Nestlé Canada Inc. Multi-Year Accessibility Plan
Nestlé operates in many countries and in many cultures throughout the world. This rich diversity is an invaluable component of our company’s culture. In keeping with the Nestlé Corporate Business Principles, it is our objective to create and maintain an integrated climate of equal opportunity and mutual respect. We believe in treating all people, including our consumers, employees, customers and partners, in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. Flowing from this belief, we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner.
The purpose of this Multi-Year Accessibility Plan (the “Plan”) is to identify the policies and actions that Nestlé Canada Inc. (“Nestlé”) will implement through to 2021 in order to prevent and remove barriers to accessibility in its operations and to satisfy its obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the regulations made thereunder (the “Act”). This plan is reviewed on an annual basis.
A. Accessibility Policies
Nestlé has developed and implemented a variety of accessibility policies designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities. As required, Nestlé will review and update these policies on an ongoing basis, in order to ensure that we are meeting our accessibility commitments and the requirements of the Act.
Nestlé’s accessibility policies are available to the public, upon request, including in accessible formats. Please contact us to request a copy of Nestlé’s accessibility policies.
B. Information & Communication
(i) Nestlé’s Public Websites
Nestlé is committed to ensuring that its public websites are easily accessible to people with disabilities. To fulfil this commitment, Nestlé has established a cross-functional team responsible for ensuring that Nestlé’s public websites meet specified requirements of the Web Contest Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (the “WCAG 2.0”). The WCAG 2.0 is an internationally accepted standard for web accessibility developed by the World Wide Web Consortium, a community of experts from all over the world dedicated to developing web standards. The WCAG 2.0 sets out guidelines for organizations to follow to make their websites more accessible, covering matters such as writing web content in clear language, providing alternate text for images and ensuring websites can be navigated by keyboard.
Nestlé’s cross-functional team is taking the following specific steps in relation to WCAG 2.0 compliance:
- Currently, the team is ensuring that any new public Nestlé websites or significantly refreshed public Nestlé websites conform to WCAG 2.0, Level A.
- From now through 2021, the team will be working at reworking existing public websites to improve accessibility.
- By January 1, 2021, all public Nestlé websites (including all content posted on those websites after January 1, 2012) will conform to WCAG 2.0, Level AA.
(ii) Feedback Processes
Nestlé seeks out, receives and responds to feedback from its consumers, employees, customers and partners in a variety of different mediums and formats. Nestlé is committed to making these feedback processes accessible to people with disabilities. If it is established that Nestlé feedback processes are not accessible to a person with a disability, Nestlé will work with that person to receive and respond to their feedback in an accessible format. For such requests, please see the contact information at the end of this Plan.
In addition, Nestlé will review and update its feedback processes on an ongoing basis, in order to ensure that we are meeting our accessibility commitments and the requirements of the Act.
(iii) Publically Available Information
Nestlé is also committed to providing its publically available information in accessible formats, upon request. For such requests, please see the contact information at the end of this Plan.
C. Training
Nestlé believes that its accessibility commitments can only be fully achieved when its employees and volunteers, and those acting on its behalf, have a clear understanding of the issues faced by people with disabilities and Nestlé’s related obligations. As a result, Nestlé has established a cross-functional team responsible for developing and delivering accessibility training, to be implemented by January 1, 2015. In particular:
- The training will cover the requirements of the Act as they apply to Nestlé’s business, as well as Nestlé’s obligation under applicable human rights legislation related to people with disabilities.
- At a minimum, the training will be provided to all Ontario employees and volunteers, and those acting on Nestlé’s behalf in Ontario (for example, contact centres).
- Consideration will be given to whether the training needs to be modified depending on the recipient’s function within the Nestlé organization.
- Training will be updated on an ongoing basis as new employees, volunteers and partners join the organization and as policies evolve.
D. Employment
Nestlé is committed to maintaining fair, open and accessible employment practices. To fulfil this commitment, Nestlé has established a cross-functional team responsible for reviewing and revising Nestlé’s current employment practices with the goal of improving accessibility. In particular, Nestlé expects to take the following steps by January 1, 2016:
- The team will review Nestlé’s existing hiring processes and implement any needed revisions in order to ensure that: (i) job applicants are informed of accommodation options during the hiring process; (ii) Nestlé is able to promptly provide any requested accommodations during the hiring process; and (iii) successful applicants are advised of Nestlé’s policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
- The team will develop a communication plan in order to ensure that existing employees understand Nestlé’s policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
- The team will develop a policy or defined process regarding accessibility for employees, which will address: (i) the provision of workplace information to employees in accessible formats upon request; (ii) the creation of clear and consistent individualized accommodation plans for employees with disabilities; (iii) the appropriate process to follow when supporting an employee’s return to work where a disability exists; and (iv) the embedding of accessibility considerations into Nestlé’s existing performance management, career development and job change processes.
E. Other
Nestlé will monitor its operations on an on-going basis as they evolve to determine whether other requirements under the Act become applicable. In the case that other requirements are identified as applicable, this Plan will be revised to outline steps that Nestlé will take to come into compliance with those requirements.
Emergency Response and Evacuation
Any employees with a disability, whether permanent or temporary, that may need help during an emergency should notify their Manager that assistance is required. Nestle will work with the employee to develop an individualized emergency response plan that will meet the employees needs in an emergency situation.
F. Contact Nestlé
Please address all inquiries related to this Plan, including accessibility requests, according to the following:
- Please contact us using the contact information listed on the public website of the applicable Nestlé division. For ease of reference, Nestlé’s public websites include, but are not limited to, the following: