Our Commitment

Comtech Fire Credit Union is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. We are committed to treating people with disabilities in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence.  We believe in integration and we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner.  We will do so by removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and meeting our accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Ontario’s accessibility laws.

All our policies, procedures and practices for the delivery of service are based on these four guiding principles:

Dignity: That members feel valued by meeting their unique and specific service delivery needs as much as possible to provide financial service in a way that allows the person with a disability to maintain self-respect and the respect of other people.

Independence: We will accommodate disabilities to the best of our ability to ensure that members with a disability will have the freedom and time necessary to access our products and services on their own without unnecessary help or interference from others.

Integration: We will provide service in a way that allows the person with a disability to benefit from the same services, in the same place, and in the same or similar way as other members, unless a different way is necessary to enable them to access our services.  We will ensure that all our policies, practices and procedures are designed to be accessible to everyone, including those with a range of disabilities.

Equal opportunity: We will ensure that members with disabilities are not required to make more effort to access our products and services than people without a disability, and are not required to accept a lower standard of service because of this disability.

Communication

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability. When asked, we will provide information about our organization and its services, including public safety information, in accessible formats.

We will also meet internationally-recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA website requirements in accordance with Ontario’s accessibility laws.

We will train staff who communicate with members on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.

We will offer to communicate with members by e-mail with member consent; or mail, or by any other means necessary if telephone communication is not suitable to their needs or is not available.

Service Animals

Service animals are permitted to accompany a person with a disability in all areas of the branch that are open to the public.  We are committed to ensuring our employees are properly trained in how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.

If it is not apparent that the animal is being used because of a person’s disability the member may be asked if the animal is a service animal; and may be required to provide a letter from a physician or nurse to confirm that a service animal is required.

Should a member develop an allergic reaction while a service dog is on site; the member suffering from the allergies will be allowed to complete their financial transactions in an office away from the service animal.

Any employee who suffers severe allergic reaction to dogs must inform the Branch or Assistant Branch Manager so that a suitable response plan can be developed.

If any staff or member sustains an injury from a service animal, an accident report must be completed detailing the name of the injured, circumstances, and nature of injury.  All bites should be reported to Public Health.

Support Persons

Comtech Fire Credit Union will ensure that a member with a disability may enter the premises, (those areas open to the public) and be accompanied by a support person and will not be prevented from having access to their support person.

Where confidentiality is important because of the kinds of financial information discussed, we may require the support person to sign a confidentiality/privacy agreement.  Signed consent must be received from the person with the disability.

Assistive Devices

Comtech Fire Credit Union encourages persons with disabilities to use their own personal assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our banking services.

We will ensure our staff is trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by members with disabilities while accessing our services.

Notice of Temporary Disruption

Comtech Fire Credit Union will provide members with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services.

This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, 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, and on our website.

Training

Comtech Fire Credit Union will provide training to all executive, senior and branch management, branch support and member support employees, and others who deal with the public.

This training will be provided by our training provider, CU Training to new employees within one week after commencing work.  Training will include:

• The purpose and the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, (AODA);
• How to interact and communicate with people who have various types of disabilities or use assistive devices;
• How to interact with people using service animals, and, how to interact with people who are accompanied by a support person.
• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing Comtech Fire services.

In addition, all management and staff will be notified annually when new accessibility requirements come into effect.

Employment

Comtech Fire will make job applicants aware that we will accommodate the needs of those with disabilities during the selection process.

If an applicant or successful candidate requests an accommodation, we will discuss their needs with them and make adjustments to support them.

Where needed, we will provide customized emergency response information to help an employee with a disability during an emergency.

Our performance management and career development processes will take into account the accessibility needs of all employees.

Feedback Process

The ultimate goal of Comtech Fire Credit Union is to meet and surpass all member expectations, including people with disabilities.  Comments on our services regarding how well those expectations are being met are welcome and appreciated.  If you have a great experience you would like to share or a problem you would like addressed, we encourage you to contact us.

Members can also submit feedback directly to Comtech Fire CU by any of the following methods:

In Person:	At any one of our Branch locations
By E-Mail:	Member_Services@comtechfirecu.com
By Telephone:	1 800 209 7444
By Mail:	Comtech Fire CU (Corporate Office) 220 Yonge St, Suite 102, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2H1

Modifications to This or Other Policies

We are committed to developing member service policies that respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities.

Any policy of Comtech Fire Credit Union that does not respect the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed.