Accessible Customer Service Policy

Bailey Nelson Inc. 

Accessible Customer Service Policy 

Bailey Nelson Inc. (the “Company”) is committed to the principles and goals of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “AODA”). At Bailey Nelson, we are committed to serving all our customers with our great product and exceptional customer service. Ensuring our stores and products are accessible to persons with disabilities is an important part of our overall commitment to an excellent customer experience. 

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 goods, services, and facilities; 

c) Persons with disabilities are given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use or benefit from the Company’s goods, services, and facilities; 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, managers, and every other 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 

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 of communication are not suitable for a customer’s needs, to provide alternative forms of communication, to the extent required by law. 

Assistive Devices 

People with disabilities are welcome to use their own personal assistive devices (e.g., white cane, wheelchair, hearing and visual aids) in order to access or use our facilities and obtain our products and services. We will train our staff to become familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our merchandise, facilities, and services 

Service Animals & Support Persons 

People with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal or support person are welcome in all parts of our facilities that are open to the public. Customers should keep the animal with them unless excluded by law, in which case we will support alternative options to access our products and services. Our employees are trained on how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal. Additionally at no time with a person with a disability accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to their support while on our premises. 

Training of Employees 

Bailey Nelson 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 goods, services, and facilities to persons with disabilities.

The training will include instruction on: 

● The purposes of the AODA 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 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 the Company’s goods, services or facilities; 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. 

Such notice will be placed or available in a location that is appropriate based on the service disruption. For instance, if the elevators are out of order, the Company will ensure a notice is posted on or near the elevator doors. 

Feedback Process 

Comments on the Company’s goods, services, and facilities, including those regarding how well we are meeting our customers’ expectations, are welcomed and appreciated. Feedback will be used to improve customer service. 

Feedback regarding the way the Company provides goods and services to persons with disabilities and feedback about the feedback process itself can be made through the website, by telephone, through email, or by other means as required. 

Feedback by telephone, mail, or email should be directed to aoda@baileynelson.com 

Where possible, concerns or complaints 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. 

Information regarding the Company’s feedback process can be found on the Company’s website. 

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. 

Availability of Documents 

This Policy incorporates all of the document requirements under the Customer Service Standards, and is available upon request. When a request is made for this Policy by a person with a disability, the Company will provide the document or the information contained in the document in a format that takes into account the person’s disability.