Accessibility Policy

Date of first approval: January 3, 2023

 

Introduction:

We are committed to complying with the Accessibility Standard for Customer Service under the Accessibility for Manitobans Act. Our policies, practices, and measures reflect the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity for people with disabilities.

If a barrier to accessing our goods or services cannot be removed, we seek to provide alternate ways to access the goods or service.

The following policy statements, organizational practices and measures are intended to meet the requirements of the Accessibility Standard for Customer Service.

This policy applies to all employees, volunteers, contractors, managers, general managers, and executives at Dilawri’s Crown Auto Group.

We are committed to making car ownership easy for everyone!

1: Meet communication needs.

Policy Statement:

We meet the communication needs of our customers.

Practices and Measures:

• To meet communication needs, when appropriate we offer communication in different ways, such as writing things down, reading things outload, and taking additional time to explain things.
• We also:
  • have pens and papers available to write things down
  • Offer a chair when linger conversations are necessary
  • Offer a quiet space or private office when necessary
  • Sit down to engage a customer in a wheelchair

• Our publications are available in alternate formats upon request
• We use sings and documents in plain language
• We have multiple employees who speak multiple languages to mirror the communities we operate in
• We write signs and documents in plain language

 

2: Accommodate the use of assistive devices.

Policy Statement:

We accommodate the sue off assistive devices when customers are accessing our goods, services, or facilities.

Practices and Measures:

• We do not touch or move customers assistive devices without permission.
• We are trained in hoe to use the assistive devices that we provide, including:
  • Automatic doors
  • Wheelchair accessible tables for signatures at our cash out desks
• In cases where the assistive device presents significant and unavoidable health or safety concerns, we attempt to use other measures to ensure the person with disabilities can access our goods and services.
• We have accessible washrooms on all our main floors to ensure access for all customers.

 

3: Welcome support persons.

Policy Statement:

We welcome support persons and will always accommodate based on customers requests.

Practices and Measures:

• We address the customer and not the support person, unless requested by the customer to do otherwise.
• We make space for support persons on-site and ensure customers always have access to their support persons.

 

4: Allow service animals.

Policy Statement:

We allow service animals on our premises.

Practices and Measures:

• We:
  • Treat a service animal as a working animal
  • Do not distract a service animal from its job by petting, feeding, or playing with it, unless given permission by the person with the service animal to do so.
  • If we have concerns, we may ask if the animal has been trained to help a person with a disability-related need.
  • We do not inquire about the disability.
• We expect the person who is handling the service animal to maintain control of the animal physically, or through voice, signal, or other means.
• If the service animal is showing signs of not being controlled (ie by barking, whining, or wandering), we may provide a warning to the handler to control the animal.
• If the service animal continues to misbehave, we may as the handler to leave.

 

5: Maintain accessibility features.

Policy Statement:

To ensure barrier-free access to our goods, services, or facilities, we maintain our accessibility features so they can be used as intended.

Practices and Measures:

• We organize our space so that there is room for people with wheelchairs. Electric scooters, and walkers.
• Our seating accommodates people of varying sizes and abilities.
• We keep hallways, aisled, entrance and reception areas, waiting rooms, and meeting rooms clear of clutter.
• We keep our entrances free of snow and ice.
• We place standing signs out oof the way to avoid tripping hazards.
• We use both audio and visual cues to inform customers it is their tur to be served.
• We pick up and drop off vehicles at our customers homes if they are not able to do.
• Alternatives to our accessibility features include:
  • We allow online shopping
  • We deliver to homes and make alternative arrangements to accommodate customers in both sales and service.

 

6: Let the public know when and why an accessibility feature is unavailable.

Policy Statement:

We let the public know when and why an accessibility feature is temporarily unavailable, how ling it will be unavailable, and other ways to access our goods and services.

Practices and Measures:

• If one of our accessibility features becomes temporarily unavailable, we prepare and post a notice and/or announcement on our website about the disruption, the reason for the disruption, how ling it will last, and whether there are other ways we can provide our access to our goods and services like providing an alternative access door.
• If requested, we work with our customer to find other ways to provide goods and services.
• We let the public know about disruptions in the following ways:
  • Posted on our website, on social media
  • Posted on our building entrance, reception desk, and high traffic areas.
  • Through employees and managers in person
  • Through our appointment booking business centre.

 

7: Welcome and respond promptly to feedback.

Policy Statement:

We welcome and respond promptly to feedback we receive on the accessibility of our goods and services.

We document the actions we take to respond to the feedback we receive, and that information is available on request in a format that meets the customer communication needs.

Practices and Measures:

• We invite feedback the following ways:
  • Directly through our website to the department in question.
  • Through our Business Development Centre
• All feedback is directly to the relevant department
• If the feedback requires us to follow up, the person responsible will respond directly to the customer that mirrors the customers feedback.
• We respond to feedback in the way that meets the communication need of the customer.

 

8: Provide the requires training to employees and management.

Policy Statement:

We provide the required training on accessible customer service to employees, and management. We are trained on:

• How to interact and communicate with people who face barriers to accessing goods and services, use assistive devices, are assisted u a support person and/or service animal.
• How to use any equipment or assistive devices that are available on-site.
• An overview of the Accessibility for Manitoba Act, the Human Rights Code of Manitoba.
• Our organizational policies, practices, and measures, including updates or changes.

Practices and Measures:

• We train new employees and management within two weeks of hire.
• We provide refresher training regularly, including updates to policies practices, and measures. Training is offered annually to all employees.
• Human Resources keeps a timeline and record of all training certificates and policy sign offs.
• Feedback on the accessibility of our goods and services is addresses in quarterly Health and Safety meetings
• All employees have access on internet homepage to provide feedback directly to Human Resources for concerns and issues.

 

9: Keep a digital record of accessibility and training policies.

Policy Statement:

We keep a digital record of our accessibility and training policies. Our digital documentation includes a summary of our training materials and when training was completed.

We let the public know through our websites that our policies are available upon request.

Practices and Measures:

We let the public know that our accessibility and training policies are available in the following ways:

• Posted on our websites
• Through employees, and management in person.
• We provide our policies within a reasonable timeframe, at no cost, and in a format that meets the needs of the individual

Date of next policy review: January 3, 2024