues of accessibility;
Feedback
Carefor welcomes and appreciates feedback regarding the way we provide goods and services to persons with disabilities. We regularly follow-up with our clients to gain feedback on their experience with Carefor.
Feedback may also be made in person, in writing, by telephone, or by email as follows:
Carefor Health & Community Services
760 Belfast Road, Ottawa, ON K1G 6M8
Email: info@carefor.ca
Phone: 613-749-7557
Privacy will be respected and all feedback received will be reviewed for possible action that can be taken to improve access to our programs and services.
For more information about this accessibility plan or to request this information at no cost in an alternate format, please use the contact information above.
Accessibility report is available upon request.