ACCESSIBILITY POLICY
Statement of organizational commitment

Cosmic Adventures is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities.  We are committed to treating people with disabilities in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence.  We believe in integration and we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner.  We will do so by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and meeting our accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Ontario’s accessibility laws.

 

Providing goods, services or facilities to people with disabilities

Cosmic Adventures is committed to meeting its current and ongoing obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code respecting non-discrimination.

 

Cosmic Adventures understands that obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) and its accessibility standards do not substitute or limit its obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code or obligations to people with disabilities under any other law.

 

Cosmic Adventures is committed to complying with both the Ontario Human Rights Code and the AODA.

Cosmic Adventures is committed to excellence in serving all customers including people with disabilities.

Our accessible customer service policies are consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity for people with disabilities.

 

Assistive devices

People with disabilities may use their personal assistive devices when accessing our goods, services or facilities.

 

In cases where the assistive device presents a significant and unavoidable health or safety concern or may not be permitted for other reasons, other measures will be used to ensure the person with a disability can access our goods, services or facilities.

 

We will ensure that our staff are trained and familiar with various assistive devices we have on site or that we provide that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods, services or facilities.

 

Communication

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability. This may include in person (either verbally or in writing), by telephone, by e-mail, by mail in writing, or in other methods that works for them.

 

We will work with the person with a disability to determine what method of communication works for them.

 

Service animals

We welcome people with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are allowed on the parts of our premises that are open to the public.

When we cannot easily identify that an animal is a service animal, our staff may ask a person to provide documentation (template, letter or form) from a regulated health professional that confirms the person needs the service animal for reasons relating to their disability.

A service animal can be easily identified through visual indicators, such as when it wears a harness or a vest, or when it helps the person perform certain tasks.

A regulated health professional is defined as a member of one of the following colleges:

• College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario
• College of Chiropractors of Ontario
• College of Nurses of Ontario
• College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
• College of Optometrists of Ontario
• College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
• College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
• College of Psychologists of Ontario
• College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario
  
  

If service animals are prohibited by another law, we will do the following to ensure people with disabilities can access our goods, services or facilities:

• explain why the animal is excluded
• discuss with the customer another way of providing goods, services or facilities

 

Changes to existing policies

A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person accompany them on our premises. The regular admission fee for adults will be charged to the support person for admission to Cosmic Adventures’ premises.  The amount of the admission fee for adults is available on our website.

 

In certain cases, Cosmic Adventures might require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person for the health or safety reasons of:

• the person with a disability
• others on the premises
• Before making a decision, Cosmic Adventures will:
• consult with the person with a disability to understand their needs
• consider health or safety reasons based on available evidence
• determine if there is no other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person or others on the premises

Notice of temporary disruption

In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities Cosmic Adventures will notify customers promptly. This clearly posted notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated length of time, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.

 

Employment

We notify employees, job applicants and the public that accommodations can be made during recruitment and hiring. We notify job applicants when they are individually selected to participate in an assessment or selection process that accommodations are available upon request. We consult with the applicants and provide or arrange for suitable accommodation.

We notify successful applicants of policies for accommodating employees with disabilities when making offers of employment.

We notify staff that supports are available for those with disabilities as soon as practicable after they begin their employment. We provide updated information to employees whenever there is a change to existing policies on the provision of job accommodation that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to a disability.

 

We will consult with employees when arranging for the provision of suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the accessibility needs due to disability. We will consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication supports specifically for:

1. information that is needed in order to perform the employee’s job; and
2. information that is generally available to employees in the workplace
   
   

Where needed, we will also provide customized emergency information to help an employee with a disability during an emergency. With the employee’s consent, we will provide workplace emergency information to a designated person who is providing assistance to that employee during an emergency.

We will provide the information as soon as practicable after we become aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability.

We will review the individualized workplace emergency response information:

1. when the employee moves to a different location in the organization;
2. when the employee’s overall accommodations needs or plans are reviewed; and
3.  when the employer reviews its general emergency response policies.
   
   

We have a written process to develop individual accommodation plans for employees.

We have a written process for employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work.

 

Our performance management, career development and redeployment processes take into account the accessibility needs of all employees.

 

Training

Cosmic Adventures will provide accessible customer service training to:

• all employees and volunteers
• anyone involved in developing our policies
• anyone who provides goods, services or facilities to customers on our behalf.
• Staff will be trained on accessible customer service as soon as practicable after being hired.

Training will include:

• purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard
• Cosmic Adventures’ policies related to the customer service standard
• how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities
• how to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person
• how to use the equipment or devices available on-site or otherwise that may help with providing goods, services or facilities to people with disabilities.
• what to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing Cosmic Adventures’ goods, services or facilities

Staff will also be trained when changes are made to our accessible customer service policies.

 

Feedback process

Cosmic Adventures welcomes feedback on how we provide accessible customer service. Customer feedback will help us identify barriers and respond to concerns.

Customers may provide feedback in person, by telephone, in writing, or by e-mail.  All feedback, including complaints, will be reviewed and assessed in a reasonable time frame.

Cosmic Adventures will make sure our feedback process is accessible to people with disabilities by providing or arranging for accessible formats and communication supports, on request.

Modifications to this or other policies

Any policies of Cosmic Adventures that do not respect and promote the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity for people with disabilities will be modified or removed.