PiVAL International is firmly dedicated to promoting equitable access and participation for individuals with disabilities. Our company is devoted to treating persons with disabilities in ways that respect their dignity and independence, and we firmly believe in fostering an inclusive environment. We are committed to addressing the challenges of accessibility barriers and ensuring that the needs of all individuals are met. To achieve this, we pledge to comply with the guidelines established in the Accessible Canada Act (the Act). 

POLICY

PiVAL International is dedicated to ensuring equal access in all aspects of our organization for individuals with disabilities and fulfilling the requirements outlined in Part 3 of the Act. To achieve this, we will implement the following measures:  

  • The formation of an Accessibility Committee,  
  • The development of an accessibility plan, and  
  • The establishment of a comprehensive feedback mechanism. 

PiVAL International also commits to: 

  • A continuous comprehensive review of all programs, services, and new initiatives, ensuring they are fully accessible to all individuals; and  
  • Ensuring effective communication with persons with disabilities by providing accessible information and communication support tailored to their unique needs and circumstances. This includes offering materials in multiple accessible formats and using adaptive technologies where necessary. To further strengthen this commitment, our dedicated Accessibility Committee, which is currently being formalized, will include employees with lived experience and subject matter experts to guide ongoing improvements and ensure communication strategies remain inclusive, relevant, and responsive. This committee will conduct accessibility assessments to gather feedback directly from employees with disabilities. 

 As a private sector organization with 10-99 employees, PiVAL International will ensure that this accessibility plan is published on or before June 1, 2025. Subsequently, PiVAL International will publish and update this policy every three years.

Upon request PiVAL International will provide this policy in alternate formats, with the exception of braille and audio formats, within 20 days of the request. A request for this policy in either Braille or an audio format must be fulfilled within 45 days of the request. 

Accessibility Committee

PiVAL International recognizes the importance of ensuring that accessibility committees represent the diversity of Canadians, including persons with disabilities and Indigenous representation, as outlined in the Act.

PiVAL is committed to ensuring that the committee includes persons with disabilities and is further dedicated to consulting external vendors for input and feedback.

Accessibility Plan

The implementation of PiVAL International’s accessibility plan will adhere to the following guiding principles:

  • Every individual must be treated with dignity, respect, and equality. 
  • Every individual must have the same opportunity to lead the life they desire and are capable of. 
  • Every individual must be able to fully and equally participate in the company. 
  • Every individual must have meaningful choices and the freedom to make their own decisions, with appropriate support if necessary. 
  • All policies must consider and address the various barriers and forms of discrimination that exist. 
  • Persons with disabilities must be actively involved in the development and design of policies, programs, services, and structures. 
  • Accessibility standards and regulations must be created to achieve the highest level of accessibility for all individuals. 

To fulfill its commitment to accessibility, PiVAL International will undertake the following actions: 

  1. Prepare and publish accessibility plans: The company and the accessibility committee will create accessibility plans that identify, remove, and prevent barriers in our policies, programs, practices, and services, with priority given to the most critical areas. These plans will be updated every three years or as necessary, and persons with disabilities will be consulted during the creation and update process. This plan will also cover key areas of accessibility, employment, built environment, technology, service, and culture.  
  2. Set up a feedback process: The company will establish a mechanism to receive and address feedback on accessibility to ensure that individuals with disabilities can voice their concerns or suggestions. 
  3. Prepare and publish progress reports: The company will regularly prepare and publish progress reports describing the actions taken to implement their accessibility plans. These reports will include information on feedback received and how it was taken into consideration. People with disabilities will also be consulted during the preparation of these reports. 

The Accessibility Commissioner will be notified within 48 hours of the publication of these plans, processes, and reports.

Employment

PiVAL International acknowledges that persons with disabilities represent a significant portion of the Canadian workforce. In support of this, PiVAL International is committed to enhancing the recruitment, retention, and promotion/advancement/growth of employees with disabilities. The following initiatives have been identified to create a workplace that is inclusive and welcoming to job seekers with disabilities. 

Objective  Short-Term & On-going Action  Medium- & Long-Term Action 
Analyze and benchmark hiring, promotion, and retention rates for employees with disabilities 
  • Continue annual analysis of employment equity data of our workforce to identify underrepresented occupational groups. 
  
Improve opportunities for employees and potential employees with disabilities. 
  • Clarify staffing options to address underrepresentation. 
  • Expand information and training to all hiring managers and employees. 
  • Include accommodation clause in job postings. 
  • Attend targeted recruitment events which include persons with disabilities. 
  • Equip our recruiter and HR department to adopt the AODA policy into their hiring practices.  
  • Adopt a list of interview questions to assist the candidate in the process. 
Make accessibility considerations part of the onboarding process 
  • Cover duty to accommodate and accommodation process for applicable new employees during onboarding through mandatory training in our LMS.  
  • Adhere to check in process with new employees who self-identified with a disability at 1-, 2-, and 3-months post-hire to ensure their needs are met. Managers will be informed if additional tools are required. 
  
Provide accommodation throughout the employment lifecycle 
  • Conduct an accessibility audit of current HR processes and materials to identify barriers and quick wins for improvement. 
  • Integrate accessibility and accommodation planning into employee development and succession planning, ensuring that career progression, training programs, and offboarding processes are inclusive and adaptable to individual needs. 
  • Develop and implement an accommodations policy and process, including clear guidelines for managers and employees and training sessions. Ensure it is accessible and communicated companywide. 

Built Environment

PiVAL International strives to make our work locations barrier-free for the full participation of employees with disabilities. The organization will ensure that all buildings meet the accessibility codes and standards.

Objective  Short-Term & On-going Action  Medium- & Long-Term Action 
Update parking policies 
  • Provide a sufficient number of accessible parking spots near building entrances with appropriate signage. 
  • Consult with persons with disabilities when reviewing or updating parking policies. 
  
Explore the possibility of wider doors for mobility devices   
  • Identify high-traffic areas and assess if wider doors would improve accessibility. 
Update the exterior of the office building to meet accessibility standards 
  • Ensure building entrances are barrier-free, with ramps or level access and automatic door openers. 
  

Culture, Education, and Awareness

PiVAL International recognizes the importance of a positive workplace culture and its impact on employee performance, job satisfaction, and engagement. The company is committed to creating a healthy and equitable workplace environment where employees are valued and have access to equitable employment opportunities and will establish a safe space where employees can freely express and advocate for themselves. To foster an inclusive and accessible workplace, the company will focus on addressing awareness and attitudinal barriers through the following:

Objectives  Short-Term & On-going Actions  Medium- & Long-Term Actions 
Ensure all employees have accessibility knowledge and tools 
  • Post policies and procedures. 
  • Promote a culture of inclusion. 
  
Strengthen understanding of accessibility, empathy and respect for employees with disabilities 
  • Educate about invisible disabilities. 
  • Celebrate key awareness days and months. 
  • Empower the Accessible Committee to collaborate with the existing DEI committee in regard to DEI initiatives. 
Ensure events and meetings are accessible 
  • Promote guidelines for accessible meetings. 
  

Technologies

Making information and communication technologies accessible is crucial to enable everyone to interact with technology effectively. To achieve this, we must ensure accessibility for users with disabilities, injuries, or ergonomic needs. This will ensure equal participation and contributions to fulfilling the organization’s mission. The following initiatives are proposed to achieve this at PiVAL International.

Objective  Short-Term & On-going Action  Medium- & Long-Term Action 
Ensure new systems meet accessibility and security standards. Integrate accessibility into the review process. 
  • Provide hands-on support and accessibility for applications and websites as needed.
  
Make software accessible 
  • Collaborate with IT to explore accessible software solutions, whenever feasible. 
  • Conduct accessibility audits.
  
Update existing software for accessibility. 
  • Consider accessibility needs in current user-facing technologies when prioritizing software updates or replacements. 
  • Monitor and update digital platforms. 
  

Communication

Clear and direct communication benefits all audiences, and to achieve this, it’s important to consider that people communicate in different ways, such as speech, writing, sign language, and pictures. To remove communication barriers and create a more inclusive environment, the following initiatives have been identified:

Objective  Short-Term & On-going Action  Medium- & Long-Term Action 
Use plain language in communications 
  • Provide inclusive communication training with a focus on plain language best practices.
  
Make all communication accessible by default, both internal and external 
  • Promote WCAG 2.0 compliant communication practices and provide training and support for creating accessible content. 
  • Ensure internal and external sites are accessible and regularly monitored for compliance.
  

Services

PiVAL International is committed to ensuring barrier-free procurement by identifying and removing accessibility barriers in procurement requirements. To ensure inclusive and accessible products and services, accessibility criteria must be included in procurement requirements, and deliverables must incorporate accessibility features.

Objective  Short-Term & On-going Action  Medium- & Long-Term Action 
Consider accessibility needs at the start of procurement processes 
  • Mandate accessibility training for all employees involved in procurement.  
  • Promote awareness and provide resources for accessible procurement.
  
Ensure accessibility of the selection and purchase of goods and services  
  • Consult with employees with disabilities before choosing furniture for common spaces. 
  • Maintain a list of preferred vendors that offer accessible products and services.
  

Feedback Mechanism

PiVAL International aims to create a barrier-free workplace for all employees by implementing the plan developed by the company and the accessibility committee under the guidance of this policy and the Act.

Employees who have concerns, suggestions, or requests related to accessibility are encouraged to contact the Human Resources department through one of the following channels: 

All accessibility-related inquiries and feedback will be acknowledged within 72 hours. Each request will be reviewed and discussed by PiVAL International in consultation with the Accessibility Committee. Where appropriate, the accessibility plan will be updated, and any resulting changes will be clearly communicated to all employees via email. 

Planning and Reporting Requirements

As a federally regulated organization with 10 or more employees, PiVAL International will be planning and reporting by preparing and publishing an initial accessibility plan on or before June 1, 2025. 

This planning and reporting cycle will last three calendar years, with the following schedule: 

  • Year 1: publication of initial accessibility plan
  • Years 2 and 3: Progress reports

PiVAL International will publish our report following the completion of the first cycle. This subsequent cycle will begin with an updated accessibility plan followed by two progress reports. PiVAL International will continue these planning and reporting cycles as long as the average number of employees does not fall below 10 in any subsequent year of the planning and reporting cycle. 

Training

PiVAL International is committed to providing regular accessibility training and education to all employees, ensuring that the training is accessible to everyone and that employees have the necessary tools to become accessibility confident.  

The initiatives include the following: 

  • Providing mandatory training on unconscious bias, accessibility, barriers, inclusive communication and inclusion to all managers, supervisors, team leaders, executives, and HR professionals,  
  • Offering training to reduce attitudinal barriers,  
  • Educating and providing support to managers on employees’ performance evaluations,  
  • Providing training to all employees to improve the work environment for individuals with a disability. 

Review of Policy and Plans

The accessibility policy and any associating accessibility plans shall be reviewed every three years, or when deemed necessary by PiVAL International and the accessibility committee.

Posted

Our commitment to accessibility will be posted and available on our website and on all our bulletin boards.

 

Progress Report

To access PiVAL’s year-2 progress report, click here.