Introduction

The Accessible Canada Act is a federal law that was created to identify, remove and prevent barriers that persons with disabilities face every day. Passed in 2019, the main goal of this act is to create a Canada free of these barriers by 2040. To achieve this goal, the act requires federally regulated employers with 100 or more employees to prepare and publish an initial accessibility plan.

 

The key areas that employers should address in their accessibility plan are:

- Employment

- Built environment

- Information and communications technologies (ICT)

- Communications, other than information and communications technologies

- Procurement of goods, services and installation

- Design and delivery of programs and services

- Transportation

 

General

Transport Jacques Auger Inc. is committed to building a culture of inclusion and accessibility. It is part of our corporate culture and access for all is important to our growth and competitiveness. We want to contribute to a barrier-free Canada by developing an accessibility plan that will ensure that employees, suppliers, customers and visitors have the best possible experience with our services at our facilities.

 

We know that creating a barrier-free environment takes time and we are committed to the identification, removal and prevention of barriers on an ongoing basis. Transport Jacques Auger Inc. will build on the efforts we are already making by developing our initial accessibility plan, as required by the Accessible Canada Act. This accessibility plan will guide our organization in achieving our accessibility commitments and creating a culture of trust in accessibility.

 

To achieve this, it is important to recognize and understand the needs of people with disabilities. For this reason, this plan was developed in consultation with employees who identify as persons with disabilities through surveys and one-on-one interviews. In addition, an external organization that assists persons with disabilities was consulted in the development of this plan.

 

The objectives of the accessibility plan, in summary:

- Improve the attraction of persons with disabilities to employment in our company and in the transportation sector

- Expand the scope and options for accommodations, particularly for drivers

- Be better prepared to provide information in accessible formats when requested

- Improve accessibility for current and future equipment, programs and IT systems

- Initiate processes where there is a more comprehensive review when evaluating facilities, procurement procedures, company programs, new initiatives and services provided.​

 

Your opinions and feedback

Transport Jacques Auger Inc. appreciates feedback on our accessibility plan from the public, employees and our partners. This feedback is valuable to us because it helps us break down barriers to accessibility and build our commitment to accessibility and inclusion.

 

If you have any questions or feedback, please use one of the contact methods below. We will respond to all feedback in a timely manner. If you need support in providing your feedback, let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.

 

Contact: Karl-Érik Tremblay CRHA, Human Resources Advisor

Postal address: 860, rue Archimède, Lévis, Québec, G6V 7M5

Email: karl-erik.tremblay@tja.ca

Phone: 418-835-9266 #2395

Website: www.tja.ca

 

You can use the contact information above to request a copy of our accessibility plan and a description of our feedback process in alternative formats. We will provide you with the format you request as soon as possible. For example, braille or audio text formats may take up to 45 days. Print, large print and electronic formats may take up to 15 days.

 

We will use the feedback we receive to:

- Produce reports detailing frequently received feedback

- Present feedback to internal work teams

- Use the feedback collected to prepare our progress reports and our next accessibility plan

 

Commitment Statement

At Transport Jacques Auger Inc. we are committed to ensuring that our organization and the services we provide are accessible to everyone, including persons with disabilities. All Canadians have the right to benefit from our services in an equitable manner and those who work with us have the right to perform their work duties in an environment free of barriers.

 

Reporting on our plan

As required by the Accessible Canada Act, we will publish an annual status report that measures our progress on our commitments. We will also review and update our accessibility plan every three years. Progress reports and updates to our accessibility plan will be guided by consultations and surveys with people with disabilities.

 

​Employment

The Employment domain ensures that candidates and employees with disabilities and people who face barriers are supported throughout their employment cycle.

 

 

Barrier 1

Our company is competing for employees and, at the moment, we are not attracting many candidates from underrepresented groups such as people with disabilities.

 

Actions:

- Improve the Careers and Employment section of our website to increase visibility of the various types of jobs available to people with disabilities. It would be important to share our commitment to including them in our team

- Educate and work collaboratively with hiring managers on the importance of accessibility in the workplace and how to complete a barrier-free hiring, selection and accommodation process

- Compare our current recruitment, selection and onboarding practices in terms of accessibility with other trucking companies

 

Barrier 2

We need to better understand the breadth and variety of accommodation options available to people with disabilities, primarily for truck drivers, since they are the vast majority of our employees.

 

Actions:

- Identify a framework that will be responsible for helping managers understand their responsibilities in the accommodation process and who will guide them in supporting their employees and implementing appropriate adjustments in the workplace

- Set up a work team composed of managers, drivers and people with disabilities who can be called upon, if necessary, if the company must evaluate accommodation options for an employee with a disability

- The financial director will be called upon, in advance, when accommodations are necessary in order to identify the reasonable budget allocated for said accommodation

 

Built environment

The "built environment" domain aims to ensure that workspaces and the work environment are accessible to all.

 

Barrier 3

Certain spaces in offices and in the truck yard could limit the mobility of employees with disabilities.

 

Actions:

- Installation of an access ramp to the main entrances accessible to people with reduced mobility

- Automate the opening of doors in the main accesses to the company

- In the event that major modifications must be made to buildings or truck yards, a work team composed of managers, drivers and persons with disabilities will be consulted to ensure that the modifications take into consideration accessibility for the persons concerned

- During future renovations or during an accommodation process, provide an accessible workspace on the ground floor for persons with disabilities​

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Barrier 4

Safety signage in our building and in the truck yard is not accessible to people with reduced vision

 

Actions:

- Install adapted signage (e.g. Braille text, larger font, etc.) in key locations in our buildings and in the truck yards

- Improve the brightness of safety signs and other signage in the truck yards

 

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

"Information and communication technologies" are different tools used to send, store, create, share or exchange information.

 

Barrier 5

The current IT team needs to be more informed about accessibility technologies and learn how to properly assist people with disabilities in the workplace.

 

Actions:

- Train employees and IT to increase their accessibility knowledge and learn how to adapt services and improve their interactions with people with disabilities

- Promote the use of accessibility features in all available software

- Develop and promote support and training materials for people with disabilities (e.g., make items appear larger on the screen, enable the reading function in MS Word, enable subtitles in MS Teams, etc.)

- Develop checklists and support materials for IT employees

 

Barrier 6

Several tools and software used in the company have accessibility capabilities that are not used properly

 

Actions:

- Take an inventory of the systems used by the company to measure their accessibility capabilities

- Gradually introduce new accessibility features into IT systems

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Barrier 7

Inaccessibility of commonly used technologies in meeting spaces, training rooms and conference rooms may limit the ability of people with disabilities to participate.

 

Actions:

- Review communication and information dissemination technologies used in meeting spaces, training rooms and conference rooms to ensure that they have a high level of accessibility and comply with legal requirements

 

Non-ICT communications

This area requires the organization to ensure barrier-free access to all communications intended for employees, customers and suppliers. The company must ensure that all of its communications are easily accessible.

 

Barrier 8

The company does not have a consistent process to ensure that alternative formats of communications it distributes to employees and other stakeholders are available and provided in a timely manner.

 

Actions:

- Identify service providers and enter into agreements to create alternative formats when appropriate and necessary

- Prepare resources and communications regularly distributed by the company in alternative formats so that they are ready to be distributed upon request

- When requested, we commit to providing these alternative formats as soon as possible, for example:

Printed letter

Large print letter

Letter with Braille text

Audio format

Electronic format that is compatible with adapted technology intended to assist persons with disabilities.

 

Acquisition of goods, services, facilities

The "acquisition (purchase) of goods, services and facilities" domain aims to ensure that accessibility is considered from the beginning of the purchasing process.

 

Barrier 9

During the renewal of workstations in 2024, certain procurement practices that meet accessibility requirements were applied during the purchasing process for adjustable workstations and ergonomic chairs. There are still improvements to be made, as outlined below.

 

Actions:

- Establish procurement procedures to include accessibility audits when acquiring goods and services

- Include accessibility considerations in procurement documents (e.g., requests for proposals) to inform external suppliers and confirm that products and services comply with the Accessible Canada Act​

 

Service Program Design and Delivery

There is currently no approach to ensure that programs, processes and services take into account accessibility.

 

Actions:

- Consult a working team composed of managers, drivers, mechanics, IT people, Security & Prevention department staff and people with disabilities to review and provide feedback on programs, processes, policies and services. This working team will provide advice for the development of future programs and services.

- Develop guidelines on how to apply when programs, processes, policies and services are reviewed by the work team

- Provide training on the Accessible Canada Act and the Canada Accessibility Regulations to persons whose role it is to develop programs, processes and procedures

 

Transport

Transport Jacques Auger Inc. does not coordinate a transportation system or a fleet of transportation vehicles as defined by the Accessible Canada Act. In this context, "transport" refers to the transportation of people, not goods. This means that transportation standards are not included in this plan.

 

Consultations

In order to fulfill Transport Jacques Auger Inc.'s commitment to making our work environment accessible to all, we developed our accessibility plan in consultation with our employees, including those with disabilities. Consultations were conducted using surveys or person-to-person interviews.

 

We have gathered feedback and advice from our team members and an external organization in a variety of ways:

- Company-wide survey

- One-on-one interviews with employees with disabilities to provide feedback and ideas

 

We will continue to conduct surveys with employees, including those with disabilities, and with any working groups that have been created as part of this accessibility plan to measure our progress and ensure that we are making the changes we have committed to.

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Definitions

Accessibility

Refers to the need for people with disabilities to be intentionally and thoughtfully considered when products, services and facilities are designed or modified so that they can be used and enjoyed by people of all abilities.

 

Barrier

The Accessible Canada Act defines a barrier as: “A barrier, including a physical, architectural, information, communications, behavioural, technological or policy or practice barrier, that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with disabilities, including physical, intellectual, cognitive, mental, sensory, learning or communication disabilities or functional limitations.”

 

Disability

The Accessible Canada Act defines disability as follows:

“A physical, intellectual, cognitive, mental, sensory, learning or communication impairment or functional limitation, whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, whether manifest or not, that in interaction with a barrier hinders a person’s full or equal participation in society.”