Privacy & Accessibility

AODA Accessible Customer Service Standard

Applies to: Employees who deal with the public  Last Updated: April 2025

This Policy covers the accessibility standard for customer service.

JF Fabrics is committed to excellence in serving all customers including people with disabilities.

The Company also supports the goal of the Ontario government to make Ontario barrier-free by 2025 and its implementation of accessibility standards for persons with disabilities, as detailed in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

The accessibility standard is a set of guidelines that the Company and Staff must follow to identify, remove, and prevent barriers for customers with disabilities.

Guiding Principles

Dignity and Independence: Our goods or services must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.

Integration: The provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities and others must be integrated 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 our goods or services.

Equal Opportunity: Persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from our goods or services.

Procedure & Guidelines

To support this Policy’s guiding principles and requirements, the Company has developed procedures and guidelines in the following areas:

1. Provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities
2. Communication with persons with disabilities
3. Assistive devices
4. Support persons and service animals
5. Disruptions in services
6. Training
7. Customer Feedback
8. Location and Notice of Availability of Documents and Document Formats
9. Modifications to this Policy or other policies

1. Provisions of Goods & Services

The Company will make every reasonable effort to accommodate persons with disabilities following this Policy’s guiding principles.

2. Communication

The Company will consider a person’s disability when communicating with them, with the end goal being to communicate in an effective way.  Where possible and helpful, Staff will ask persons with disabilities directly how best to communicate with them.

The following are examples of additional optional measures that may be implemented by the Company as alternate formats of communication:

• Large print for those who have limited vision
• Audio format such as cassettes or digital audio format
• Braille that may be used by those who are blind or deaf-blind
• Videos that may be helpful to those with certain learning disabilities
• Easy-to-read, simplified summaries of materials for those with developmental or intellectual disabilities
• Alternate services or channels of communication, such as offering phone service rather than in-person service, or providing email rather than postal notices
• Our Website was audited and modified if necessary in the following areas, tabbing focus, alt text colour contrast, screen reader info.

3. Assistive Devices

The Company will ensure that we are prepared to serve customers with various assistive devices that may be used by persons with disabilities while accessing our goods and/or services, provided the accommodation does not present a safety hazard, in which case Staff will make every reasonable attempt to accommodate all individuals.

The Company allows and welcomes all forms of assistive devices on our premises. This may include for example, the use of walkers or oxygen tanks. 

4. Service Animals

The Company allows and welcomes customers with disabilities and their service animals, provided the accommodation does not present a safety hazard or is otherwise excluded by law, in which case Staff will make every reasonable attempt to accommodate all individuals.

Service animals and support persons are permitted to together enter our premises that are open and accessible to third parties or the public, and in all situations where a disabled customer requires the service animal and support person to access the Company goods and services.

If it is not readily apparent that the animal is a service animal, the Company may ask the customer with disabilities for a letter from a professional health practitioner confirming that they require the animal for reasons relating to the disability.

It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that their service animal is in control at all times.

5. Support Persons

The Company allows and welcomes people with disabilities and their support persons. 

Support persons are permitted to enter our premises that are open and accessible to third parties or the public, and in all situations where a disabled customer requires the support person to access the Company goods and services.

The Company may require a customer with a disability to be accompanied by a Support Person where it is necessary to protect the health and safety of everyone on the premises.

Before making a decision to require a support person, Staff will:

• Consult with the person with a disability to understand their needs.
• Consider health or safety reasons based on the available evidence.
• Determine if there is any other reasonable way to protect the health or safety of the person or others on the premises.

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 Company will notify customers of this through a disclaimer on our website.

5. Disruption of Services

The Company provides the following facilities or services that are crucial to some persons with disabilities to enable them to use or benefit from our goods or services:

• Accessible washroom
• Accessible ramp from parking lot to front door of showroom / office

Persons with disabilities often go to a lot of trouble to visit our premises or access our goods or services, such as booking accessible transit or other arrangements that require additional effort and planning.

As such, if the Company encounters any disruption to our facilities and services that are in place for persons with disabilities or if our premises cannot be opened to the public for some reason, the Company will ensure the following:

• We provide notice of the disruption to the public.
• The notice of disruption will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative facilities or services, if any, that are available.

• As soon as we are aware of an interruption, a notice will be posted in a conspicuous place on our premises and on our website as well.

6. Training

The Company will ensure that Everyone receives training about the provision of our goods or services to persons with disabilities, including the following Staff:

• Every person who deals with members of the public or other third parties on behalf of the Company, whether the person does so as an employee, agent, volunteer, or otherwise.
• Every person who participates in developing the Company’s policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to members of the public or other third parties.
• The training will include a review of the purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and the requirements of this regulation and instruction about the following matters:
• How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disability
• How to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device, or require the assistance of a service animal or the assistance of a support person
• How to use equipment or devices that may be available on our premises, and that may help with the provision of goods or services to a person with a disability
• What to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty accessing our goods or services

The training will be provided to each person as soon as practicable after they are assigned the relevant duties.

Training will also be provided on an on-going basis in connection with changes to the policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities.

The Company will prepare a document describing its training guidelines; the document must include a summary of the contents of the training and details of when the training is to be provided.

The Company will keep records of the training provided under this section, including the dates on which the training is provided and the number of individuals to whom it is provided.

7. Customer Feedback

Customers who wish to provide feedback regarding the way the Company provides goods and/or services to customers with disabilities can contact us thru the below methods:

• Call 1.888.295.2080 – Ask for Controller or V.P. Operations or email hr@jffabrics.com
• Message us online at jffabrics.com/contact-us/

The feedback process will be provided or arranged in such a way to accommodate accessible formats and communication supports, upon request.

A customer may request for Staff to complete and submit the feedback form on their behalf.

All feedback will be directed to our Controller. 

Customers can expect to hear back from the Company within 14 Days.

8. Notice of Availability of Documents & Document Formats

The Company ensures that persons to whom we provide goods or services are aware that our Policy and plan documents required by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (OADA) are available upon request.

The notice will be provided by posting the information in a conspicuous place as follows:

On the Company website at the bottom under About Us, OADA Policies

If a customer with a disability requests our plan, Staff will provide the information in a format that takes into account the person’s disability.  Staff will work with customers to find a format that is accessible for them and will be provided in a format agreed to by all parties. For example, Staff may direct our customer to our accessible website or read the content of the document to them aloud.

AODA Integrated Accessibility Standards – Information, Communications & Employment

Applies to: Employees   Last Updated: April 2025

JF Fabrics believes in integration and equal opportunity and is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We are committed to making every reasonable effort to meet the needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner, provided the accommodations do not cause the Company Undue Hardship. This means identifying, removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility standards in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

These standards were developed to identify, remove, and prevent barriers and increase accessibility for persons with disabilities in the areas of information and communications, and employment as outlined in the Regulation 191/11, Integrated Accessibility Standards (“Regulation”) under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.

Accessibility Plan

The Company will create, implement, and maintain a plan outlining how we will identify, remove and prevent barriers, and increase accessibility for people with disabilities. This plan will be posted on our website and will be reviewed every 5 years in consultation with persons with disabilities.

When requested to do so, the Company will make the plan available in a format that is accessible to people with disabilities.

Training

The Company will provide employees with general training on the requirements of the accessibility standards referred to in the Regulation and in the Human Rights Code, as it pertains to persons with disabilities. 

Additional training specific to the responsibilities of individual employees, particularly those who develop policies, and those who provide, goods and services to others, will be provided.

Records relating to training dates and attendees will be kept as training is provided.

Information & Communications Standards

This section defines the applicable processes the Company must follow to create, provide, and receive information and communications in ways that are accessible to people with disabilities.

Website

The Company website and content will conform to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, at Level AA, except where this requirement is impracticable.

Accessible Formats & Communication Supports

Upon request, the Company will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication support for persons with disabilities. The accommodation will take into account the individual’s accessibility needs due to disability and the person will be consulted to determine the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.

The Company website will include notification of availability of accessible formats and communication supports.

Employment Standards

This section applies to paid employees.

The Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (ISAR) Employment Standard requires us to have processes in place to determine an employee’s accommodation needs. It addresses key processes in the life cycle of a job including recruitment through return to work.

Individualized Emergency Response Information

The Company will create and make available individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability if:

• The disability makes the individualized information necessary.
• The Company is aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability.
• This individualized information will be provided as soon as feasible after the Company becomes aware of the need for accommodation.
• With the employee’s consent, the information will be made available to the Staff Member assigned to provide assistance to the employee in the event of an emergency.

Recruitment

The Company will notify Staff and the public about the availability of accommodation for job applicants with disabilities in its recruitment process, including its job postings and job postings section of its career web pages.

Selection Process

The Company will notify job applicants that accommodation is available, upon request, in relation to the materials or processes to be used when they are selected to participate in an assessment or selection process.

If a selected job applicants requests accommodation due to disability, the Company will consult with them and provide, or arrange for an appropriate accommodation that considers their accessibility needs.

Successful Job Applicants

The Company will notify the successful job applicants of its processes for accommodating employees with disabilities when making offers of employment.

Communication

Staff and new hires will be made aware of processes used to support employees with disabilities.

Accessible Formats & Communication Supports for Employees

When requested by an employee with a disability, the Company 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 their job, and information that is generally available to other employees.

The Company will consult with the employee making the request to determine the appropriateness of an accessible format or communication support.

Individual Accommodation Plans

The Company will create a written process for the development of a documented individual accommodation plan for an employee with disabilities.

If requested, information regarding accessible formats and communications support provided will also be included in the individual accommodation plans.

The plans will also include individualized Workplace emergency response information (where required) and will identify any other accommodation to be provided.

Return to Work & Redeployment

The Company will create a documented return to work process for individuals who have been away from work due to a disability and who require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work.

The return-to-work process will outline the steps the Company will take to facilitate the employee’s return to work and use documented individual accommodation plans.

Employee Counselling, Feedback, & Communication

Managers will take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when using performance management tools, providing career development and advancement, or when redeploying employees.

Resources

It is the Company’s intention that this Policy complies with Regulation 191/11, Integrated Accessibility Standards (“Regulation”) under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/accessibility-laws

This 5-part eLearning series (20 minutes) is for public, private and not-for-profit sectors and completes the training requirements for section 7 of the Integrated Accessibility Standards of the AODA.