Policy: Accessibility Standards For Customer Service

Accessibility Statement
oneilelectric.com
September 27, 2024
Issued by
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone and are
committed to providing a website that is accessible to the broadest possible audience,
regardless of ability. To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World
Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1)
at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people
with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that
the website is accessible to blind people, people with motor impairments, visual
impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more. This website utilizes various technologies
that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an
accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s
UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs. Additionally, the website utilizes
an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level
constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts its functionality and
behavior for screen-readers used by blind users, and for keyboard functions used by
individuals with motor impairments. If you wish to contact the website’s owner please
use the following email mjdoyle@oneilelectric.com
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications)
technique, alongside various behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers can read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a
user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter
the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s
how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements:
1. Screen-reader optimization: we run a process that learns the website’s
components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when
updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful
data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form
labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart
icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons,
menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background
process scans all of the website’s images. It provides an accurate and
meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text)
tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts embedded within
the image using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on
screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1
keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements
to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website. These
adjustments are compatible with popular screen readers such as JAWS, NVDA,
VoiceOver, and TalkBack.

2. Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the
website’s HTML and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the
website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the
website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow
keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate
between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with
the Spacebar or Enter key. Additionally, keyboard users will find content-skip
menus available at any time by clicking Alt+2, or as the first element of the site
while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles
triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they
appear, not allowing the focus to drift outside. Users can also use shortcuts such
as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to
jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported on our website
 Epilepsy Safe Profile: this profile enables people with epilepsy to safely use the
website by eliminating the risk of seizures resulting from flashing or blinking
animations and risky color combinations.
 Vision Impaired Profile: this profile adjusts the website so that it is accessible to
the majority of visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision,
Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
 Cognitive Disability Profile: this profile provides various assistive features to help
users with cognitive disabilities such as Autism, Dyslexia, CVA, and others, to
focus on the essential elements more easily.
 ADHD Friendly Profile: this profile significantly reduces distractions and noise to
help people with ADHD, and Neurodevelopmental disorders browse, read, and
focus on the essential elements more easily.
 Blind Users Profile (Screen-readers): this profile adjusts the website to be
compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack.
A screen-reader is installed on the blind user’s computer, and this site is
compatible with it.
 Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-
impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and
the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H”
(headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific
elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
1. Font adjustments users can increase and decrease its size, change its family
(type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
2. Color adjustments users can select various color contrast profiles such as light,
dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of
titles, texts, and backgrounds with over seven different coloring options.
3. Animations epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a
button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS
flashing transitions.

4. Content highlighting users can choose to emphasize essential elements such
as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered
elements only.
5. Audio muting users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other
issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire
website instantly.
6. Cognitive disorders we utilize a search engine linked to Wikipedia and
Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of
phrases, initials, slang, and others.
7. Additional functions we allow users to change cursor color and size, use a
printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Assistive technology and browser compatibility
We aim to support as many browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our
users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible.
Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that
comprise over 95% of the user market share, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox,
Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS, and NVDA (screen readers), both for
Windows and MAC users.
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there
may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of
becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them
accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating,
improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All
this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility following technological
advancements. If you wish to contact the website’s owner, please use the following
email mjdoyle@oneilelectric.com

 

                                            AODA Policy

The goal of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “Act”) is to create a more accessible Ontario, by identifying, and to the extent possible, preventing, and eliminating barriers experienced by persons with a disability. 

The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service has been established under the Act to ensure goods and services are, where at all possible, equally accessible to every member of the public. 

We at O'Neil Electric Supply strive to make our services accessible to persons with disabilities.  The objective of this policy is to ensure we meet the requirements of the Standard and promote its underlying core principles, described below.

 

Application

The Policy applies to all persons who, on behalf of O'Neil Electric Supply, provide service to members of the public or other third parties.    

The Policy also applies to all persons responsible for the development, implementation, or oversight of O'Neil Electric Supply policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of customer service.

 

Definitions

  • Assistive Device - Any device used to assist a person in performing a particular task or tasks or to aid that person in activities of daily living.
  • Barrier shall mean anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of the disability.  Barriers may take different forms.  For example, barriers may result from:

 

  1. The physical, architectural, or structural design of a building;
  2. The manner in which information is received or conveyed;
  3. The presence or absence of technology;
  4. Attitudes or stereotypes that a person with a disability may encounter in the community; or
  5. Policies, practices, and procedures that an organization may employ which, often unintentionally, restrict a person with a disability.
  • Disability – Has the same definition as is provided under the Act and Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19. 
  1. 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 impairment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
  2. A condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
  3. A learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
  4. A mental disorder, or
  5. An injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the ‘Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997’.
  • Guide Dog - Means a guide dog as defined in section 1 of the Blind Persons’ Rights Act
  • Service Animal - An animal that accompanies a person with a disability.
    1. If it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability; or
    2. If the person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability. 
  • Support Person – A person who accompanies a person with a disability to assist with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods or services.
  • “We”, “Our” and “Staff” means The Company and its employees, independent contractors or any other person who provides services on behalf of O'Neil Electric Supply.

 

Core Principles

We endeavor to ensure that the Policy and related practices, policies and procedures are consistent with the following four (4) core principles:

  • Dignity - Persons with a disability should be treated as valued customers as deserving of service as any other customer. 
  • Equality of Opportunity - Persons with a disability should, where possible, be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from our services. 
  • Integration - Wherever possible, persons with a disability should benefit from our services in the same place and in the same or similar manner as any other customer.  In circumstances where integration does not serve the needs of the person with a disability, services will, to the extent possible, be provided in another way that takes into account the person’s individual needs. 
  • Independence - Goods and services should, where possible, be provided in a way that respects the independence of persons with a disability.  To this end, we will be willing to assist a person with a disability but will not do so without the express permission of the person.

 

Implementation

The management team is responsible for:

  • Developing and implementing policies, practices and procedures aimed at making O'Neil Electric Supply services more accessible to persons with a disability.
  • Developing and implementing an accessibility training program and maintaining training records as required by the Standard.
  • Developing and implementing a feedback procedure as required by the Standard.
  • Filing Accessibility Reports required under section (14) of the Act.

Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities

        I.  Policies, Practices and Procedures

O'Neil Electric Supply shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies, practices and procedures which impact the delivery of its services to the public or to other third parties are consistent with the principles of dignity, equality of opportunity, integration and independence as defined above.

        II.  Communication

O'Neil Electric Supply strives to communicate with persons with a disability in a manner that takes into account the disability.

        III.  Assistive Devices

Persons with a disability are permitted, where possible, to use their own ‘assistive device’ when on our premises for the purposes of obtaining, using or benefiting from our services. 

If there is a physical, technological or other type of barrier that prevents the use of an ‘assistive device’ on our premises we will first endeavour to remove that barrier.  If we are not able to remove the barrier we will ask the person how they can be accommodated and what alternative methods of service would be more accessible to them.  We will make reasonable efforts to provide an alternative service to the person with a disability.

        IV.  Service Animals & Guide Dogs

Persons with a disability may enter premises owned and/or operated by O'Neil Electric Supply accompanied by a service animal or guide dog, and keep the service animal or guide with them, if the public has access to such premises and the service animal or guide dog is not otherwise excluded by law.

If a service animal or guide dog must be excluded by law, we explain to our customer why this is the case and explore alternative ways to meet the customer’s needs.

        VI.  Support Persons

A person with a disability may enter premises owned and/or operated by O'Neil Electric Supply with a support person and have access to the support person at all times while on the premises.

O'Neil Electric Supply may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a Support Person where it is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health or safety of others on the premises.

        VII.  Notice of Temporary Disruptions

O'Neil Electric Supply will notify customers if there is a planned or unexpected disruption of a facility or service persons with a disability use to access our services.  The notification will be made: (i) by posting a notice on our premises (i) by posting a notice on our website, (iii) by notifying affected customers individually; or (iv) in another manner that may be appropriate in the circumstances. 

The notice will include the following information:

  • That a facility or service is unavailable.
  • The anticipated duration of the disruption.
  • The reason for the disruption.
  • Alternative facilities or services, if available.

 

Training and Records

O'Neil Electric Supply will provide training, and ongoing training as required under the Standard to:

  • Employees who provide service to the public or other third-party businesses on behalf of O'Neil Electric Supply and
  • All persons responsible for the development, implementation or oversight of O'Neil Electric Supply policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of customer service.

        A.  Content of Training

Training will include:

  • A review of the purpose of the Act and requirements of the Standard.
  • A review of O'Neil Electric Supply policies, practices and procedures governing the delivery of customer service to persons with disabilities.
  • How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disabilities.
  • How to interact with persons with a disability who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or support person.
  • How to use equipment or devices made available by O'Neil Electric Supply to assist persons with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from our services.
  • What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing our premises and/or services.

        B.  Timing of Training

Training will be provided as soon as practicable after the employee or freelancer is assigned the applicable duties.  Updated training will be provided where there is a change to O'Neil Electric Supply policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities.

        C.  Documenting Training

Records of the training provided, including the training protocol, the dates on which the training is provided and the number of individuals to whom the training is provided shall be maintained in accordance with the requirements of the Standard.

Feedback Procedure

        A.  Receiving Feedback

O'Neil Electric Supply welcomes and appreciates feedback regarding how it delivers goods and services to persons with disabilities.  Feedback can be provided in the following ways:

  1. In person;
  2. By telephone;
  3. In writing; and
  4. Electronically by email or on an electronic storage device.

        B.  Responding to Complaints

Where possible, The Company will make reasonable efforts to respond to complaints at the time that the complaint is made.  Where an immediate response is not available O'Neil Electric Supply will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the individual who has made the complaint receives a response. 

Format of Documents

O'Neil Electric Supply will provide documents, or the information contained in documents, required to be provided under the Standard, to a person with a disability in a format that takes the person’s disability into account.

 

Click Here to download the AODA Policy.