Accessibility Policy & Customer Service Policy Statement
PURPOSE/STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT
This policy is intended to ensure adidas Canada Limited (collectively hereinafter referred to as “adidas”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) provides its products and services in a manner that is accessible to all of its customers, employees, and vendors, meeting or exceeding compliance with standards and regulations contained in Canada’s various federal, provincial and territorial statutes (including, for certainty, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 ("the AODA") and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (Regulation 191/11) (the “Regulation”) related to accessibility for individuals with Disabilities.
adidas is committed to eliminating barriers and improving accessibility for persons with Disabilities to afford equal access and participation, opportunities, and goods and services, where possible and in a manner that respects adidas core principles of dignity, independence, integration and equality of opportunity.
adidas believes in integration and is committed to meeting the needs of people with Disabilities in a timely manner. This will be done by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and by meeting legislated accessibility requirements.
The Policy applies to:
(a) Every person who is an employee of, or a volunteer with, adidas
(b) Every person who participates in developing adidas policies.
(c) Every other person who provides goods, services or facilities on behalf of adidas
DEFINITIONS
Accessible Format: may include, but is not limited to, large print, recorded audio and electronic format, braille and any other format usable by a person with a disability.
Assistive Devices: means any device that is designed, made, or adapted to assist a person to perform a particular task or tasks or to aid the person in an activity of daily living, for example: canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs are all Assistive Devices.
Communication Support: may include, but is not limited to, captioning, alternative and augmentative communication support, plain language, sign language and any other support that facilitates effective communication.
Disability: means any of the following:
(i) any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impairment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog, or other animal, or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
(ii) a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability
(iii) a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
(iv) a mental disorder,
(v) an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under an insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.
Service Animal: means any animal that can be readily identified as one that has been trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a Disability, as a result of visual indicators such as the vest or harness worn by the animal. The work or service performed by the animal must be directly related to the handler’s Disability. Service Animal also means any animal for which the person provides documentation from a member of a regulated health professional in Canada confirming the person requires the animal for reasons directly relating to the handler’s disability:
Support Person: means another person who accompanies a person with a Disability in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods services, or facilities.
POLICY
adidas endeavours to provide goods and services in a manner or format that respects the dignity and independence of persons with Disabilities. The provision of such goods and services shall be:
i. part of standard business operations, whenever possible
ii. accessible through the use of Assistive Devices, Service Animals and Support Persons unless prohibited by law or for reasons of health and safety
iii. reinforced through training of adidas personnel on accessibility requirements; provision of service disruption notification, when required, and access to a feedback process.
iv. provided at request to any person in an appropriate accessible format.
Communication & Telephone Services:
adidas will communicate with people with Disabilities in ways that take into account their Disability, upon request, to the best of our ability. We train our staff who interact with customers on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities
adidas is committed to providing fully accessible telephone services to its customers. Customers may choose to communicate with us by e-mail in the event that telephone communication is not suitable to that individual’s specific needs.
Support Persons, Service Animals and Assistive Devices:
I. adidas welcomes persons with Disabilities who use Support Persons to have that person accompany them in any public area to assist in accessing goods or services.
II. The accompaniment of Service Animals in areas/premises that are open to the public or when accessing goods and services provided by adidas, is recognized unless otherwise prohibited by law. If a Service Animal is excluded from the premises by law, adidas shall endeavour to make other provisions available. For example, a guide may be provided to accompany a visually impaired individual in areas that may pose a safety concern for the Service Animal.
III. The use of Assistive Devices by individuals as required, in accessing goods and/or services provided by adidas is recognized unless otherwise prohibited due to health and safety or privacy issues. adidas will not have Assistive Devices available.
Notice of Temporary Service Disruption:
I. adidas will provide notice when facilities or services used by persons with Disabilities to access goods and services become temporarily disrupted.
II. In the event of a temporary disruption, written notice will be posted in a conspicuous area detailing the determined approximate length of the disruption, and what alternate accommodations are available to persons with Disabilities.
III. In the event of a planned disruption involving services relied upon by persons with Disabilities, written notice will be posted in a conspicuous area, detailing the proposed approximate length of the disruption, and what alternate services will be available for persons with Disabilities to access goods and services.
Accessibility Plan:
I. adidas will develop, maintain and document an Accessibility Plan outlining adidas’ strategy to prevent and remove barriers from its workplace and to improve opportunities for persons with Disabilities.
II. The Accessibility Plan will be reviewed and updated at least once every five years and will be posted on adidas’ internal website. Upon request, adidas will provide a copy of the Accessibility Plan in an accessible format.
Self-Service Kiosks:
adidas will continue to consider accessibility when designing, procuring or acquiring self-service kiosks to better serve persons with Disabilities. Self-Service Kiosk means an interactive electronic terminal, including a point-of-sale device, intended for public use that allows a user to access one or more services or products or both.
Training:
I. adidas will ensure that training is provided on the requirements of the accessibility standards referred to in the Regulation and continue to provide training on applicable human rights legislation as it pertains to persons with Disabilities to:
(i) all its employees and volunteers;
(ii) all persons who participate in developing adidas’s policies;
(iii) all other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on adidas’s behalf.
II. This training will be provided to all new employees within one month of start date and when changes are made to the plan.
III. The training will include:
(i) An overview of applicable legislation, including the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the Customer Service Standard.
(ii) How to interact and communicate with people with various Disabilities.
(iii) How to interact with persons who require the assistance of a guide dog, Service Animal or support person.
(iv) Instruction on the appropriate ways of interacting with people who use Assistive Devices.
(v) Instruction on what to do if a person with a Disability is having difficulty accessing our services.
IV. Records shall be kept of training provided.
Notice of Temporary Service Disruption:
I. adidas will notify customers if there is a planned or unexpected disruption of a facility or service a person with a disability may otherwise use to access goods, services and facilities. The notice will be posted where it is likely to come to the attention of customers, such as at the entrance of the premises and/or on the home page of adidas’ website. The notice will include the following information:
(i) the facility or service that is unavailable.
(ii) the anticipated duration of the disruption.
(iii) The reason for the disruption.
(iv) Alternative facilities or services, if available.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS STANDARD:
Feedback:
I. adidas has established processes for people to provide feedback on how goods and services are accessed by persons with Disabilities, how feedback is responded to, as well as any actions taken as a result of a complaint.
II. adidas will continue to ensure that its process for receiving and responding to feedback is accessible to persons with Disabilities by providing, or arranging for the provision of, accessible formats and communications supports, upon request.
III. Feedback can be provided through our website shop www.adidas.ca, or by calling our customer service department at 1-800-823-4327 between the hours of 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time.
IV. Where the feedback requires adidas to take an action or where a complaint is received, adidas will take the necessary action in response to the feedback or complaint and will document the action taken.
Accessible Formats and Communication Support:
I. Upon request, adidas will provide, or arrange for the provision of, accessible formats and communication supports for persons with Disabilities in a timely manner, taking into account the person’s accessibility needs due to Disability. Accessible formats and communication supports will be provided in a timely manner and at a cost no more than the regular cost charged to any other person, if any.
II. adidas will consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.
III. adidas will notify the public about the availability of accessible formats and communication supports.
Accessible Websites and Web Content:
I. adidas will ensure that our Internet websites, including web content, conform to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 – Level A except where this is impracticable. The commitment to provide an accessible website and web content only applies to a website and web content adidas controls directly or indirectly through a contractual relationship allowing for modification of the website or web content at issue.
EMPLOYMENT STANDARD
The Employment Standards only apply to employees of adidas. They do not apply to volunteers or other unpaid individuals or contractors.
Recruitment, Assessment or Selection Process:
I. adidas will notify its employees and the public about availability of accommodation for applicants with Disabilities in its recruitment process.
II. adidas will notify job applicants, when they are individually selected to participate further in an assessment or selection process, that accommodations are available upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used.
III. If a selected applicant requests an accommodation, adidas will 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.
Notice to Successful Applicants:
I. When making offers of employment, adidas will notify the successful applicant of its policies for accommodating employees with Disabilities.
Informing Employees of Support:
I. adidas will continue to inform its employees of its policies, and updates to those policies, used to support employees with Disabilities. This includes policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to Disability. This information will be provided to new employees as soon as is practicable after commencing employment.
Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees:
I. Upon the request of an employee with a Disability, adidas will consult with the employee to provide, or arrange for the provision of, accessible formats and communication supports for information that is needed to perform his/her job, and information that is generally available to other employees.
II. In determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support, adidas will consult with the employee making the request.
Workplace Emergency Response Information:
I. adidas will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a Disability, if the Disability is such that individualized information is necessary and if adidas is aware of the need for accommodation due to the person’s Disability. adidas will provide this information as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the need for accommodation.
II. Where the employee requires assistance, adidas will, with the consent of the employee, provide the workplace emergency response information to the person designated by adidas to provide assistance to the employee
III. adidas will review the individualized workplace emergency response information when the employee moves to a different location in the organization, when the employee’s accommodations needs or plans are reviewed.
Documented Individual Accommodation Plans:
I. adidas maintains a written process for the development of documented individual accommodation plans for employees with Disabilities.
II. If requested, information regarding accessible formats and communications supports provided will also be included in individual accommodation plans.
III. The plans will include individualized workplace emergency response information (where required) and will identify any other accommodation that is to be provided.
Return to Work Process:
I. adidas maintains a documented return to work process for its employees who have been absent from work due to a Disability and who require Disability-related accommodations in order to return to work.
II. The return to work outlines the steps that adidas will take to facilitate the return to work and will include documented individual accommodation plans as part of the process.
III. The return to work process will not replace or override any other return to work process created by or under any other statute.
Performance Management, Career Development and Advancement and Redeployment:
i. adidas takes into account the accessibility needs of employees with Disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when conducting performance management, providing career development and advancement to employees, or when redeploying employees.
Questions About This Policy:
I. This policy has been developed to break down barriers and increase accessibility for persons with Disabilities in the areas of Information and Communications, and Employment. If anyone has a question about this policy or would like to obtain this document in an alternate format, please contact our Human Resources Department at 905-266-4200 or service_en@onlineshop.adidas.ca