Green Rural Fields and Pastures and Blue Skies

Accessibility Plan

Executive Summary

At Hammondbus.com, we recognize that accessibility and inclusion are ongoing journeys, and we are committed to building an organization that prioritizes them both. We are committed to breaking down the barriers, identifying them and learning how to reduce and remove any existing barriers and help eliminate future ones. The foundation of this commitment is ensuring equal access for all as we grow and evolve; maintaining this focus remains critical to our success and competitiveness in the transportation industry.

Driven by family and community, Hammondbus.com has been a trusted leader in providing transportation to our clients. Our family-owned company is proud to offer dependable, secure, and efficient charter services throughout Ontario and across North America. Four generations of our family have been committed to ensuring that our legacy of excellence continues.

At Hammondbus.com we are committed to continuous improvement through the development of our Accessibility Plan, as outlined by The Accessible Canada Act. This plan will guide us in building a more inclusive culture and ensure we meet our legal and ethical responsibilities to provide accessible services.

Statement of Commitment

At Hammondbus.com, treating every individual with dignity and respect is a core value. We believe that open and approachable communication is key to achieving this. By listening to our employees and customers, we ensure that we are always improving and enhancing the experience of all who interact with our services.

As we move forward, we aim to create an environment where everyone—whether they are using our services or working with us—feels supported, respected, and empowered.

The Accessible Canada Act

The Accessible Canada Act is a federal law that requires all federally regulated companies, and agencies with 100+ employees, to prepare plans and progress reports to find, eliminate, and prevent barriers to accessibility including persons with disabilities. Adopted in 2019, the Act’s primary goal is to create a Canada that is free of barriers by 2040.

Feedback Process

Hammondbus.com welcomes feedback on our Accessibility Plan from the public, clients, and our employees. This feedback is valuable to us as it helps us break down accessibility barriers and build on our commitment to accessibility and inclusion.

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

Contact Us:

All feedback will be directed to our Director of Operations and reviewed by our designated representative. Any concerns raised will be documented and addressed using the method through which the feedback was received.

Reporting Our Plan

As required by the Accessible Canada Act, we will publish a status report every year that measures our progress against our commitments. We will also review and update our Accessibility Plan every three years. Progress Reports and updates to our Accessibility Plan will be shaped by consultation with persons with disabilities.

Addressing Areas Identified in The Accessible Canada Act

Employment

Hammondbus.com is committed to removing existing barriers and preventing new ones, especially in employment. Following a review of our current policies, safe practices, and services, we have identified the following barriers:

  • We face ongoing challenges in attracting qualified applicants from underrepresented populations, including individuals with disabilities.
  • There’s a need to deepen our understanding of accommodation options available for persons with disabilities interested in becoming bus drivers.

In alignment with the Accessible Canada Act, we are addressing the following key areas:

Employment Barriers:

The company will implement the following actions to overcome these challenges:

  • Website Enhancements: We will improve the careers section of our website to better highlight opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
  • Inclusive Hiring Ads: Job advertisements will emphasize our commitment to inclusion, equity, and accessibility.
  • Benchmarking Best Practices: We will compare our recruitment, selection, and onboarding processes against leading practices from other school bus and charter operators, as well as similar industries.
  • Staff Training: Training for hiring and recruiting staff will focus on ensuring a barrier-free selection, hiring, and accommodation process, including unconscious bias training.
  • Internal Survey: We will conduct an employee survey to better understand current employees with disabilities and explore broader accommodation options.
  • Inclusive Job Postings: All job postings will reaffirm our commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and accessibility, stating that accommodations will be provided upon request during the recruitment, selection, and assessment process.

In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and the Accessible Canada Act, we commit to ensuring that accommodations are made available for applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process.

The Built Environment

At Hammondbus.com we commit to identifying, preventing, and removing existing barriers in accordance with the built environment. We recognize some spaces within our offices and yard may limit the mobility of employees and visitors with disabilities. The following barriers were identified and will be reviewed after this plan has been published:

  • Automated door openers in the company’s primary pathway.
  • Current ramp to ensure it can fit all mobility devices.
  • Current illumination of yard at night.

Information And Communication Technologies (ICT)

Hammondbus.com recognizes the importance of clear communication with both employees and clients. The following barriers were identified regarding ICT:

  • Future website development will meet all required accessibility standards.
  • The company will emphasize accessibility needs when working with our IT provider.

Actions to Address These Barriers Include:

  • Planning and reviewing assistive technology options.
  • Developing and promoting guidance and training documents for employees with disabilities (e.g., enlarging text on screens, activating screen readers in MS Word, and using closed captioning when available).
  • Ensuring that our tools and software used by our teams (e.g., Training and Dispatch) incorporate accessibility features.

Communication Beyond ICT

Hammondbus.com understands that communication happens in many forms and commits to supporting our employees, the public, and our clients to be inclusive.

The Following Barrier Was Identified:

  • The company does not have a consistent process to ensure alternate formats of communication.

To Address This Barrier, We Will:

  • Offer standard communication pieces in alternative formats upon request (e.g., large print).

Transportation

Hammondbus.com prioritizes safe transport for all. The following potential barriers related to transportation were identified:

  • Motor coaches are not currently wheelchair accessible.
  • Boarding and disembarking can pose challenges.

Actions to Address These Barriers:

  • Evaluate the feasibility of subcontracting or purchasing a wheelchair-accessible motor coach based on client requests over the next three years. Note: We currently have wheelchair-accessible school, transit, and charter buses in our fleet.
  • All motor coaches are equipped with kneeling capabilities to assist passengers with boarding and disembarking.

Consultation With People With Disabilities

We’ve gathered input from our team through:

  • One-on-one discussions with senior leaders.
  • Review of best practices.
  • Employee feedback.
  • Client reviews.

Consultation With People With Disabilities

We will expand consultations with people with disabilities to address all barriers, particularly in employment, the built environment, communication, and transportation. Continuous employee surveys and any related working groups will help guide this effort.

Additionally, we will initiate a client survey by mid-2026 to gather feedback on our services, including accommodations.

Definitions

Accessibility: Refers to the needs of persons with disabilities being intentionally and thoughtfully considered when products, services, and facilities are built or modified so they can be used and enjoyed by persons of all abilities.

Barrier: Anything physical, architectural, technological, or attitudinal; anything that is based on information or communications; or anything that is the result of a policy or practice that hinders the full and equal participation in society of a person with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication, or sensory impairment, or a functional limitation.

Disability: Any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication, and sensory impairment, or functional limitation that is either permanent, temporary, or episodic in nature. It can be evident or not in interaction with a barrier to hinder a person’s full and equal participation in society.

Date: October 2024