Accessibility

Our Accessibility Policies

Read our Accessible Customer Service Policy and Integrated Accessibility Standards Policy below or download these policies here:

Accessible Customer Service Policy (PDF) 

Integrated Accessibility Standards Policy (PDF)

AODA Compliance (PDF)

Accessible Customer Service Policy

Purpose and Application

Camp Walden is committed to providing an exceptional and accessible outdoor overnight camp experience to all members of its community, including persons with disabilities. We are committed to meeting the accessibility needs of such persons in a timely manner and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements.
Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 all businesses must meet the requirements of accessibility standards established by regulation. This policy establishes the accessibility standards for customer service for Camp Walden, in accordance with Ontario Regulation 429/07. This policy applies to all employees Camp Walden, agents, volunteers and contracted service/third party staff.

Definitions

Accessible means customer service is provided in a manner that is capable of being easily understood or appreciated; easy to get at; capable of being reached, or entered; obtainable.

Disability means:

1. Any degree of physical 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 impairment, 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,
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,
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 dog trained as a guide for a blind person and having the qualifications prescribed by the Blind Persons’ Rights Act R.S.O. 1990, c. B.7, s. 1 (1).

Service Animal is an 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/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.

Policy Statement

Providing Goods, Services or Facilities to People with Disabilities:

Camp Walden is committed to providing exceptional and accessible service to its customers. Goods and services will be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence to all customers. The provision of services to persons with disabilities will be integrated wherever possible. Persons with disabilities will be given an opportunity equal to that given to others, to obtain, use or benefit from the goods and services provided by and on behalf of Camp Walden.

Assistive Devices:

People with disabilities may use their personal assistive devices when accessing our goods, services or facilities. We will ensure that our staff members are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by community members (such as staff, campers, visitors, contractors, etc.) with disabilities while accessing our goods, services or facilities. If an assistive device presents a significant and unavoidable health or safety concern or is not permitted for other reasons, we shall ensure that other measures are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from our goods, services or facilities.

Policy Requirements

1. Accessibility Training Policy
   • Every person who deals with members of the public or who participates in developing Camp Walden’s policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods and services to the public; including camp staff, volunteers, agents, contractors and others who provide service on behalf of Camp Walden will receive training regarding the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities.
   • The training will include the following information:
     • The purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act,
     • How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disabilities,
     • How to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device, or require the assistance of a service animal or support person
     • How to use equipment made available by the camp to help people with disabilities to access goods and services
     • What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing services.
   • Training will be provided to each person according to his or her needs and duties and as soon as is practicable on an ongoing basis in connection with changes to policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities. A record of the dates on which training is provided and the number of individuals to whom it is provided will be kept.
2. Feedback Process Camp Walden accepts feedback from the public in a variety of methods including:
   • Phone
   • In person
   • Fax
   • Email
   • And, through feedback forms such as surveys

   All feedback, including feedback regarding good services and facilities, is welcome and will be reviewed and addressed by Sari Grossinger, one of our owners, who can be contacted by email at sari@camprobinhood.ca or by calling (416) 736-4443. We will ensure that the feedback process is accessible to persons with disabilities by providing, or arranging for the provision of, accessible formats and communication supports, upon request. A response will be provided in a timely fashion. Complaints, if/when they arise, will be addressed in a timely fashion by our Director and Leadership Teams depending on the nature of the complaint.

3. Use of Service Animals and Support Persons
   • If a person with a disability is accompanied by a guide dog or other service animal, Camp Walden will ensure that the person is permitted to enter Camp Walden’s facilities with the animal and to keep the animal with him or her unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law. Where a service animal is excluded by law, Camp Walden will ensure that other measures are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use and benefit from the Company’s goods and services. The service animal must be under the care and control of the individual at all times.
   • If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, Camp Walden will ensure that both persons are permitted to enter the camp facilities, and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person. Camp Walden may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when in a camp facility, but only if a support person is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health or safety of others in the facility. If an amount is payable by a support person for admission, or otherwise, to a premise, Camp Walden will ensure notice is given in advance about the amount.
4. Notice of Temporary Disruptions Camp Walden shall provide notice of disruption of services to the public. Any Notice of Disruption will contain the following:
   • Reason for the disruptionAnticipated durationAlternative facilities or service

   Camp staff will provide such notice in at least one of the following three methods:

   • Notice physically posted at the site of the disruptionNotice on the camp websiteNotice in local newspaper
5. Notice of availability of documents
   • Camp Walden will provide the public notice of the availability of the documents, required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, (O. Reg 429/07) upon request. Notice of availability will be provided on the Camp Walden web site and through other printed methods.
6. Format of documents
   • If Camp Walden is required, by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, to give a copy of a document to a person with a disability, the camp will take into account the person’s ability to access the information and will provide the document or information contained in the document in a format that meets those needs as agreed upon with the person.
7. Related and Supporting Documentation
   • Camp Walden’s Policies
   • Accessible Customer Service Training Records
   • Ontario Regulation 429/07, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 – Accessibility Standards for Customer Service

Integrated Accessibility Standards Policy

Purpose and Application

Camp Walden is committed to providing an exceptional and accessible outdoor overnight camp experience to all members of its community, including persons with disabilities. We are committed to meeting the accessibility needs of such persons in a timely manner and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements. This policy is developed to break down barriers and increase accessibility for persons with disabilities in the area of information and communications as well as employment. Camp Walden is committed to putting the following policy into practice as required by the Accessibility for Ontarians Disability Act, 2005 and Regulation 191/11 (the “Regulation”). This policy applies to all members of the Camp Walden community including campers, families, employees, agents, volunteers and contracted service staff.

Definitions

Accessible means customer service is provided in a manner that is capable of being easily understood or appreciated; easy to get at; capable of being reached, or entered; obtainable.

Disability means:

1. Any degree of physical 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 impairment, 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,
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,
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

Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

Camp Walden is committed to providing an exceptional and accessible outdoor overnight summer camp experience to all members of its community, including persons with disabilities. We are committed to meeting the accessibility needs of such persons in a timely manner and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements. Camp Walden’s Accessibility Policies are developed to break down barriers and increase accessibility for persons with disabilities in the areas of customer service, information and communications as well as employment. Camp Walden is committed to putting these policies into practice as required by the Accessibility for Ontarians Disability Act, 2005 and Regulation 191/11 (the “Regulation”). These policies apply to all members of the Camp Walden community including campers, families, employees, agents, volunteers and contracted service staff.

Camp Walden is committed to developing, maintaining and documenting a Multi-Year Accessibility Plan outlining the strategy that improves opportunities for persons with disabilities, and prevents and removes barriers.

The Multi-Year Accessibility Plan will be reviewed and updated by our Leadership Team at least once every 5 years and will be posted on our website. Upon request, Camp Walden will provide a copy of the Accessibility Plan in an accessible format.

Part 1: We have committed to and plan to do the following at the indicated times:

2012

• Reviewed and updated our emergency and public safety information so that it is accessible to the public, as well as developed a process for responding to requests and supports;
• When necessary, we provided and continue to provide individual plans to help employees who have disabilities during an emergency, or emergency information that is formatted so an employee who has a disability can understand it.
• We continue to review our emergency information; each summer we determine which employees require this help; we are prepared and ready to provide this information to these employees in an accessible format if required, and have systems in place to follow up with these employees periodically to ensure that their needs are being met with respect to accessing this emergency information in the accessible format that they would benefit from.

2014

• Created policies and procedures for each standard (which included developing a statement of commitment, assessing our current accessibility policies and identify and address any gaps and update any policies accordingly);
• Created a Multi-Year Accessibility Plan which is to be updated at least every 5 years;
• Completed and submitted the government accessibility report;
• Reviewed with our website developers and ensured that all new internet websites and web content on those sites conformed to WCAG 2.0 Level A.

2015

• Trained all staff, and continue to do so, on what they have to do under the IASR and on aspects of the Human Rights Code that relate to accessibility (these trainings take place during our senior staff training at our May weekend, pre-camp training which takes place in June each summer as well as during planned in-services throughout the summer);
• Made our feedback processes, like surveys, more accessible for those that required and requested the accessible format;

2016

• Made information about our camp’s goods, services and facilities accessible and available for those that requested it in the accessible format;
• We put in place systems that notify employees, potential hires and the public that accommodations can be made during recruitment, assessment and selection processes for people who have disabilities;
• We put in place systems that notify new hires and staff of policies for accommodating employees with disabilities;
• We have in place a written process to develop individual accommodation plans for employees with a disability;
• We take the needs of our employees with disabilities into account with our performance review processes to help with performance management.

2017

• Completed and submitted the government accessibility report;
• We continue to ensure that we make new or redeveloped spaces accessible.

2019

• Reviewed and Updated our Multi-Year Accessibility Plan.

2020

• Completed and submitted the government accessibility report;
• We continue to identify strategies to prevent and remove additional barriers in our camp setting/programming.

2021

• Working towards ensuring that by 2021 we will have all internet website content to conform with WCAG 2.0 level AA (excluding live captioning and audio description).

2023

• Complete and submit the government accessibility report.

Part 2: Camp Walden’s strategy to prevent and remove additional barriers:

• We are committed to ensuring that we review and update our Multi-Year Accessibility Plan at least every 5 years.
• We will work with our IT support team to ensure that by 2021 we will have all of our internet website content conforming with WCAG 2.0 level AA (excluding live captioning and audio description unless time/finances allow us the ability to address these areas too).
• We will complete and submit our next government accessibility report in 2023.
• We will continue to assess our programs/site/communication and customer service to identify and address/prevent any additional barriers that may arise.
  • Currently, we are working on ways to help ensure that our augmentative communication systems such as Board Maker are up to date so that we can provide camp specific methods of ensuring that those with developmental/physical or even English Language Learners can access and enjoy all that our camp has to offer.
• We will continue to consult with our families/staff/campers/alumni and others with and without disabilities to ensure that our Accessibility Policies and Plans are relevant and meet the needs of all. Any policy of Camp Walden’s that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed.

Training

Camp Walden will ensure that training is provided on the requirements of this Integrated Accessible Standards Policy and on Human Rights as they pertain to persons with disabilities. Training will be provided to every person who is an employee of Camp Walden; every person who participates in developing our policies; and all third parties who provide goods, services or facilities on our behalf. This training will be provided as soon as possible after the employee is hired; on an ongoing basis in connection with changes to this Policy; and in a way that best suits their learning needs and the duties of the employee/third party. Camp Walden will keep a record of all training that it provides under this policy.

Information And Communications

Feedback

Camp Walden accepts feedback from the public in a variety of methods including:

• Phone
• In person
• Fax
• Email
• And, through feedback forms such as surveys

All feedback, including feedback regarding good services and facilities, is welcome and will be reviewed and addressed by Sari Grossinger, one of our owners, who can be contacted by email at sari@camprobinhood.ca or by calling (416) 736-4443. We will ensure that the feedback process is accessible to persons with disabilities by providing, or arranging for the provision of, accessible formats and communication supports, upon requests. A response will be provided in a timely fashion. Complaints, if/when they arise, will be addressed in a timely fashion by our Director and Leadership Teams depending on the nature of the complaint.

Accessible Formats and Communication Supports

Upon request, Camp Walden will provide, or will arrange for the provision of, accessible formats and communication supports at no increased cost, for persons with disabilities, in a timely manner that takes into account the person’s accessibility needs. Camp Walden will consult with the person making the request as well as, notifying the public about the availability of accessible formats and communication supports.

Accessible Websites and Web Content

Camp Walden will ensure that its website, including web content, conforms to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, as required by the Regulation, except where this is impracticable.

Employment

Recruitment and Potential Employment Screening Process

Camp Walden will provide notification to the public that in its recruitment process, accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities. Camp Walden is committed to employment equity and encourages all qualified candidates to apply. If an applicant requires an accommodation at any point during the hiring/employment process they are encouraged to let the camp know that this is the case and inform the camp to the type of accommodation they require so that the camp can work with them to meet their needs. Applicants are also reassured that all responses will be handled with strict confidence.

Notice to Successful Applicants

When making offers of employment to the successful applicants, Camp Walden will notify the applicant of its policies of accommodating employees with disabilities. The information that accompanies the contract indicates the following: Camp Walden has an accommodation process in place and provides accommodations for employees with disabilities. If you require a specific accommodation because of a disability and/or a medical need please contact Sari Grossinger, Co-Owner of Camp Walden at (416) 736-4443 or by e-mail at sari@camprobinhood.ca so that arrangements can be made for the appropriate accommodations to be in place before you begin your employment.

Informing Employees of Supports

Camp Walden will inform its employees of its policies (and any updates to those policies) used to support those with disabilities, including policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account employee accessibility needs due to a disability. This information will be provided to new employees as soon as practicable after they commence employment.

Camp Walden has a return to work process for its employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and who require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work. The return to work process outlines the steps Camp Walden will take to facilitate the return to work and will include documented individual accommodation plans as part of the process in accordance with the requirements of the Regulation.

Where an employee with a disability requests it, Camp Walden will consult with the employee to provide accessible formats and communication supports for: information that is needed to perform the employee’s job and information that is generally available to all of our employees.

If needed, Camp Walden will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees with disabilities.

For more information on this accessibility plan and/or to provide feedback, please contact Sari Grossinger by calling: (416) 736-4443 or by email: sari@camprobinhood.ca.

Accessible formats of this document are available for free upon request by contacting Sari Grossinger by calling: (416) 736-4443 or by email: sari@camprobinhood.ca.

Inclusion

Camping is a great social experience for all of us. It is even more gratifying when you see staff & campers of all abilities able to accept each other just as they are. Our Co-Owner Sari Grossinger, a paediatric Occupational Therapist, and her team of professionals, lead our efforts and work with campers, their families and our staff to ensure a successful summer for all. In order to maintain the integrity of our inclusion program, it is necessary to put limits on how many campers can be enrolled.

Information about our Camper Inclusion Program can be found here