Accessibility Statement
Think Research is committed to digital accessibility and ensuring our digital properties are fully accessible and functional for everyone.
We are actively working to increase the accessibility and usability of our website to conform with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
Feedback
We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of our website. If you are having difficulty viewing or navigating the content on this website, or notice any content, feature, or functionality that you believe is not fully accessible, please contact us at (416) 479-5428 or email us at: contact@thinkresearch.com.
We take your feedback seriously and work hard to accommodate all of our users.
Accessibility Policy
In addition to providing a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination on the ground of disability, Think is committed to meeting the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner. The following policies have been established in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in order to increase accessibility for all employees.
Think is committed to working with employees who require accommodations in a manner that takes into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to disability. Employees who require accommodation in the workplace due to a disability should contact the HR Team who will work with each employee on a case-by-case basis to address the need for accommodation, in accordance with applicable law.
Accessible formats and communication supports
An employee with a disability who requires accessible formats and communication support for information that is needed in order to perform the employee’s job and/or information that is generally available to employees in the workplace, should make a written request to the People Team.
Think will consult with the employee making the request to provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports to determine the suitability of the form of accessible formats or communication supports.
Workplace emergency response information
Think will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability if the disability is such that individualized information is necessary, and Think is aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability. This information will be provided as soon as practicable after Think becomes aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability.
If an employee who receives individualized workplace response information requires assistance and if the employee provides his or her consent, Think will provide the workplace emergency response information to the person designated by Think to provide assistance to the employee.
Individualized workplace emergency response information will be reviewed when the employee moves to a different location within the organization, when the employee’s accommodation needs, or plans are reviewed and when Think reviews its general emergency response policies.
Customer service accessibility policy
Think is committed to providing accessible customer service to persons with disabilities. The purpose of this policy is to establish how Think will provide access to goods or services to the public and other third parties that do business with Think (“Customers”) with disabilities in a manner that is consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity, and that is in compliance with Ontario Regulation 429/07 (the “Customer Service Standard”) under the AODA.
Policy statement
Think recognizes the importance of:
- Providing access to goods and services for individuals with disabilities;
- Openly communicating and responding to the needs of Customers with disabilities in order to provide them with excellent customer service; and
- Complying with the mandatory Customer Service Standard addressed under the AODA.
Application
This policy applies to all employees, agents, contractors, and other individuals engaged in business on behalf of Think (“Employees, Agents and Contractors”) AODA training will take place upon the signing of any Think Research employment agreement, prior to the inception of the individual’s first day of employment. All employees, agents, contractors, and other individuals engaged in business on behalf of Think Research will be required to complete AODA training on a recurring annual basis.
Communication
Think is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. Upon request, Think will provide in accessible formats or with communication support any information and communications materials relating to our facilities or any of our services. We will consult with the person making such a request to determine the format that will best suit that person’s individual needs. Customers are encouraged to identify any barriers to communication that they are experiencing to assist Think in meeting this commitment.
Employees, Agents and Contractors will communicate with Customers with disabilities in a manner that takes into account their disabilities. Employees, Agents and Contractors will consider how a Customer’s disability may affect the way he or she expresses, receives or processes communications and, where possible, they will ask the Customer how to best communicate with him or her. Customers are encouraged to identify any barriers to communication that they are experiencing to assist Think in meeting this commitment.
Think is also committed to providing accessible invoices to all of our customers and will make every effort to provide alternative formats of invoices in a timely manner upon request.
Assistive devices
Persons with disabilities who use assistive devices are encouraged to use their devices as necessary in order to use or benefit from the services provided by Think.
Assistive devices that may be used by individuals with disabilities will be welcome on our premises open to the public or to other third parties, including but not limited to canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, oxygen tanks, screen readers, listening devices, speech amplification devices, magnification devices, note-taking devices, and communication boards.
Think will take steps to ensure that Employees, Agents and Contractors are trained as to be familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by Customers.
Service animals
Think welcomes guide dogs or other animals that serve individuals with disabilities in those areas of our premises that are open to Customers and will permit the Customer to keep the service animal with him or her, except for those animals that are otherwise excluded by law from the premises. In the event that a service animal is otherwise excluded by law from the premises, Think will provide the applicable Customer with an alternative method of obtaining, using or benefitting from its goods or services.
Support persons
Think welcomes persons who support individuals with disabilities to accompany them onto our premises open to the public or other third parties. Think will ensure that Customers who so require have access to their support persons while on the premises. Such support persons need not be paid, professional support workers. They may be volunteers, family members or friends who provide support to the Customer.
Support persons will be asked to follow the rules and requirements that are specific to the goods and services provided by Think. Think will seek the consent of the Customer before confidential information is discussed in front of the support person. In some instances, support persons may be asked to sign a Confidentiality Agreement.
Think will require a support person to accompany a Customer when on the premises when it determines that such an arrangement is necessary to protect his or her health and safety or that of others on the premises.
Temporary unavailability of access to good or services for customers with disabilities
In the event that a facility, service or system offered by Think to Customers with disabilities is expected in advance to become temporarily unavailable, in whole or in part, Think will provide advance notice of the disruption on its telephone message, website, at the entrance to its premises and by the service or facility, at a reasonable time in advance of the disruption and during the disruption. If the disruption is unexpected, the notices in the forms outlined above will be provided as soon as the anticipated disruption becomes known to Think.
The notices will:
- explain the reason for and anticipated length of the disruption (For example, repair or scheduled maintenance for an anticipated duration of a set number of days); and,
- provide a description of and indicate the location of an alternative facility or service that is accessible to individuals with disabilities, if available.
Employee training
All employees who interact with Customers on Think’s behalf or who are involved in developing Think’s policies, practice and procedures on the provision of goods and services will:
- be provided with an overview of the AODA, including its purpose, and the Customer Service Standard as well as Think’s plan for providing accessible customer service;
- be trained how to interact, communicate and assist people with various disabilities, and in particular, people with assistive devices, and those who require the assistance of a guide dog, service animal or support person;
- be made aware of the policies and procedures created by Think in accordance with the Customer Service Standard; and,
- be trained how to help a person with a disability who is having difficulty accessing Think’s goods or services.
This training will also be provided on an ongoing basis as soon as practicable:
- to new employees as part of their initial orientation;
- to employees who are assigned duties that include interaction with Customers on Think’s behalf or who are involved in developing Think’s policies, practices and procedures on the provision of goods and services; and,
- whenever Think’s policies change with respect to customer service accessibility for individuals with disabilities, to all employees who interact with Customers on Think’s behalf or who are involved in developing Think’s policies, practices and procedures on the provision of goods or services.
- On a recurring annual basis
Think will keep a log of all the training it will provide, documenting who was trained, on what and when.
Customer access to this policy and related documents
Upon request, Think will provide Customers with disabilities who request a copy of this policy a copy in a format that takes into account their disability.
Feedback process
Think invites feedback on the way that it provides goods or services to individuals with disabilities. Those who wish to provide such feedback are encouraged to do so:
- In person;
- By telephone;
- In writing;
- By delivering an electronic text by email or on a diskette; or
- Otherwise.
All feedback should be directed to the HR Team. Any feedback that is in the nature of a complaint will be addressed promptly. The provider of the feedback will be provided with a response in the format requested (or the most appropriate format, which takes into account his or her disability, where no request was made).
Modifications to this or other policies
It is our intent that our internal policies, procedures and practices respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. Therefore, no changes will be made to any Think policies before considering the impact on individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, in the event that any of our policies are found not to respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities, such policies will be modified or removed.
