AODA - Employment Standard Policy

Revision #:	Rev1.1	Document ID:	653
Last Updated:	2026-01-15	Status:	Published

Description

The Employment Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005 establishes requirements for making recruitment, hiring, and employment practices accessible to individuals with disabilities. As one of the five standards within the AODA's Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR), the Employment Standard outlines obligations that support barrier-free employment throughout the employment lifecycle, including recruitment, selection, accommodation, return-to-work, performance management, and career development processes. This policy outlines how Tyndale University integrates these requirements into its employment practices.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework for implementing improved accessibility for persons with disabilities at Tyndale University. Tyndale is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible and welcoming work environment. Equal employment opportunities will be provided to individuals with disabilities, and accommodations will be made available at all stages of employment, upon request, in compliance with AODA and IASR. This policy ensures that accessibility is integrated in all aspects of employment and supports an inclusive workplace culture.

Scope

All Employees

Terms and Definitions

Term	Definition
Accessible	capable of being entered or reached, approachable; easy to get at; capable of being influenced, obtainable; able to be understood or appreciated.
Disability	any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impediment deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device; a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability; a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language; a mental disorder, or an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997;
Barrier	a barrier is defined as anything that prevents a person with a work conflict from fully participating in all aspects of their employment because of his or her conflict, including a physical or health barrier, an information or communications barrier, an attitudinal barrier, or a familial barrier.
Duty to Accommodate	the obligation of an employer to take steps to eliminate the disadvantage caused by familial, or physical barriers that unfairly exclude individuals or groups protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Accessibility Committee	a committee set up to create policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation.
Employee	includes part-time and full-time faculty and staff, secondees, volunteers, independent contractors, and consultants for the purposes of this policy.
Workplace and/or Study space	means any land, premises, location or thing at, upon, in or near which a community member works or studies, whether physical or virtual. The workplace or study space includes, but is not limited to, the physical premises and the site of work or study-related social functions, work or study-related assignments outside Tyndale's premises and work or study-related conferences or training sessions.

Regulations

Policy Provisions

Employment Standard Requirements

1. Recruitment, Assessment, and Selection
(IASR, O. Reg. 191/11, s. 22-25)

Tyndale will ensure that recruitment, assessment, and selection process are accessible and inclusive by:

Indicating in all job postings that accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities.
Notifying job applicants that accommodations are available upon request during the recruitment and selection process.
Providing accommodation to applicants with disabilities during interviews, testing, and all parts of the selection process.
Informing applicants who request accommodation about the measures available.

Successful applicants will be informed of Tyndale's policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.

2. Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees
(IASR, O. Reg. 191/11, s. 26)

Upon request, Tyndale will consult with employees with disabilities to provide or arrange accessible formats and communication supports required to:

perform their job duties; and
access information available to employees in the workplace.

3. Workplace Emergency Response Information
(IASR, O. Reg. 191/11, s. 27)

Tyndale will:

Ensure employees with disabilities receive individualized workplace emergency response information when necessary.
Tailor the information to the employee's specific accessibility needs.
Obtain consent to share the emergency plan with designated individuals who will assist during an emergency.
Review the individualized emergency response information when:
- the employee changes work locations;
- the employee's needs change; or
- Tyndale reviews its general emergency procedures.

4. Documented Individual Accommodation Plans (IAPs)
(IASR, O. Reg. 191/11, s. 28)

Tyndale will maintain a formal process for developing and documenting IAPs for employees with disabilities. The process will include:

employee participation in the development of their plan;
an assessment of the employee's accommodation needs;
documentation of medical information requirements, when applicable;
timelines for reviewing and updating accommodation plans;
reasons for approving or denying accommodation requests;
protection of the employee’s privacy;
a description of how the plan will be implemented;
the procedures for reviewing and updating the plan.

5. Return-to-Work Process
(IASR, O. Reg. 191/11, s. 29)

When an employee has been absent due to a disability and requires accommodation to return to work, Tyndale's HR, managers and supervisors will:

Develop a documented return-to-work plan;
Collaborate with the employee to identify appropriate accommodations;
Use the plan to support a safe and timely return to work;
Ensure consistency with the IAP process.

6. Performance Management
(IASR, O. Reg. 191/11, s. 30)

Tyndale will consider the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities and their IAPs when:

conducting performance assessments;
providing feedback;
establishing performance goals;
reviewing probationary periods.

Accessible formats or communication supports will be provided upon request.

7. Career Development and Advancement
(IASR, O. Reg. 191/11, s. 31)

Tyndale will ensure that opportunities for career development, job changes, promotions, and training are accessible to employees with disabilities. This includes providing accommodations during training and adjusting processes as needed in alignment with accommodation plans.

8. Redeployment
(IASR, O. Reg. 191/11, s. 32)

When redeploying employees, Tyndale will take into account their accessibility needs and existing IAPs to ensure suitable and supportive placement.

Primary Author / Owner

HR Administrator
hradministrator@tyndale.ca