Multi-Year Accessibility Plan
Millard, Rouse & Rosebrugh LLP
2023-28

1. Introduction

Millard, Rouse and Rosebrugh LLP (“Millards”) is committed to working towards full compliance with all standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”) as they are introduced. In doing so, we affirm our commitment to providing quality services in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.

This accessibility plan outlines the policies, achievements and actions that Millards will put in place to improve opportunities for people with disabilities.

2. About Millards

Millards has a long and rich history of helping our clients to navigate successfully through the turbulent waters of financial well-being.

Our goal is to provide personal attention and hands-on service to every client. Every client receives personal and prompt attention. We operate with an overall sense of their business. We pride ourselves in offering high professional standards, competence, and integrity.

3. Statement of Commitment

Millards is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity.

We are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and its associated regulations.

Millards understands that we have a responsibility for ensuring a safe, dignified, and welcoming environment for everyone. We are committed to ensuring our firm’s compliance by incorporating accessibility legislation into our policies, procedures, training, and best practices. We will review these policies and practices annually, as organizational changes occur, or in anticipation of compliance deadlines. In addition, we will strive to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in a timely and effective manner.

Providing an accessible and barrier-free environment is a shared effort, and we are committed as a firm to make accessibility a reality for all.

To facilitate that commitment, Millards has established this multi-year accessibility plan that will be reviewed and updated with not more than five years between reviews.

4. Customer Service Accessibility Standard

Millards uses reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the following principles:

  • Services are provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
  • The provision of services to persons with disabilities, and others, is integrated unless an alternate measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis.
  • Persons with disabilities may use assistive devices and/or support persons to obtain, use or benefit from our services.
  • Persons with disabilities and their service animals are accommodated in all aspects of service provision except where prohibited by the law, at which point, Millards will arrange for other measures to ensure equal access to our services.
  • Millards staff, when communicating with a person with a disability, will do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.

The following measures have been implemented by Millards:

  • Human Resources has been designated to review and update AODA practices or procedures. A policy review occurs annually.
  • The Customer Service Standard Policy is published on the Millards Website.
  • Notice will be provided on the website, social media, email, over the phone or in writing where applicable when a service disruption occurs and will be done as quickly as possible if the disruption is unexpected.
  • Training on AODA Customer Service has been provided and is given to anyone who participates in developing the policy, practices and procedures.
  • AODA Training, including Customer Service is also part of mandatory onboarding for all new hires within two weeks of their start date.
  • Completion of training is tracked and recorded.

i. Client Feedback

Receiving feedback from our clients and the public is an important part of our commitment to accessibility. A process has been established to encourage feedback regarding the way Millards provides services to people with disabilities. The feedback process is posted on the Millards website. Comments can also be made verbally, by e-mail, in writing or any method that is most suitable. All feedback will be directed to Human Resources.

5. Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation

ii. Training

Millards provides training to employees and partners on Ontario’s accessibility laws and on the Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities. Training is provided in a manner that best suits the duties and needs of employees and partners.

Millards has taken the following steps to ensure employees were provided with training needed to meet Ontario’s Accessibility laws:

  • Reviewing requirements under section 7, IASR.
  • Providing AODA training to new hires within two weeks of employment.
  • Providing training resources or materials in an accessible format that takes into account the accessibility needs of a person with a disability upon request.
  • Maintaining a database of training, participant’s names and dates of completion of training.

iii. Information and communications

Millards is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. We want to achieve the most effective and efficient access to information for all users.

To achieve this objective, Millards has undertaken the following plans to ensure compliance with the IASR Standard:

  • That Millards will ensure that essential information is accessible to persons with disabilities.
  • A feedback process has been established that is accessible. Alternative formats are also available such as telephone, mail and in person. These processes are available on our website.
  • Our website is continuously improving on becoming user friendly for all people with a range of needs.
  • Training on the AODA Information and Communication Standards has been provided to staff that are involved in developing or disseminating information internally or externally on behalf of the organization.

Website Information

Millards has ensured that our website, including web content, conforms to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0), Level AA except where the requirement is impractical. 4 Updated in 2023

iv. Employment Standards

Millards is committed to inclusive and accessible employment practices that attract and retain individuals with disabilities. We have taken the following steps to notify the public and employees, that when requested, Millards will accommodate people with disabilities throughout all phases of the employment relationship.

a. Recruitment

Millards is committed to ensuring that our recruitment and assessment processes are fair and accessible. All staff who are involved in hiring are required to complete AODA and Human Rights training.

Millards has taken the following steps to ensure compliance with this standard:

    • All Millards job postings state that accommodations will be available on request for persons with disabilities.
    • Notify job applicants when they are individually selected to participate in an assessment or selection process, that accommodations are available upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used.
    • If a selected applicant requests an accommodation, consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for the provision of a suitable accommodation that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs.
    • When making offers of employment, notify successful applicants of our policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
    • Inform employees of accessibility policies as soon as practicable after hire.
    • Provide updated information on accommodation policies to employees when they occur.
    • Consult with employee to determine suitability of format or support.

v. Documented Individual Accommodation Plans

Millards is committed to providing documented individual accommodation plans that include the following:

  • Participation of the employee requiring the individual accommodation plan.
  • Upon request of Millards, an evaluation by outside medical or another expert, at Millards expense, to assist with determining accommodation needs and how to best achieve accommodation
  • Ensuring a high level of privacy is achieved, and that the information is only disclosed to individuals as necessary and in order to achieve the accommodation needs of the person with a disability.
  • Provide regular review, updates and communications with employee during the accommodation process.
  • Providing an employee with information if a request for accommodation is denied.
  • Providing the individual accommodation plan in a format that takes into account the needs of the employee.
  • If required, identification of any other accommodation that is to be provided.

vi. Individual Emergency Plans

Millards provides individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability:

  • During the onboarding process for new hires, Millards informs employees about the availability of individual emergency response plans that considers their disability.
  • Millards has provided and will continue to provide employees with disabilities with individualized emergency response information, when necessary, as soon as practically possible.
  • If an employee who receives individualized workplace emergency response information requires assistance, with the employees’ consent, the workplace emergency response information will be given to the designated employee providing the assistance.
  • Millards has a process for documenting issues of accessibility and recording and providing accommodation for individualized accessible emergency response information.
  • Millards will continue to review the individualized workplace emergency response plans when necessary, such as when the location of an employee changes, when overall accommodations needs or plans are reviewed and when the employer reviews its general emergency response policies.

vii. Return to Work

Millards is committed to developing and putting in place a process for developing individual accommodation plans and return-to-work policies for employees that have been absent due to a disability or injury. Millards has developed and maintains a return to work process for our employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work. The accommodation process is outlined in Millards Returning to Work Policy. The process includes steps Millards takes to facilitate the return-to-work process and uses the documented individual accommodation plan.

viii. Performance Management, Career Development and Redeployment

Millards is committed to ensuring the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities are taken into account with regards to performance management, career development and redeployment processes.

Millards informs all new and existing employees of our policies for supporting employees with disabilities, including but not limited to, policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to a disability:

  • As required, to new employees, as soon as practicable after they begin their employment
  • Whenever there is a change to existing policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to a disability

When an employee with a disability requests it, Millards will consult with the employee to provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports:

  • For information that is needed in order to perform the employee’s job
  • For information that is generally available to employees in the workplace (i.e. agendas, meeting minutes, newsletters, forms, etc.)
  • In consultation with the employee making the request, determine the suitability of an accessible format or communication support

If the employee has an individual accommodation plan, then the accessible formats and/or communication supports that will be provided to the employee will be included in the plan.

ix: Design of Public Spaces Standards- Accessible Parking

When constructing new or redeveloping off-street parking facilities, Millards will provide the following two types of parking spaces for the use of persons with disabilities:

  • Type A, a wider parking space which has a minimum width of 3,400 mm and signage that identifies the space as “van accessible”.
  • Type B, a standard parking space which has a minimum width of 2,400 mm.

Access Aisles

  • Millards will ensure that any access aisles for the use of persons with disabilities in an off-street parking facility and will meet the following requirements:

a. They will have a minimum width of 1,500 mm.
b. They will extend the full length of the parking space.
c. They will be marked with high tonal contrast diagonal lines, which discourages parking in them, where the surface is asphalt, concrete or some other hard surface.

Minimum Number and Type of Accessible Parking Spaces

  • Off-street parking facilities will have a minimum number of parking spaces for the use of persons with disabilities, in accordance with the legislative requirements.

Signage

  • Millards will ensure that parking spaces for the use of persons with disabilities are distinctly indicated by erecting an accessible permit parking sign in accordance with section 11 of Regulation 581 of the Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990 (Accessible Parking for Persons with Disabilities) made under the Highway Traffic Act.

Maintenance

  • If the accessible parking spaces are unavailable to the public for any reason specific to maintenance. Millards will post a sign to explain the disruption and set up a temporary accessible parking area.

Compliance

  • As of September 2024, Millards has completed the necessary updates to its off-street parking facilities to meet AODA Design of Public Spaces Standards requirements. Millards is now in full compliance with applicable accessibility standards for accessible parking and will continue to monitor and maintain these features on an ongoing basis.

Contact Details

For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact Human Resources at:

Monika Woodley, CHRP
Phone: 519-720-2298
Email: mwoodley@nullmillards.com

Accessible formats of this document are available free upon request from:

  • Human Resources
  • Reception