Mercer multi-year accessibility plan 

This plan will be made available in an accessible format upon request.

If you would like to make a request or have any questions or feedback about this document, you are welcome to contact our accessibility coordinator at:

Email

accessibility@mercer.ca

Telephone

416 868 2000

Mail

Accessibility Committee
Mercer
120 Bremner Boulevard, Suite 800
Toronto, ON M5J 0A8

Mercer is committed to treating people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the AODA. Our Accessibility Policy and Multi-Year Accessibility Plan are available on our website at Mercer.ca. This policy applies to all employees and clients of Mercer, and where indicated, to any independent contractors working for Mercer.

Mercer has a digital accessibility committee and an accessibility coordinator to head the committee. On an annual basis, the committee will review this accessibility plan in consultation with persons with disabilities. Further, the committee will meet on a monthly basis to ensure this accessibility plan is being executed properly and discuss ideas and measures to further accessibility.

Mercer.ca is audited for accessibility using the WCAG 2.0 AA standard on an annual basis.  All audits are conducted by an independent, third-party company specializing in digital accessibility.

Once an accessibility audit is completed, remediation on Mercer.ca will implement recommended changes as per the audit to ensure Mercer.ca is conformant with WCAG 2.0 AA.  A remediation period will take place after each audit.

The Mercer.ca mobile app will be audited for accessibility using the WCAG 2.0 AA standard on an annual basis.  All audits will be conducted by an independent, third-party company specializing in digital accessibility.

Once an accessibility audit is completed, remediation on the Mercer.ca mobile app will implement recommended changes as per the audit to ensure the Mercer.ca mobile app is conformant with WCAG 2.1 AA.  A remediation period will take place after each audit.

All existing third-party websites, applications, software, technology, digital integrations, and digital products “technology” that Mercer offers, utilizes, and/or relies upon will be evaluated at least annually for accessibility.

All existing third-party technology that Mercer offers, utilizes, and/or relies upon must be formally approved by Mercer’s Accessibility Committee.

Any technology that does not conform to WCAG 2.0 AA must be documented and details provided on the reason for lack of conformance, any potential future conformance, and the reason for selecting that technology despite conformance must be included.

Mercer will, upon request, provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities in a timely manner.  Mercer will consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.

Mercer will notify the public about the availability of accessible formats and communication supports.

Mercer provides customers and clients with publicly available emergency information in an accessible way upon request.

Mercer will conduct mandatory accessibility training on an annual basis on Ontario’s accessibility laws and on the Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities .  Accessibility training will be required for:

(a) all persons who are an employee of, or a volunteer with, Mercer;

(b) all persons who participate in developing the Mercer’s policies; and

(c) all other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of Mercer.

Training will be provided in a way that best suits the duties of employees.

Mercer will keep a record 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.

All training materials must be pre-approved by the Accessibility Committee.

Recruitment

• Review and, as necessary, modify existing recruitment, assessment, and selection procedures.
• Specify that accommodation is available for applicants with disabilities in recruitment-related materials and during scheduling of interviews and assessments.
• If an applicant requests accommodation, consult with the applicant and arrange for the provision of suitable accommodation that takes into account the applicant’s needs due to disability.
• Develop and provide appropriate training to employees responsible for recruitment, assessment, selection, and on-boarding to ensure these planned actions are delivered, and accommodation requests are fulfilled in an effective and timely manner.
• When making offers of employment, notify the successful applicant of Mercer’s policies for accommodating people with disabilities.

Informing Employees of Supports and General Provision of Accessible Formats and Communications Supports

• Inform all current employees and new hires of Mercer’s policies supporting employees with disabilities, including but not limited to, policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s needs due to disability.
• Provide information as soon as practicable to new employees and inform all employees of any changes to the policies with respect to job accommodations for disabilities.
• Where an employee with a disability so requests it, Mercer will provide or arrange for provision of suitable accessible formats and communications supports for:  

• Information that is needed in order to perform the employee’s job.
• Information that is generally available to employees in the workplace.

Emergency Information

• Mercer will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees with disabilities if we are aware of the employee’s disability and the need for such accommodation.
• If such an employee requires, and consents to, assistance during an emergency, Mercer will provide such assistance and provide the individualized emergency response to information to the person designated to assist.
• Provide such information as soon as practicable after Mercer becomes aware of the need for accommodation due to an employee’s disability and review such information when the employee moves to a new location, when the employee’s overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed, and when Mercer reviews its general emergency response policies.

Document Individual Accommodation Plans/Return to Work from Disability-Related Leaves

• Develop and have in place a written process for the development of documented individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities.
• Review and, as necessary, modify and document existing return to work processes for employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and require accommodation in order to return to work. Mercer will ensure that the existing policies outline steps to be taken to facilitate the return to work of employees because of a disability and use documented individual accommodation plans.
• Ensure documented individual accommodation plans comprise part of the return to work and that the documented individual accommodation plans include the following elements:

• The manner in which the employee requesting accommodation can participate in the development of the plan.
• The means by which the employee is assessed on an individual basis.
• The manner in which Mercer can request an evaluation by an outside medical or other expert, at Mercer’s expense, to assist in determining if and how accommodation can be achieved.
• Steps being taken to protect the privacy of the employee’s personal information.
• The frequency with which individual accommodation plans will be reviewed and updated and the manner in which this will be done.
• The reasons for any denial if an individual accommodation plan is denied.
• The means of providing the individual accommodation plan in a format that takes into account the employee’s accessibility needs.
• Any individualized workplace emergency response information that is required.
• Accessible formats and communication supports that have been provided for or arranged, in order to provide the employee with information that is needed to perform their job and any information that is generally available to employees in the workplace.
• Any other accommodations that are to be provided.

• Develop and provide appropriate training to managers and other employees responsible for supporting the return-to-work process for colleagues who require accommodation in order to return to work, and a training schedule for the same that will ensure effective execution of the return-to-work process on a continuous basis.

Performance Management, Career Development and Redeployment

• Mercer will take into account the accessibility needs and individual accommodation plans of employees with disabilities in its performance management process, when providing career development to, and when redeploying or reassigning employees with disabilities.
• Review and, as necessary, modify existing performance management, career development and redeployment processes.
• Develop and provide appropriate training to managers and other employees responsible for implementing performance management, career development and advancement, and redeployment processes.

Mercer will meet Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces when building or making a significant modification to our public spaces. In the event of service disruption, we will notify the public of the service disruption and alternatives available.

Mercer has processes in place for receiving and responding to feedback.  Mercer will ensure that the processes are accessible to persons with disabilities by providing or arranging for the provision of accessible formats and communications supports, upon request. Upon request,  Mercer will notify the public about the availability of accessible formats and communications supports with respect to the feedback process.

Mercer’s accessibility committee will create and publish an annual status report of this plan’s implementation on Mercer.ca.