Accessibilité

Intention

La présente politique vise à satisfaire aux exigences des Normes d’accessibilité pour les services à la clientèle, Règlement de l’Ontario 429/07, prises en vertu de la Loi de 2005 sur l’accessibilité pour les personnes handicapées de l’Ontario. Elle s’applique à la prestation de biens et de services au public ou à d’autres tiers, et non aux biens eux-mêmes.
Tous les biens et services fournis par Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited doivent respecter les principes de dignité, d’autonomie, d’intégration et d’égalité des chances.

Portée

La présente politique s’applique à la prestation de biens et de services dans les locaux appartenant à Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited et exploités par celle-ci.
Elle s’applique également aux employés, représentants et sous-traitants qui traitent avec le public ou avec d’autres tiers agissant au nom de Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited, y compris lorsque la prestation de biens et de services a lieu à l’extérieur des locaux, comme dans les services de livraison, les centres d’appels, les fournisseurs et les chauffeurs.
La section de cette politique portant sur l’utilisation des chiens-guides, des animaux d’assistance et des chiens d’assistance ne s’applique qu’à la prestation de biens et de services effectuée dans les locaux appartenant à Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited et exploités par celle-ci.
Cette politique s’applique aussi à toutes les personnes qui participent à l’élaboration des politiques, pratiques et procédures de Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited régissant la prestation de biens et de services au public ou à des tiers.

Définitions

Appareil fonctionnel

Aide technique, dispositif de communication ou autre instrument utilisé pour maintenir ou améliorer les capacités fonctionnelles des personnes handicapées. Les appareils fonctionnels personnels sont généralement des dispositifs que les clients apportent avec eux, comme un fauteuil roulant, une marchette ou une bonbonne d’oxygène personnelle, qui peuvent aider à entendre, voir, communiquer, se déplacer, respirer, se souvenir ou lire.

Handicap

Le terme handicap, tel que défini par la Loi de 2005 sur l’accessibilité pour les personnes handicapées de l’Ontario et par le Code des droits de la personne de l’Ontario, désigne tout degré d’incapacité physique, d’infirmité, de malformation ou de défigurement causé par une lésion corporelle, une anomalie congénitale ou une maladie, incluant notamment le diabète, l’épilepsie, une lésion cérébrale, tout degré de paralysie, une amputation, un manque de coordination physique, la cécité ou un trouble de la vision, la surdité ou un trouble de l’audition, le mutisme ou un trouble de la parole, ou encore une dépendance physique à un chien-guide, à un autre animal, à un fauteuil roulant ou à tout autre appareil ou dispositif de réadaptation.
Le terme désigne également une déficience intellectuelle ou un trouble du développement, un trouble d’apprentissage ou une altération d’un ou de plusieurs processus nécessaires à la compréhension ou à l’utilisation de symboles ou du langage parlé, un trouble mental, ainsi qu’une blessure ou un handicap pour lesquels des prestations ont été demandées ou reçues en vertu du régime d’assurance établi en vertu de la Loi de 1997 sur la sécurité au travail et l’assurance contre les accidents du travail.

Chien-guide

Chien de travail hautement entraîné dans l’un des établissements énumérés au Règlement de l’Ontario 58 pris en application de la Loi sur les droits des aveugles, afin d’assurer mobilité, sécurité et autonomie accrue aux personnes aveugles.

Animal d’assistance

Selon le Règlement de l’Ontario 429/07, un animal est considéré comme un animal d’assistance pour une personne handicapée lorsqu’il est évident que l’animal est utilisé par cette personne pour des raisons liées à son handicap, ou lorsque la personne fournit une lettre d’un médecin ou d’une infirmière confirmant qu’elle a besoin de l’animal pour des raisons liées à son handicap.

Chien d’assistance

Selon la Loi sur la protection et la promotion de la santé, Règlement de l’Ontario 562, un chien autre qu’un chien-guide pour les personnes aveugles est considéré comme un chien d’assistance lorsqu’il est évident pour une personne moyenne que le chien agit comme chien d’assistance pour une personne ayant un handicap médical, et lorsque la personne peut fournir, sur demande, une lettre d’un médecin ou d’une infirmière confirmant qu’elle a besoin d’un chien d’assistance.

Personne de soutien

Selon le Règlement de l’Ontario 429/07, une personne de soutien est une personne qui accompagne une personne handicapée afin de l’aider dans la communication, la mobilité, les soins personnels, les besoins médicaux ou l’accès aux biens et services.

Principes généraux

Conformément aux Normes d’accessibilité pour les services à la clientèle, Règlement de l’Ontario 429/07, la présente politique traite des éléments suivants :

A. The Provision of Goods and Services to Persons with Disabilities

Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited will make every reasonable effort to ensure that its policies, practices and are consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity by:

• Ensuring that all members and visitors receive the same value and quality of service;
• Allowing members and visitors with disabilities to do things in their own ways, at their own pace when accessing goods and services as long as this does not present a safety risk;
• Using alternative methods when possible to ensure that members and visitors with disabilities have access to the same services, in the same place and in a similar manner;
• Taking into account individual needs when providing goods and services;

B. Assistive Devices

Persons with disabilities may use their own assistive devices as required when accessing goods or services provided by Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited.
In cases where the assistive device presents a safety concern or where accessibility might be an issue, other reasonable measures will be used to ensure the access of goods and services.

C. Guide Dogs, Service Animals and Service Dogs

A member or visitor with a disability that is accompanied by guide dog, service animal or service dog will be allowed access to offices that are open to the public; however Health Canada Good Manufacturing Practices, C.02.044, prohibit animals from entering the Warehouse facility to prevent the contamination of pharmaceutical and other veterinary products.

Exclusion Guidelines

Where a member or visitor requires access to the Warehouse facility, Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited will make alternative arrangements to accommodate the individual’s needs. Accommodations will be made with respect to the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity.

Recognizing a Guide Dog, Service Dog and/or Service Animal

If it is not readily apparent that the animal is being used by the member or visitor for reasons relating to his or her disability, Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited may request verification from the customer.

Verification may include:

a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons related to the disability;
a valid identification card signed by the Attorney General of Canada;
a certificate of training from a recognized guide dog or service animal training school.

Care and Control of the Animal

The customer that is accompanied by a guide dog, service dog and/or service animal is responsible for maintaining care and control of the animal at all time.

Allergies

If a health and safety concern presents itself for example in the form of a severe allergy to the animal, Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited will make all reasonable efforts to meet the needs of all individuals.

D. Support Persons

If a member or visitor with a disability is accompanied by a support person, Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited will ensure that both persons are allowed to enter the premises together and that the member or visitor is not prevented from having access to the support person.
In situations where confidential information might be discussed, consent will be obtained from the client or visitor, in writing, prior to any conversation where confidential information might be discussed.

E. Notice of Disruptions in Service

Service disruptions may occur due to reasons that may or may not be within the control or knowledge of Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited. In the event of any temporary disruptions to facilities or services that clients or visitors with disabilities rely on to access or use Veterinary Purchasing Company’s goods or services, reasonable efforts will be made to provide advance notice. In some circumstances such as in the situation of unplanned temporary disruptions, advance notice may not be possible.

Notifications will Include:

goods or services that are disrupted or unavailable
reason for the disruption
anticipated duration
a description of alternative services or options

Notifications Options:

posting notices in conspicuous places including at the point of disruption, at the main entrance and the nearest accessible entrance to the service disruption and/or on the Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited’s website;
contacting clients or visitors with appointments;
verbally notifying customers when they are making a reservation or appointment;
by any other method that may be reasonable under the circumstances.

F. Feedback Process

Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited shall provide clients or visitors with the opportunity to provide feedback on the service provided to them. Information about the feedback process will be readily available to all customers and notice of the process will be made available on the Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited website. Feedback forms along with alternate methods of providing feedback such as verbally (in person or by telephone) or written (hand written, delivered, website or email), will be available upon request.

Customers can submit feedback:

My VP Human Resources Contacts
485 Queen Street West, PO Box 1150 St. Marys, Ontario N4X 1B7
519-284-1371 ext. 259

hr@vpcl.on.ca

Customers who wish to provide feedback by completing an onsite customer feedback form or verbally can do so to any Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited employee.
Customers that provide formal feedback will receive acknowledgement of their feedback, along with any resulting actions based on concerns or complaints that were submitted.

G. Training

Training will be provided to:

All employees, volunteers, agents and/or contractors who deal with the public or other third parties that act on behalf of Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited; for example: salespersons, drivers, vendors;
Those who are involved in the development and approval of customer service policies, practices and procedures.

Training Provsions

As reflected in Ontario Regulation 429/07, regardless of the format, training will cover the following:
A review of the purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.
A review of the requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07.
Instructions on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.
Instructions on how to interact with people with disabilities who:
use assistive devices;
require the assistance of a guide dog, service dog or other service animal;
require the use of a support person.
Instructions on how to use equipment or devices that are available at our premises or that we provide that may help people with disabilities.
Instructions on what to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing your services.
Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited’s policies, procedures and practices pertaining to providing accessible customer service to customers with disabilities.

Training Schedule

Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited will provide training as soon as practicable. Training will be provided to new employees, volunteers, agents and/or contractors who deal with the public or act on our behalf (insert when such as, during orientation). Revised training will be provided in the event of changes to legislation, procedures and/or practices.

Record of Training

Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited will keep a record of training that includes the dates training was provided and the number of employees who attended the training.

Notice of Availability and Format of Documents

Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited shall notify customers that the documents related to the Accessibility Standard for Customer Service are available upon request and in a format that takes into account the customer’s disability. Notification will be given by posting the information in a conspicuous place owned and operated by Veterinary Purchasing Company Limited, the Company’s website and/or any other reasonable method.

Referenced Documents

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07
Blind Person’s Rights Act, 1990
Ontario Human Rights Code, 1990
Good Manufacturing Practices, 2009