Legal stuff

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”) Policy

Purpose

1. POLICY STATEMENT

Syngenta Canada Inc. (“Syngenta”) is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive environment in which all persons have equal access to its goods and services as required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, O. Regulation 429/07 (“ASCS”) made under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”).

Syngenta will take steps to ensure that any person with a disability who visits a facility of Syngenta or who accesses Syngenta’s goods and services will be able to do so in a manner that respects dignity and independence.

Syngenta will make every reasonable effort to ensure that its policies, practices and procedures respecting the provision of accessible customer service will be consistent with the principles of independence.

Syngenta is open to feedback and looks forward to improving its environment for all persons, including persons with disabilities.

2. DEFINITIONS

Disability

For the purpose of this policy, the term “disability” includes:

• 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 co-ordination, 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;
• a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability;
• a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language;
• a mental disorder; or
• an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

Employee

For the purposes of this policy, The term “employee” refers to any person regarding whom Syngenta pays wages or a salary, has control over their assigned work and has a right to control the details of their work. This includes, but is not limited to:

• full-time employees
• part-time employees
• seasonal employees
• contract employees
• interns

Service Animal

For the purposes of this policy, an animal is a service animal for a person with a disability:

• if it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability; 
• or if the person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability.

“Service animal” also includes a guide dog as defined under the Blind Persons’ Rights Act Section 1. 

Support Person

 For the purposes of this policy, a “support person” is a person who accompanies a person with a disability  in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods or services. The support person could be a paid personal support worker, a volunteer, a friend or a family member. He or she does not necessarily need to have special training or qualifications.

3. SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY

This Policy applies to all employees and/or agents who work for Syngenta and provide goods and services to members of the public and/or third parties on behalf of Syngenta.  This Policy applies to persons with disabilities who access Syngenta’s goods and services or facilities.   In addition, this Policy may be supplemented by a site specific policy which addresses unique attributes of a specific Syngenta facility.  To the extent that a site specific policy exists it is attached hereto as an exhibit.

Communication
Syngenta will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.

Service Animals
Service animals are permitted on Syngenta’s facilities that are open to guests and visitors and the animal is not otherwise excluded by law.  It is the responsibility of the person using the service animal to keep control of the animal at all times.
Where it is not readily apparent that an animal is a service animal, an employee may make a polite inquiry to confirm that the animal is a service animal and to request documentary confirmation of same, such as a doctor’s note, confirming the need for a service animal.
A service animal may be removed from the facility only where its conduct poses a threat to the safety and well-being of others. If an employee or Syngenta’s customer is allergic to service animals, alternative arrangements will be negotiated and instituted.

Support Persons
Persons with disabilities are welcome to bring a support person to assist them in any Syngenta facility that is open to guests and visitors.  Fees will not be charged for support persons. 

Use of Assistive Devices
Persons with assistive devices are entitled to use personal assistive devices while accessing any of Syngenta’s goods and services or facilities. There is a broad range of assistive devices, including white canes, computers/laptops, communications devices.

Privacy
Persons with disabilities are entitled to confidentiality and the protection of their privacy. Persons with disabilities are not required to disclose to employees of Syngenta information about the nature of their disability, unless specifically needed to better accommodate the needs of the person with disabilities. 

Confidentiality
Confidentiality and privacy of the person with a disability will be respected at all times by Syngenta’s employees.  

4. NOTICE OF TEMPORARY DISRUPTIONS

If there is a temporary disruption of facilities or goods and services that persons with disabilities usually use to access Syngenta’s facilities or goods and services, Syngenta will use all reasonable means to give notice of the disruption to the public and give ideas of alternate ways of accessing the facility or goods and services.

Notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative facilities or goods and services. Notice will be given by posting the information in a conspicuous place on Syngenta’s facilities or by posting it on Syngenta’s website. Disruptions to all of Syngenta’s goods and services, such as during a power outage, does not require notice.

Where an employee knows that a person with a disability intends to attend a Syngenta facility and may be impacted by a temporary disruption, the employee will also attempt to contact the specific individual to advise of the disruption and to discuss possible alternate ways of accessing the facility or offering to reschedule or relocate the visit.

Where a Syngenta facility includes elevators, then the party responsible for servicing elevators will be noted and the service provider will be responsible i and as such, they would be required to ensure that notice of temporary disruptions to elevator service is provided as required by the ASCS. If all elevators to access Syngenta’s facilities are out of service, Syngenta will assess the situation and determine whether notice needs to be provided to members of the public and/or third parties that could reasonably be expected to access Syngenta’s facilities.

5. TRAINING

Syngenta is committed to ensure that its existing and new employees receive training on this policy on a regular basis. Our training will include:

• The purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005;
• An overview of the requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service;
• Instruction on Syngenta’s internal policies and procedures;
• Instruction on how to interact and communicate appropriately with persons with various types of disabilities;
• Instruction on how to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person (including appropriate and inappropriate methods of interaction);
• How to locate the assistive devices at Syngenta’s facilities and a description of alternative methods of service provision used at Syngenta that may help with the provision of goods and services to people with disabilities;
• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing Syngenta’s goods and services; 
• How to deal with feedback and complaints, including internal escalation of the feedback or complaint, as appropriate.

6. QUESTIONS/INQUIRIES/COMPLAINTS/FEEDBACK

Syngenta prides itself on being accessible to all its customers. If anyone has feedback or a concern about accessibility issues or the application of this policy, they can contact:

Syngenta Canada Inc.
By telephone  519-836-5665
By email to AODA.feedback@syngenta.com

Syngenta will promptly investigate all complaints and is committed to taking appropriate actions if there is a failure to abide by this policy. All complaints will receive a written response.  Syngenta also welcomes general feedback on how our facilities can be more accessible to persons with disabilities.  Syngenta will consider all general feedback and respond in writing if appropriate.

  Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”) Policy.