Accessible Customer Service Policy
Effective: January 1, 2012
Updated: July 17, 2018
December 2020
Background / Purpose
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act creates standards or Regulations in the areas of employment, delivery of goods and services, transportation, communication and the built environment.
The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service is the first regulation legislated. The regulation applies to both private and public sector organizations that provide goods and services to the public in Ontario and that have one or more employees.
A requirement of Ontario Regulation 428/07 – Accessibility Standard for Customer Service is for organizations to create a policy regarding accessible customer service for their business.
Boehringer Ingelheim's Commitment to Accessibility
Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd./Ltée and Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Canada Inc. is committed to excellence in serving all customers, including people with disabilities, in an inclusive manner that respects the dignity and independence of individuals.
Scope
This policy applies to employees of Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd./Ltée and Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Canada Inc. and outlines the manner in which we engage with the public in the course of our business. We will do our best to anticipate and respond to our customers’ needs in a number of ways.
Alternative measures available for persons with disabilities:
Boehringer Ingelheim's Head Office in Burlington, Ontario is a fully accessible site with designated parking spaces for individuals who feel that they require these, in addition to an elevator and accessible washroom facilities.
Boehringer Ingelheim refers callers to the Bell Relay Service to assist individuals with disabilities who are accessing our Company via phone that may require assistance.
Boehringer Ingelheim's policy regarding the use of Personal Assistive Devices:
Assistive devices. We will ensure that Boehringer Ingelheim employees who communicate and/or meet with customers are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by individuals with disabilities while accessing our goods or services.
Some examples of assistive devices include wheelchair, scooter, screen readers, sign language interpreter, oxygen tank, hearing aid, cane/crutches, TTY, artificial limb, note taking device or audio recorder, speech generating device, etc.
Communication. We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability. When employees are unsure about the best approach they are encouraged to ask the person politely and not assume how they can best communicate with them.
The T-A-L-K Principles* are a helpful resource for providing better customer service to individuals with disabilities:
| T | A | L | K |
| Take the time to make a general offer of assistance at the beginning. Learn and understand the requirements of persons with disabilities when they enter/call your office. They have the same needs as customers that do not have disabilities. Take an active role in looking for ways of improving service and access to facilities. Share this information with your coworkers. | Ask, don’t assume. Never assist unless asked to, as you would with a customer without a disability, unless it is a clear emergency. | Listen attentively and speak directly to the customers who have the disability instead of their companion/ attendant. | Know the accommodations and special services available – be knowledgeable about services that are available in your immediate area and in your community. |
Remember to ask “May I Help You?” These are 4 easy words that convey a great message.
*from www.customerwaiting.ca.
Service animals. We welcome people with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are allowed on the parts of our premises that are open to the public (i.e. Reception). This includes guide dogs, seizure alert or response animals, psychiatric service dog, hearing ear or sound alert animals.
Support persons. A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person is welcome to have the person accompany them on our premises.
Temporary disruption of services
In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities, the Boehringer Ingelheim's Facilities Management Department will notify customers promptly. This clearly posted notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated length of time, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available. The notice will be placed at Reception and at the site where the temporary disruption will occur.
Training for our employees at Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim will provide training to employees. This initiative builds on our initial training commitment in 2012 for our employees in departments such as Reception, Customer Care, Medical Information, Drug Safety/Pharmacovigilance, Corporate Communications, Facilities Management.
This training will be provided to employees in Ontario (as per the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) and Manitoba (as per the Accessibility for Manitobans Act) as part of their new hire orientation within the first 6 months of employment in an eLearning module. For existing employees, the eLearning module will also be made available.
Training will include:
- An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard
- Boehringer Ingelheim's Policy related to the customer service standard
- How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities
- How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person
- Reference to the assistive devices available for visitors to our organization (either in person or to our company website or via phone)
- What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing Boehringer Ingelheim's goods and services
- Staff will also be trained when changes are made to the plan
Feedback Process
Individuals who wish to provide feedback on the way that Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd./Ltée / Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Canada Inc. provides goods and services to people with disabilities, or about the accessibility of our head office facility, may visit our website and submit a message on the Contact Us page.
Alternatively, individuals may contact the company via mail to Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd./Ltée / Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Canada Inc., 5180 South Service Road, Burlington ON L7L 5H4 (Attention: Corporate Communications Department).
All feedback will be directed to the Corporate Communications Department for review, investigation and follow-up where required. Boehringer Ingelheim will provide or arrange to provide information to individuals in an accessible format and/or with communication supports, upon request.
Modifications to this or other policies:
Any policy of Boehringer Ingelheim that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed.
Availability of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Accessible Customer Service Policy shall be made available to persons with a disability upon request. Information provided to a person with a disability shall be provided in a format that takes into account the person’s disability.
Relevant Terms & Definitions:
Disability is defined as:
Any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness.
A condition of mental impairment, mental disorder, developmental disability, learning disability or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language.
Examples of Disabilities include but are not limited to:
- Hearing impaired
- Vision impaired
- Speech impediment
- Restricted mobility
- Mental health, intellectual disability, learning disability
- Amputee
- Prone to seizures
Barriers are defined as something that keeps a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society. Barriers can be visible or invisible and include the following: Attitude, Architectural or structural, Information and communication, Technology, Systemic.
Service Animal is an animal used by a person with a disability for reasons relating to his or her disability. The person may provide a letter from a Physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability or it may be readily apparent.
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.
Assistive Device is a tool, technology or other mechanism that enables a person with a disability to do everyday tasks and activities such as moving, communicating and lifting.