“When a hearing-impaired member dropped by our office unexpectedly to discuss her transfer of funds, the Pension Specialist on hand assessed the member’s needs and invited her to a meeting room with a computer where she was able to communicate with ease.” – Glenn Bowman, Manager, Pension Operations.
Giving members with disabilities access to our services is a customer service commitment at OMERS.
Through a flexible approach and extra efforts, we ensure that members who may have mobility, hearing, vision or cognitive disabilities can access our services.
In the fall of 2011, OMERS took steps to comply with the customer service standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the AODA); this standard applies to OMERS effective January 1, 2012.
The AODA is a framework for the province to develop specific standards of accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Standards are being developed that will set requirements for the identification, removal, and prevention of barriers in key areas of daily living. A barrier is anything that keeps someone with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of their disability.
The AODA customer service standard requires companies to provide services in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities, and to take into account a person’s disability when communicating with that person.
As required by the AODA customer service standard, OMERS has established a Corporate Accessibility Policy [52 KB], which sets out OMERS commitment to service for people with disabilities.
There are many examples of how OMERS provides leading service in this area:
For more information on the province’s Accessibility initiative, please visit www.accesson.ca