About MFSA

Accessibility Plan

A. Statement of Commitment

The Manitoba Financial Services Agency is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to treating people with disabilities in ways that allow them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in inclusion. We are committed to meeting the needs of people who face accessibility barriers. We will do this by identifying, removing and preventing barriers if possible, and by meeting the requirements of The Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA).

B. Policies

See: Part 3, Practices & Procedures

C. Actions

1. Establish accessibility working group / committee – Management to appoint accessibility committee chair and group. The Group should establish expected outcomes and revise / update this document as needed. The Group should establish workplan with multi-year timeframes.
2. Offer and provide information in accessible formats on request – Develop a process for responding to requests for accessible supports / services. The Group chair should report processes to all staff by email Communications to promote availability of alternate formats on request, and include such wording on all new documents—which has been included on newer brochures and our Annual Reports.
3. Staff awareness and training – Management should confirm organization’s commitment in writing, endorse commitment at meetings and celebrate progress. HR to offer training / awareness presentations to managers and staff. Management to acknowledge achievements and share information with staff in the MFSA newsletter and staff meetings.
4. Monitor progress – The Group chair and committee should track progress on challenges and requests for accommodation with budget implications. The Group should provide a quarterly report to senior management. MGAP should be integrated into operational plans. Communications should provide a progress report in MFSA annual report. The Accessibility plan should be posted on website and be made available in alternate formats.

Part 3. Practices & Procedures

1. Meeting the communications needs of customers – MFSA does not make assumptions about anyone’s abilities or limitations; every person’s disability is different. We ask what method of communication works best, and communicate in a way that takes into account the nature of the barrier.

To accommodate those with a communications barrier, MFSA staff will:

• Have patience and find a quieter space if required.
• Have easy-to-read, san-serif fonts and plain language documents.
• Have paper and pen available if required.
• All publications must include, ‘This publication is available in alternate formats upon request.’
• Signage or verbal greeting will begin with ‘How can we help?’

Websites: All web-based MFSA services must be accessible in order to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with disabilities. MFSA sites will be accessible by following W3C priority 1 and 2 standards and/or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0).

2. Accommodating assistive devices – The MFSA recognizes people with disabilities may use their personal assistive devices when accessing our goods, services, or facilities, or in the course of their daily duties. In cases where the assistive device presents significant and unavoidable health or safety concerns, we will attempt to use other measures to ensure the person with the disability has proper access. MFSA staff will be trained/familiarized with various assistive devices. This training will include appropriate interactions with those using an assistive device.

3. Welcoming support persons – The MFSA welcomes individuals who are accompanied by a support person. In practice, this means creating additional space when needed for support persons, and participating in training for appropriate interaction with individuals accompanied by support persons.

4. Accommodating service animals – The MFSA welcomes service animals as defined by the Human Rights Code of Manitoba, “an animal that has been trained to provide assistance to a person with a disability that relates to that person’s disability.” A service animal can usually be identified through visual indicators. If the animal cannot be immediately identified as a service animal, MFSA staff may ask if the animal is offering assistance and whether the animal has been trained to provide assistance. MFSA staff will not interact (pet, feed, play) with a service animal without the expressed permission of its handler. The individual with the service animal is expected to maintain control of the animal through physical means, voice, signal, or other means. Training will ensure MFSA staff understand the rights of persons accompanied by service animals.

5. Maintaining barrier-free access – The MFSA is committed to creating and maintaining a barrier-free space for customers and staff. Halls, ramps, meeting rooms will be kept clear of clutter or obstacles to movement, and adequate space will be maintained for mobility devices, as well as adequate seating provided in public areas.

6. Advising customers on what accessibility features are not available – In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption of services or facilities affecting individuals disabled by barriers, MFSA staff will post notices and when possible announce the disruption. A clearly posted notice should include additional information on the reason for the disruption, anticipated length, and a description of alternative facilities or services if available. MFSA staff will exercise best judgement on what services / facilities are affected by these procedures and practices and how best to notify customers / staff.

7. Inviting customers to provide feedback – The MFSA welcomes feedback on how accessible customer service is offered, which will help staff identify barriers and respond to future concerns. The MFSA will set up a process to receive and respond to feedback, including what action will be taken in response to complaints. Customers / staff will be provided with accessible feedback formats and communication supports upon request. Feedback will be directed to the Controller and the Executive Assistant, and may be referred to a Director-level office or higher depending on the nature of the complaint. Feedback should be met with an immediate response indicating receipt. Customers / staff can expect to hear back within five business days.

8. Training staff on accessible customer service – All MFSA staff will receive training on accessible customer service, and new hires should be trained within an acceptable timeframe. This training will include, but is not limited to:

• the purpose of The Accessibility for Manitobans Act and the requirements of the Customer Service Standard.
• the policies and actions related to the Customer Service Standard.
• tow to interact and communicate with disabled people, including persons who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person.
• what to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing our facilities or services.

Changes to the MFSA Accessibility Procedures and Practices should be brought to the attention of staff, and additional training can be considered. Updates in the monthly newsletter are required.

Accessibility Committee
The MFSA Accessibility Committee is responsible for identifying, removing, and preventing barriers to accessibility if possible, and will ensure that MFSA’s Accessible Customer Service practices and procedures are reviewed and updated as needed.  The Committee should have representation from Securities, Real Estate, and FIRB, if possible.

www.accessibilitymb.ca.