PURPOSE
The Accessibility for Ontarians Act, 2005 (AODA), has as its stated purpose: to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises on or before January 1, 2025
This policy applies to Miele staff who deal with the public or other third parties as persons involved in developing policies, procedures and practices pertaining to the provision of goods and services to the public or other third parties, whether they do so as employees, volunteers, agents (Service Providers) or otherwise
POLICY STATEMENT
In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities, Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Miele is committed to providing a working and learning environment that is accessible and inclusive to all persons who work or visit the Company. It is the policy of Miele Ltd that its working environment will be free from discrimination and harassment as defined by the Ontario Human Rights Code.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
The Provision of Goods and Services to Persons with Disabilities:
Miele Ltd will strive to ensure that its policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the following core principles as outlined in the AODA.
Dignity – Goods and services are provided in a manner that is respectful to persons with a disability and does not diminish the person’s importance.
Independence – Accommodating a person’s disability means respecting their right to do for themselves and to choose the way they wish to receive goods and services.
Integration – Persons with disabilities can access all goods and services. This may require alternative formats and flexible approaches. It means inclusiveness and full participation. This is a fundamental human right.
Equal Opportunity – Service is provided to persons with disabilities in a way that their opportunity to access goods and services is equal to that given to others.
COMPONENTS OF THE POLICY
Communication with Persons of Disabilities
When communicating with a person with a disability, the Company will do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability. Miele commits to provide training on customer service to all current and future employees and volunteers. This training will, in particular, include how to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disabilities.
Notice of Planned or Unplanned Disruption in Services and Facilities
In the event of planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities (i.e. Galleries, Offices, distribution center, special venues and Unboxed), Miele Ltd 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 on the front door of our Gallery, Distribution Center, special venues and Unboxed facility. Should the disruption be expected to last more than 48 hours, the notice will appear on our website: www.miele.ca under the “Experience Miele Galleries” tab under “Toronto Important Announcements”.
Assistive Devices
Personal assistive technologies are permitted and unrestricted in all Miele facilities. Miele will ensure that our staff are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our good or services.
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. There may be rare circumstances where, for reasons of health and safety of another person, allowing a person with a disability to enter a premise accompanied by a service animal needs to be considered. Examples of such situations include but are not limited to: a) our Professional Showroom, where chemicals and/or equipment present hazards to other persons and/or to the service animal; b) where a person is allergic to animals and adversely affected if they are in close proximity to a service animal; c) our Prep kitchen, Active kitchen and special venues where food is being cooked and served.
If a service animal is excluded due to rare circumstances, Miele will ensure that alternate means are available within reasonable time and location to provide persons with a disability access to Company services.
If it is not readily apparent that an animal is a service animal, a Miele Ambassador may ask the person with the service animal to provide verification of the animal’s duty. It should be noted that the use and safety of the service animal is the responsibility of the person with a disability.
Support Persons
Miele Ltd welcomes visitors who are accompanied by a support person, when the support person has been hired or chosen by the person with a disability to accompany them in order to assist in accessing goods or services and/or for the purposes of providing support with mobility, personal assistance and/or communication.
If attending a Miele sponsored cooking event at our Gallery or special venue, a fee will not be charged for the support person if the support person would like to participate, however if a person with a disability is registering for an event, they must disclose that they will be accompanied by a support person at the time of registration. If a person with a disability does not disclose that they will be accompanied by a support person and show up at an event with a support person, then the support person will not be able to participate in the cooking event, however will be allowed to accompany the person with the disability to provide support during the event. This will be posted on our website under the “Miele Culinary Institute” tab under the “Toronto Registration Requirements.”
If attending an event at a Miele Gallery or Special venue sponsored by a third party company, a fee may be required for the support person as per the third party registration requirements. The person with the disability is responsible for inquiring about fee requirements with the third party vendor.
Feedback Process
Feedback about the delivery of services to persons with disabilities is welcomed, as it may identify areas that require change and assist in continuous service improvement. Such feedback may be by fax, in person, in writing, or by delivering an electronic text via email, on diskette or otherwise. Miele Ltd will make best efforts to provide a response in the same format in which the feedback was received.
Where possible, feedback will be addressed immediately. Some feedback may, however, require more effort to address and may need to be reviewed before an action is taken. Miele Ltd will respond within 10 working days.
Feedback may be provided directly to:
Human Resources Department
Miele Ltd.
161 Four Valley Drive
Vaughan, ON L4K 4V8
Fax: 416-532-2290
Email: hr@miele.ca
Training for Staff
Miele Ltd., will provide training to employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public or other third parties on their behalf.
Such training will include:
A review of the purposes of the AODA and the requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service;
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 a support person;
How to use the available equipment or devices that may assist with the provision of services to persons with disabilities;
What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing Miele’s good and services.
Documentation of training of employees, volunteers and others who deal with the public or other third parties on their behalf, shall be maintained by the relevant department and submitted to the Diversity & Equity Office, as required by law.
Training will be provided as changes are made to our plan.
Availability and Format of Documents (Alternative Formats)
All documents required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, including Miele’s Accessible Customer Service Policy, notices of temporary disruptions, training records, and written feedback process are available upon request, subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. When providing these documents to a person with a disability, Miele will endeavour to provide the document, or the information contained in the document, in a format that takes the person’s disability into account.
Notice of the availability of documents required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service will be posted on the Miele website under the “Careers” tab.
Elizabeth Bal
VP, Human Resources
Effective January 1st, 2012
Updated January 18th, 2024