Accessibility
ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
Zwilling J.A. Henckels Canada Ltd. (the “Company”) is committed to the principles and goals of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”) and the Customer Service Standards set out in the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (“Customer Service Standards”).
Purpose
The purpose of this Policy is to outline the practices and procedures approved by the Company in order to meet its obligations under the AODA and specifically, the Customer Service Standards.
Guiding Principles and Scope of Policy
The Company is committed to excellence in serving all customers, including persons with disabilities, and will use reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the following principles:
a) The Company’s goods, services and facilities are provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities;
b) The provision of the Company’s goods, services and facilities to persons with disabilities and others are integrated to the extent possible, unless an alternate measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the services;
c) Persons with disabilities are given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use or benefit from the Company’s services; and
d) The Company communicates with persons with disabilities in a manner that takes into account their disabilities.
To ensure the best possible customer service, the Company encourages open two-way communication and expects persons with disabilities to communicate their need for accommodation or assistance if it is not readily apparent how that need can be met.
Application
This Policy applies to all employees, volunteers, every person who participates in developing the Company’s policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to the public, and every other person who deals with members of the public or other third parties on behalf of the Company.
Communication, Support Persons, Service Animals and Assistive Devices
The Company is committed to communicating with persons with disabilities in ways that take into account the person’s disability. The Company will work with persons with disabilities to provide alternative communication formats that will meet their needs as promptly as feasible, to provide information to customers in an alternative format that will meet their needs in a timely fashion, and, if telephone or other used forms or communication are not suitable for a customer’s needs, to provide alternative forms of communication, to the extent required by law.
People with disabilities may use their own personal assistive devices, service animals (as defined by the Customer Service Standards) or be accompanied by support persons (as defined by the Customer Service Standards) while obtaining any service provided by the Company. Service animals are permitted on the parts of our premises that are open to the public, unless excluded by law.
The Company may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person, but only if, after consulting with the person with a disability and considering the available evidence, the Company determines that the support person is necessary to protect the health and safety of the person with the disability or of others on the premises, and there is no other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person with the disability or others on the premises.
Training
The Company will ensure that the following persons receive training about the provision of goods, services and facilities to persons with disabilities: all of the Company’s employees and volunteers, every other person who deals with members of the public or other third parties on behalf of the Company, and every person who participates in developing the Company’s policies, practices, and procedures governing the provision of goods, services or facilities to members of the public or other third parties.
This training will be provided to each person as soon as practicable and on an ongoing basis in connection with changes to the policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of the Company’s services to persons with disabilities
The training will include instruction on:
- The purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the Customer Service Standards;
- How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities;
- How to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device or the assistance of a guide dog or other service animal or the assistance of a support person;
- How to use equipment or devices available on the Company’s premises or otherwise provided by the Company that may help with the provision of the Company’s services to a person with a disability;
- What to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty accessing the Company’s services; and
- The Company’s current policies, practices and procedures relating to the Customer Service Standards and providing goods or services to persons with disabilities.
To the extent required by the Customer Service Standards, the Company will keep records of the training provided, including dates on which training is provided and the number of individuals in attendance.
Notice of Temporary Disruptions
The Company will provide public notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services for or facilities used by persons with disabilities. Such notices will include information about the reason for the disruption, how long the disruption is expected to last, and a description of any alternative services or facilities, if available.
When disruptions occur the Company will provide notice by:
- posting a notice on our corporate website;
- posting a notice at the main entrance of the office;
- contacting customers with appointments;
- verbally notifying customers/clients/vendors when they are making an appointment; or
- by any other method that may be reasonable under the circumstances.
Feedback Process
Feedback regarding the way the Company provides services to persons with disabilities and feedback about the feedback process itself can be made through the website via contact us, by telephone, through email, or by other means as required.
Feedback by telephone, mail or through email should be directed to:
Customer Service
1-800-775-6020
435 Cochrane Drive, Markham Ontario, L3R 9R5
customerservice@zwilling.ca
Where possible, concerns will be addressed immediately. However, some concerns may require more time and consideration. Customers can expect to hear back from the Company promptly, either with details on the resolution of the concern or, in more complex cases, on the steps being taken by the Company to resolve the concern.
The Company will provide or arrange for accessible formats or communication supports to ensure the feedback process is accessible to persons with disabilities, upon request.