Scotiabank’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Accessibility Plan
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Statement of commitment
Scotiabank is committed to providing the best possible service to all of our customers, including people with disabilities. Scotiabank is also committed to providing an inclusive workplace for our employees. To us that means ensuring that customers and employees with disabilities are respected for who they are, that employees can reach their full potential, and that customers can access Scotiabank’s services in a manner that respects dignity and independence.
Scotiabank is committed to meeting the objectives and requirements outlined in the Accessible Canada Act (the “ACA”), and to meeting the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner, through the implementation of the requirements of the ACA and its applicable regulations. Scotiabank believes in integration and equitable opportunity through a diverse and inclusive environment, and is committed to identifying, preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements.
While regulations to the ACA are being developed, Scotiabank has developed this Multi-Year Accessibility Plan (the “Accessibility Plan”) which conforms with the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “AODA”) and its regulations. This Accessibility Plan outlines the steps Scotiabank is taking to identify, prevent and remove barriers to accessibility and to improve opportunities for people with disabilities.
Scotiabank’s Accessibility Plan was developed with the involvement of many stakeholders, including individuals with disabilities. Their time and expertise assisted us in creating an Accessibility Plan that we believe will have a positive impact on the way we identify, prevent and remove barriers.
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What we plan to do
This section of the Accessibility Plan outlines Scotiabank’s commitment to achieving accessibility standards in the next two years. Those initiatives include:
- Establishing a central Accessibility Centre of Excellence that will champion the need for accessible and inclusive practices that treat our customers and our colleagues with the respect and dignity they deserve. We will achieve this by fostering a culture of inclusion through informed strategy, scalable processes, and distributed accountability that puts people with disabilities at the center. (2021);
- Reviewing existing policies, services, facilities and processes in anticipation of developing an Accessible Canada Act implementation plan, which will help to identify and remove future barriers (2022);
- Redesigning the mandatory accessibility training program (2021);
- Consulting with people with disabilities through various outreach initiatives and community partnerships to identify accessibility barriers in the delivery and access to financial services. (2021-2023), and,
- Updating Scotiabank’s Accessibility Plan (2023).
For our customers:
- Deepening our understanding of the banking needs of customers with disabilities through community partnerships and inclusive user research (ongoing);
- Enhancing feedback mechanisms and communication supports for customers with disabilities (2021);
- Continuing to ensure that our Digital Banking services are accessible by design (ongoing); and,
- Enhancing the processes for requesting and delivering accessible formats of documents (2021-2022).
For our employees:
- Scotiabank has renewed its Diversity and Inclusion Goals, to increase the diversity of its employee population over the next five years, with a focus on people who identify as Black, Indigenous Peoples, Visible Minorities, People with Disabilities and Women. The strategy includes increasing the representation of People with Disabilities (PWD) by 20 per cent over the next 5 years.
- Development of a plan to remove barriers related to attraction, retention and development of PWD talent.
- Development of an operating model to further integrate accessibility into Scotiabank’s employment practices (2022). The operating model will identify structure, accountability and budget for accessibility costs across Global HR.
What we are doing to meet existing accessibility standards and identify and remove accessibility barriers.
Continuous Improvement:
In 2020 Scotiabank conducted a review of its accessibility policies, plans and processes across its business lines in Canada. The outcomes of this review informed the development of this Accessibility Plan.
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Employee experience
Scotiabank strives to create an inclusive culture where every employee:
- Can reach their fullest potential,
- Is respected for who they are,
- Is embraced for their differences and similarities.
Our approach to accessibility respects the dignity, inclusion and participation of our employees. Inclusive design is part of Scotiabank’s accessibility strategy, considering all people and their diverse needs and preferences. Consistent with this commitment, Scotiabank has:
- Conducted a review of employee life cycle to determine where accessibility could be included or enhanced, and to ensure that accommodations are available where required.
- Continued its work with Employee Resource Groups to ensure they are active contributors to the employee experience. Employees with disabilities are consulted to provide input into the design and delivery of Human Resources policies and programs.
- Ensured that internal employee recognition platforms and employee learning systems meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
- Reviewed and included integration of assistive technology solutions in order to support employees with disabilities as they transitioned to working from home due to Covid-19.
Training:
Scotiabank is committed to providing training on the requirements of Ontario and Canada’s accessibility and human rights laws as they apply to people with disabilities. Consistent with this commitment, Scotiabank has:
- Included accessibility in mandatory online e-learning employee training for all new employees;
- Launched a Diversity & Inclusion training course for all employees which includes a module on accessibility;
- Updated content on an internal employee Accessibility Portal to deepen awareness and knowledge about accessibility and people with disabilities;
- Ensured that new employees at Scotia Digital participate in digital accessibility awareness training during their onboarding.
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Customer experience
Scotiabank is committed to providing accessible customer service to people with disabilities. This means that we will provide goods and services to people with disabilities with the same high quality and timeliness as others. Consistent with Scotiabank’s commitment to providing accessible customer service, Scotiabank:
- Created a Customer Service Tips guide for customer facing staff.
- Implemented a process for customers to request accessible formats.
- Will provide sign language interpretation, upon request at no cost to the customer.
- Created American Sign Language (ASL) versions of key help articles in Scotia Online and the Mobile app.
- The Bank Your Way site includes information on how to use the accessibility features built into our mobile and online banking applications.
Information & CommunicationsScotiabank is committed to ensuring that it makes information and communications accessible to people with disabilities. We are committed to providing accessible ways to communicate with customers and employees in order to ensure participation and respect no matter how they choose to interact with the bank.Accessible WebsitesScotiabank is dedicated to making our websites accessible for each and every customer – regardless of ability, context or situation. We believe online banking can and should be barrier-free and that good design should reflect the diversity of the people who interact with it. Consistent with this commitment, Scotiabank has taken the following steps:
- Compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for public facing websites, applications and digital content;
- Scotia Digital established a Digital Accessibility team with a focus of enabling and empowering teams to take accountability for accessibility within their business lines;
- Launched a roles-based digital accessibility training curriculum called A11yBoost. Over 2,400 employees in 5 countries have participated to- date;
- The global design system, Canvas, used in the design and development of our digital banking experiences meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG); and,
- The Design Research groups at Scotia Digital set goals to ensure that customers with disabilities are represented in user research.
Accessible SpacesScotiabank is committed to providing accessible spaces for customers and employees. This is achieved by complying with applicable legislation and building codes across Canada. Not only do physical spaces help us build barrier free spaces, but they help us build spaces that are inclusive for everyone. Scotiabank also ensures it complies with applicable accessibility laws and regulations when building or making major changes to public spaces. Further in the event of a service disruption, we will notify the public of the service disruption and alternatives available.Automated Banking MachinesScotiabank takes accessibility into account for people with disabilities when we are designing, building or planning for self-service kiosks, including ABMs. We provide these features so that our customers can use our services and make choices while ensuring independence and autonomy. Consistent with this commitment, Scotiabank:
- Co-designed the audio navigation on our ABM’s with customers who are blind.
- Ensured that the ABM’s meet the CSA Standard (B651) for accessible ABM’s including Scotia Digital employee involvement with Canadian Standards Association Committee for updating Automated Banking Machine accessibility standards.
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Review process
Over the next few years, we will continue to meet legislative and regulatory requirements, including making updates to this and other accessibility plans as necessary and submitting compliance reports to the appropriate regulators.
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Feedback process
Scotiabank welcomes feedback on how we provide accessible customer service. Customer feedback will help us identify barriers and respond to concerns. Scotiabank will make sure our feedback process is accessible to people with disabilities by providing or arranging for accessible formats and communication supports, on request.
Feedback can be provided by sending an email to clientaccessibility@scotiabank.com
Additionally, feedback can be provided through the Scotiabank app or by contacting us:
Call:
(416) 701-7200 (Greater Toronto Area. If you’re outside Canada and the U.S., please call us collect.)
Relay services for Deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing customers are available.
Visit:
Contact your local branch to set up an appointment
Talk to us on Twitter:
For more information on this accessibility multi-year plan, please contact clientaccessibility@scotiabank.com
Scotiabank Accessibility Plan 2021 - 2023
Scotiabank Accessibility Plan 2021 - 2023 | pdf : 162
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Accessible formats of this document will be made available upon request.
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