CIRO – GCO

Accessibility Policy

On January 1, 2023, the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (“CIRO”) came into effect. This policy
applies to all employees of CIRO, including its predecessor organizations, Investment Industry Regulatory
Organization of Canada (“IIROC”) and Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada (“MFDA”).

Accessibility Policy

POLICY OWNER
General Counsel
EFFECTIVE DATE
February 2024
NEXT REVIEW DATE
February 2025

Effective Date: February 2024

ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE
November 29, 2012CONTACTGeneral Counsel’s Office1

CIRO – GCO

Accessibility Policy

Table of Contents1.

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE ........................................................................................................... 32.

SCOPE AND APPLICATION ................................................................................................................... 33.

DEFINITIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 34.

POLICY STATEMENT ............................................................................................................................ 3

5.

POLICY REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 4

6.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES……………………………………… .....……………………………………………….5

7.

COMPLIANCE ........................................................................................................................................ 78.

OWNERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION .................................................................................................. 79.

REVISION HISTORY .............................................................................................................................. 7

10.

APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................................... 7

Effective Date: February 2024

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1.

Accessibility Policy

Introduction and Purpose

In fulfilling our mandate, CIRO strives at all times to provide its services in a way that respects thedignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are committed to giving people withdisabilities the same opportunity to access our services and allow them to benefit from the sameservices, in the same place and in a similar way as other members of the public.
The purpose of this policy is to ensure compliance with the customer service standards of theAccessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and to achieve services excellence for persons withdisabilities. This policy applies to the provision of services in Ontario.

2.

Scope and Application

This Policy applies to all CIRO Employees.

3.

Definitions

For the purpose of this Policy, the following terminology is defined:
Term
CIRO Employees

Definition
Any and all:
oooo

4.

Full-Time and Part-Time Employees
Contract and Temporary Employees
Students/Interns
Consultants (directly or through agencies)

Policy Statement

CIRO is committed to providing respectful, welcoming, accessible and inclusive environment for
all persons with disabilities in a way that is respectful of the dignity and independence ofpeople with disabilities and in a manner which takes into account the person’s disability andembodies principles of integration and equal opportunity. All CIRO policies will respect andpromote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities or be modified accordingly.

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5.

Accessibility Policy

Policy Requirements

CIRO is committed to excellence in providing services to all members of the public, including people
with disabilities and we will carry out our functions and responsibilities in the following manner:
5.1

Communication

CIRO is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. We willcommunicate with people with disabilities in a manner that takes into account their disability. We willtrain CIRO Employees on how to interact and communicate with people with various types ofdisabilities.
Our internet websites, technology solutions, telephone communications and in person interactions will bebased on accessibility best practices.
CIRO’s website is developed to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies providing everyone withequal and appropriate access to the information they need. Requirements for accessible content when
posting to the website have been socialized among CIRO Employees and new updates to our current
website put an emphasis on providing accessible content where possible.
CIRO’s website conforms to the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Contact Accessibility Guidelines(WCAG) 2.0.
5.2

Publications

Where possible, we will provide our publications in alternative formats, upon request, in a timelymanner, dependent upon document specifications (e.g. length of document, format required).
5.3

Telephone services

We are committed to providing accessible telephone service to all members of the public. We will train
CIRO Employees as appropriate to ensure they are knowledgeable in their interactions with people withdisabilities, both face-to-face and via telephone. We will offer to communicate with people in person,by email or by written correspondence if telephone communication is not suitable to theircommunication needs or is not available.
5.4

Assistive devices

We are committed to providing services to people with disabilities who use assistive devices to use or
benefit from our services. We will ensure CIRO Employees are familiar with various assistive devices that
may be used by people with disabilities while accessing our services.
We will also ensure CIRO Employees know how to use the assistive devices available on our premises.
The following assistive devices have been installed or are available at our Toronto premises:•

Accessible washrooms on the 26th floor near CIRO reception•

Accessible washrooms on the 23rd, 24th and 25th floors, within CIRO space•

Universal, accessible washroom on the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th floors•

Accessible public washrooms on the concourse level•

All Elevator call buttons and stairwells are equipped with Braille signage•Elevators announce arrival on floor through an automated voice system•

Security desk is fully accessible•

Automatic door operators exist at every entrance to the building

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CIRO – GCO•
5.5

Accessibility Policy

Meeting rooms’ tables and seating are all wheelchair accessible

Use of service animals and support persons

We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal tothe areas of our premises that are open to the public and other third parties.
We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person.
Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to enter the CIRO
premises with his or her support person. At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied
by a support person be prevented from having access to his or her support person while on ourpremises.
5.6

Notice of temporary disruption

CIRO will provide notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services
usually used by people with disabilities. This notice will include information about the reason for thedisruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.
The notice will be placed at all public entrances and service counters on our premises. Depending on
the nature of the disruption, notice may also be provided on outgoing telephone and posted on ourwebsite.
5.7

Training for CIRO Employees

CIRO will provide training to all CIRO Employees as appropriate. Training will include the following:•The purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and therequirements of 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 theassistance of a service animal or a support person•

Availability of assistive devices available on our premises•

What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing CIRO services•

CIRO’s policies, practices and procedures relating to the customer service standard

This training will be provided as soon as practicable when CIRO Employees commence their duties. AllCIRO Employees will be required to confirm they have been trained in CIRO’s accessibility policies,practices and procedures. CIRO Employees will also be trained on an ongoing basis when changes are
made to these policies, practices and procedures.
5.8

Feedback process

CIRO’s goal is to make it easy for anyone to contact us and we offer equal access to our services. If
anyone is not satisfied with the level of service received, they are encouraged to contact us. Qualified
CIRO Employees are on hand to take questions, provide information and direction to appropriate
resources, depending on the nature of the questions. This free service is open to the public Monday toFriday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Call toll-free: 1-877-442-4322 or get in touch by completingthe on-line inquiry form from CIRO’s website at www.CIRO.ca. Arrangements can be made for thisfeedback process to be provided in an accessible format or with communication supports on request.

6.

Roles and Responsibilities

General Counsel’s Office, with the assistance of Office Services and other CIRO departments, isEffective Date: February 2024

5CIRO – GCO

Accessibility Policyresponsible for furthering compliance with this Policy and applicable legislation.
It is the responsibility of all CIRO Employees to read, understand and comply with this Policy.

7.

Compliance

General Counsel’s Office is responsible for compliance with this Policy.
Prohibited conduct under this Policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

8.

Ownership and Administration

This Policy is owned by General Counsel’s Office. No changes will be made to this Policy before
considering the impact on people with disabilities.
All changes to this Policy require the approval of the General Counsel’s Office.
This Policy is scheduled for review every year.
Questions regarding this Policy should be directed to the General Counsel’s Office

9. Revision History
Revised By

Description of Revision

Revision Date

J. Cheung, Charmaine
Wall

General Counsel’s Office review of policy

June 21, 2016

Levi Sankar

Conversion into Policy on Policies format

November, 2020

J. CheungUp-dates to the Multi-Year Accessibility
PlanDecember, 2021

J. Cheung

UpdateFebruary, 2024

10. Appendices
Appendix 1:

CIRO Multi-Year Accessibility Plan (2022-2026)

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Accessibility Policy

APPENDIX 1

Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) Multi-Year Accessibility
PlanThis 2022-2026 accessibility plan outlines the policies and actions that CIRO will put in place toimprove opportunities for people with disabilities and to provide inclusive and accessible services toall its stakeholders.

Statement of Commitment
CIRO is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity andindependence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity. We are committed to meeting theneeds of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and will do so by preventing and removingbarriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians
with Disabilities Act (AODA).

Customer Service Standard
CIRO is committed to excellence in serving all its stakeholders including persons with disabilities. The
CIRO Accessibility Policy outlines our commitment to accessibility for each area of the Customer
Service Standard of the AODA. This policy is also available in accessible format upon request.

Accessible Emergency Information
CIRO is committed to providing available emergency information in an accessible way upon request.
We will also provide employees with disabilities with individualized emergency response information
when necessary.

Training
CIRO will provide training as appropriate to employees, volunteers and other staff members on
Ontario’s accessibility laws and on the Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities.
Training will be provided in a way that best suits the duties of employees, volunteers and other staffmembers.

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CIRO – GCO

Accessibility Policy

Information and Communications
CIRO is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. Our internet
websites, technology solutions, telephone communications and in person interactions will be based onaccessibility best practices.
CIRO’s website is developed to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies providing everyone withequal and appropriate access to the information they need. Requirements for accessible content when
posting to the website have been socialized among CIRO staff and new updates to our current website
put an emphasis on providing accessible content where possible.
To achieve CIRO's goal of delivering a completely accessible web experience to our stakeholders, CIRO
engaged a web development and design firms for the migration of our website. The project delivered awebsite with web content conforming to the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Contact Accessibility
Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.

Employment
CIRO is committed to employment practices that are fair and accessible across all stages of theemployment cycle. CIRO will continue to develop and implement employment practices to encourage
persons with disabilities to participate fully in all aspects of the organization by:•identifying and removing workplace barriers;•maintaining inclusive employment processes for recruitment, retention and employeedevelopment, to ensure that accessibility issues are identified and, if necessaryaddressed;•

providing managers with accessibility training, tools and templates to support
employee/workplace accommodation and address non-discrimination;•

reviewing and adapting as required, its current policies and processes with respect toindividual accommodation and return to work plans for employees with disabilities, toensure that consistent documentation are maintained and barriers to accommodation areeliminated;•taking the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities and, as applicable, theirindividualized accommodation plans, into account when assessing performance andmanaging career development;•continuously reviewing standards and best practices related to accessible employment.

Design of Public Spaces
CIRO will meet the Accessibility Standards for the Design of Public Spaces when building or making
major modifications to public spaces. Public spaces include waiting areas at our offices in Vancouver,Toronto and Montreal.

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Accessibility Policy

In the event of a service disruption, we will notify the public of the service disruption and alternatives
available.

Feedback Process and For More Information
Our goal is to make it easy for you to contact us and we offer equal access to our services. We
welcome your feedback. If you would like to receive a copy of this plan or if you have questions,please call toll-free: 1-877-442-4322 Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. or by email
to webcontent@CIRO.ca.

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