EY’s Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

As part of EY’s commitment to accessibility, our multi-year accessibility plan outlines our strategy and the actions that have been and will be implemented to prevent and remove barriers and to meet our requirements under the Accessibilities for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). This multi-year accessibility plan focuses on our initiatives in respect of the AODA’s Accessibility Standards including:

  • Customer service
  • Information and communications
  • Policies and training
  • Employment
  • Design of Public Spaces
  • Feedback

This plan applies to Ernst & Young LLP and its related/allied firms as required by the AODA. 

Information and Communication 

In accordance with the AODA’s Information and Communication Standard, EY will:

  • Ensure internet websites and web content conform with Level A of the World Wide Web Consortium Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 by 1 January 2014.
  • We are pleased to announce compliance was achieved in 2013.
  • Ensure EY notifies the public and provides, on request, accessible formats and supports for people with disabilities in a timely manner and at no additional cost to others by 1 January 2016.
  • Ensure conformation with Level AA of the WCAG 2.0 as required by the standard by 1 January 2021.

Employment

In accordance with the AODA’s Employment Standards, by 1 January 2016, EY will: 

Ensure inclusive employment processes for recruitment, retention and development within the firm, including:

  • Notification of the firm’s commitment to accessibility and availability of accommodation 
  • Provision of accessible formats and communication supports that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs 
  • Taking employees’ disabilities and accommodation needs into account in respect of performance management and career development 
  • Ensuring processes are in place to support employee / workplace accommodation requests following absences from work and during an employee’s employment

Policies and Training

EY has and will continue to implement policies and practices and training initiatives in accordance with the AODA by taking the following steps:

  • Implementing a policy outlining our commitment to accessibility for clients (implemented 1 January 2012)
  • Training for our people on accessibility in the provision of services to our clients (implemented 1 January 2012)
  • Implementing a statement of our organization’s commitment to meet the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner and in compliance with the AODA’s Integrated Accessibility Standards (implemented as of 1 January 2014)
  • Training for our people on accessibility standards and human rights legislation, as it pertains to people with disabilities (by 1 January 2015)

Training will be provided in a way that best suits the nature of our people’s work.

A Workplace Emergency Response Plan will be provided to employees who have indicated to the firm that they have a disability and require assistance in the event of an emergency.

This plan will be reviewed at least once every five years.

Design of Public Spaces

As of 1 January 2017, EY does not have any plans for new construction or significant redevelopment of its Ontario offices to which the Design of Public Spaces Standard of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation is applicable. For any future plans to which this Standard would be applicable, however, EY will comply with the required responsibilities under this Standard.

EY will also put in place procedures to prevent service disruption to accessible elements of its public spaces as required under the Design of Public Spaces Standard. In the event of a service disruption affecting these accessible elements, EY will notify the public of such service disruption and any available alternatives. 

Client Feedback

EY is pleased to have established its Commitment to Accessibility for Clients policy, which outlines our commitment to ensuring our services are accessible to our clients and our training plan. We achieved compliance with the AODA’s Customer Service Standard by 1 January 2012.

EY submitted its annual report confirming compliance with this standard as of 31 December 2012 and will continue to ensure compliance with the Accessible Customer Service Standard.

Feedback

EY Receiving feedback from our people, clients and the public is an important part of our commitment to accessibility. In 2012, we developed a feedback process to respond to enquiries and suggestions. Details are available on our intranet for our people, as well as in our Commitment to Accessibility policy on ey.com/ca. We will continue to monitor and respond to feedback promptly. 

For more information on this accessibility plan, please contact us: 

  • By email: AODA.feedback@ca.ey.com
  • By telephone: 1-800-291-3380 ext. 3783
  • By mail: Muriam De Angelis
    Ernst & Young Tower
    100 Adelaide Street West, PO Box 1
    Toronto, ON M5H 0B3

Accessible formats of this document are available free upon request.