Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop is committed to fulfilling our requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. This accessibility plan outlines the steps we are taking to meet those requirements and to improve opportunities for people with disabilities.

Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop strives to meet the needs of its employees and customers with disabilities and is working hard to remove and prevent barriers to accessibility.

Our plan shows how we will play our role in making Ontario an accessible province for all Ontarians. The plan will be reviewed and updated at least once every 5 years.

We will train every person as soon as practicable after being hired and provide training in respect of any changes to the policies.

We will maintain records of the training provided including the dates on which the training was provided and the number of individuals to whom it was provided.

To remain in compliance with the Customer Service Standards, we have implemented the following:

• We have been recognized by the Chamber of Commerce as an “Age Friendly Community” and continue to maintain the standards required to remain an “Age Friendly Community”.
• Customer washroom is wheelchair accessible.
• A transport wheelchair is available for customers to use.
• Seating areas are provided throughout shopping spaces for customers to use.
• At our events, seating areas include designated chairs that have accessibility signs.
• When requested, staff will meet customers closer to the entrance of our store to answer questions or to bring the product they wish to purchase.
• Customers requiring an alternate format or communication support are assisted by: reading the written information aloud to the person directly when they are in our store; exchanging hand-written notes; repeating, clarifying, or restating information. Information is also available on our website.

Since the development of our website, customers have access to information regarding our products and services on several social media platforms including our website, Instagram, and Facebook. Our website provides shopping opportunities for our hard goods, floral arrangements, planters and tropical plants. It also provides notifications on our services, products, sales, events and informational blogs.

We use the Indeed platform to post our job ads. Indeed is a company committed to providing an accessible platform for job applicants.

We have not had many employees with identified disabilities, however, an example of an accommodation made in the past includes an employee who brought her service dog to work when she needed that support.

Our training initiatives in the past have mainly focused on ensuring that we maintain the physical accessibility of our spaces.

When designing our displays, wheelchair accessibility is always on the forefront of our planning. We have an accessible washroom for customers.

Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop is committed to providing accessible customer service to people with disabilities. This means that we will provide goods, services and facilities to people with disabilities with the same high quality and timeliness as others.

Current employees will be trained according to the requirements of the AODA and new employees will complete accessibility training along with all other orientation training.

We will continue the following initiatives:

• We have been recognized by the Chamber of Commerce as an “Age Friendly Community” and continue to maintain the standards required to remain an “Age Friendly Community”.
• Customer washroom is wheelchair accessible.
• A transport wheelchair is available for customers to use.
• Seating areas are provided throughout shopping spaces for customers to use.
• At our events, seating areas include designated chairs that have accessibility signs.
• When requested, staff will meet customers closer to the entrance of our store to answer questions or to bring the product they wish to purchase.
• Customers requiring an alternate format or communication support are assisted by: reading the written information aloud to the person directly when they are in our store; exchanging hand-written notes; repeating, clarifying, or restating information. Information is also available on our website.

Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop is committed to making our information and communications accessible to people with disabilities.

• Work is continuing on our website for AODA compliance by our website developer.
• Our Multi-year Plan is available in accessible formats. It is posted on our bulletin board located in our front entrance and it is on our website. It is also available in a larger font or by email upon request.

Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop is committed to fair and accessible employment practices.

• We will continue to utilize accessible employment platforms such as Indeed.
• We will accommodate employees with disabilities in accordance with the AODA.

Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop is committed to providing training in the requirements of Ontario’s accessibility laws and the Ontario Human Rights Code as it applies to people with disabilities.

It is our goal to have all our employees, including new employees to be trained according to the requirements of Ontario’s accessibility laws and the Ontario Human Rights Code as it applies to people with disabilities. The training will include the online training “Working Together the Code and the AODA”, as well as training modules provided by the “Access Forward” website.

Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop will meet accessibility laws when building or making major changes to public spaces.

Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop will put procedures in place to prevent service disruptions to the accessible parts of our public spaces.