Objective
AccertaClaim Servicorp Inc. (“Accerta” or the “Company”) delivers industry-leading healthcare plan management to governments and private businesses in Ontario and other Canadian markets. In accordance with the goals of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “AODA”), Accerta is committed to excellence in providing equal access and participation to all Accerta members and members of the public, including those with disabilities. This Accessibility Policy is publicly available and accessible formats are available upon request.
Statement of Commitment
Accerta is committed to identifying, and to the extent possible, preventing and eliminating barriers experienced by persons with a disability when interacting with Accerta.
Accerta considers the following principles in identifying and addressing barriers: dignity (treating all with equal levels of professionalism and respect), independence (ensuring individuals can do things on their own without unnecessary interference and reliance on others), integration (designing and providing services to be accessible to individuals with disabilities) and equal opportunity (giving all individuals the same chances, options, benefits and experiences to the extent possible).
Accerta’s Accessibility Policy has been developed to align with and promote the principles of both the AODA and the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Scope
This policy applies to all of the Company’s operations in Ontario (including those of its subsidiaries and/or related entities) and to all Company representatives who deal with members of the public or other third parties on behalf of the Company and its subsidiaries.
Definitions
For the purposes of this policy:
Assistive Device:
Means any device that is designed, made or adapted to maintain, increase or improve the functional abilities/participation of individuals with disabilities in daily life, including physical or technical aids, such as communication devices (e.g. pocket recorders and speech generating devices), canes, crutches, hearing aids and wheelchairs, and medically required items like oxygen tanks and ostomy bags.
Barrier:
Means anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of their disability. This includes a physical barrier, an architectural barrier, an information or communications barrier, an attitudinal barrier, a technological barrier, a policy or a practice.
Disability:
Means:
a) any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device;
b) a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability;
c) a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one of more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language;
d) a mental disorder; or
e) an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plans established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.
Service animal:
Includes any animal if,
a) it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability; or
b) the person provides a letter from a regulated health professional confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability.
Support person:
Means, in relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies them in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods, services or facilities.
Accessible formats:
May include, but are not limited to, large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, braille and other formats usable by persons with disabilities.
Communication supports:
May include, but are not limited to, captioning, alternative and augmentative communication supports, plain language, sign language and other supports that facilitate effective communications.
Workers:
Includes all persons who deal with members of the public or other third parties on behalf of the Company, or who are responsible for developing the Company’s policies, including employees, agents, volunteers and contractors of the Company.
Commitment to Accessible Customer Service
Accerta strives to communicate with persons with disabilities in ways that take into account both the disability and the person’s preferred method of communication.
Training for Workers
The Company provides training to all workers on providing accessible customer service. Training is provided to all workers as soon as practicable and on an ongoing basis as necessary.
All Accerta workers are required to complete various training modules available through Citation Canada upon hire and provide confirmation to the Company that such training has been completed. The required training modules that Accerta requires workers to complete are:
- Customer Service training module via Citation Canada
- Accessible Information and Communication training module via Citation Canada
- Understanding Human Rights Training (AODA Edition, Immersive), Citation Canada
Additional training is also provided to workers on an ad hoc/as-needed basis regarding Accerta’s practices and under this Accessibility Policy. Workers also receive training regarding what to do with feedback received regarding the manner in which Accerta provides goods or services to persons with disabilities.
Records of the training provided, including confirmation from workers that the training module has been completed, including the dates such training was completed, shall be maintained in accordance with the requirements of the AODA. If the Company provides additional training on this Accessible Customer Service Policy to its workers, it will keep records of the date such training was provided and the number of workers the training was provided to.
Accessible Communications and Customer Service
The Company can communicate with customers and members of the public via email, telephone, fax, meetings (either in person or via phone or video conferencing), via the Company’s website, and via Teletypewriter (TTY) phone. Details regarding the TTY phone are posted on Accerta’s website. The Company recognizes that not all customers will wish to communicate in the same manner.
All workers receive training on how to interact and communicate with persons with disabilities. In particular, Accerta trains workers to communicate over the telephone in clear and plain language and to speak clearly and slowly. If we are notified that telephone communication is not suitable to an individual’s communication needs, the worker is required to canvas and provide an alternative means of communication.
Use of Assistive Devices
Individuals with disabilities may use Assistive Devices at any time for the purposes of obtaining, using or benefiting from Accerta’s services.
If there is a physical, technological or another type of barrier that prevents the use of an Assistive Device on Accerta’s premises, the Company will first endeavour to remove that barrier. If Accerta cannot remove the barrier, Accerta will ask the affected individual how they can be accommodated and what alternative methods of service would be more accessible to them. Accerta will make reasonable efforts to provide an alternative means of assistance and to ensure access to Accerta and its services (for example, by providing a manual wheelchair if a scooter or electric wheelchair is unable to enter Accerta’s premises).
All Accerta workers receive specific training to become familiar with Assistive Devices and to facilitate the use of Assistive Devices by members of the public during any interactions with Accerta.
Use of Service Animals
Accerta welcomes individuals with disabilities who are accompanied by a Service Animal on the parts of our premises that are open to the public and other third parties, unless the Service Animal is otherwise excluded by law, in which case steps will be taken to ensure that other measures are available to enable a person with a disability to access our goods and services. Accerta will provide a clear and timely explanation in any circumstance where a Service Animal is to be validly excluded from Accerta’s premises for legal reasons.
It is the responsibility of the person using the Service Animal to ensure that the Service Animal is kept in control at all times.
Accerta trains its workers on the proper way to engage with Service Animals. Workers are specifically trained not to pet or distract Service Animals, but workers are allowed to approach the individual the Service Animal is supporting to offer water as a refreshment to the Service Animal if same individual consents. On occasion, if workers are not able to easily identify that an animal is a Service Animal, they may ask for appropriate documentation from a regulated health professional to confirm that any individual relies on a Service Animal for reasons relating to their disability.
Use of Support Persons
Persons with disabilities are welcome to access Accerta’s services and premises accompanied by a Support Person. At no time will any person with a disability who is accompanied by a Support Person be prevented from having access to his or her Support Person while on Accerta’s premises.
Accerta may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a Support Person while on its premises, but only if a Support Person is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health or safety of others on the premises, and there is no other reasonable way to do so.
All workers receive training on how to interact with individuals with disabilities who are accompanied by a Support Person.
Notice of Temporary Service Disruptions
The Company will make every reasonable effort to notify customers and members of the public if, during regular business hours, there is a planned or unexpected disruption of a facility or service that persons with a disability use to access Accerta services. In these circumstances, Accerta will leave an emergency message on our phone system or post on our website or on social media regarding the service disruption.
The notice will include the following information:
- That a facility or service is unavailable and the reason for the disruption.
- The anticipated duration of the disruption.
- Alternative facilities or services, if available.
- Who to contact in regarding inquiries about any disruption.
In the event of an unexpected disruption, notice will be provided as soon as possible. Accessible parking spots, ramps, elevators, and stairs with handrails on the premises are examples of the types of facilities for which notices of disruption will usually be provided.
Commitment to Accessibility in Information and Communication Standards
On request, the Company will provide documents, or the information contained in documents, to a person with a disability in an accessible format and/or with communication support, in a timely manner that takes into account the person’s accessibility needs due to disability and at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons. The Company’s website is compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA standards.
In particular, and as an example, Accerta is committed to providing accessible invoices to all people to whom we issue invoices. Invoices will be provided in alternate formats upon request and Accerta’s workers will answer any questions about the content of any invoice in person, by telephone or e-mail, in accordance with our Privacy Policy (but only with the individual who the invoice is issued to, or their Support Person).
In accordance with the requirements of the AODA, a copy of this Accessibility Policy, which includes information regarding the Company’s feedback process, is made available through posting on Accerta’s website.
Feedback Procedure
Feedback regarding the way Accerta provides goods and services to persons with disabilities is always welcome. Workers, customers and members of the public alike may provide feedback by any method, (e.g. in person, by email, by telephone or other appropriate medium) and using the following information:
- Tel: 416-922-6565;
- Fax: 1-800-467-1839;
- Email: aoda@accerta.ca. Please address your communication to the attention of the People & Culture Specialist.
The Company will provide accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities who wish to provide feedback to the Company, upon request. Please contact Accerta using any of the contact methods listed above to request accessible formats and communication supports.
The Company will respond to all feedback received as soon as practicable and acknowledge receipt of the feedback within twenty (20) business days of receipt. A reply will be provided in the format requested by the person who provided the feedback, by email, phone or in writing, if practicable. The response will contain an acknowledgement of the receipt of the person’s feedback and outline any further action(s) to be taken.
Where appropriate, feedback will be taken into consideration as part of the ongoing review of this Accessibility Policy.
More Information
Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2026-2030
To request a copy of the full Accessibility Policy, please contact Accerta using any of the contact methods listed above.
