Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities

STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT

Last reviewed on 05.29.25

Nanometrics is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity. We are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting disability requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Scope: The accessibility needs of persons with disabilities including customers and all Nanometrics’s employees.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act, 2005 (the “AODA”) outlines the requirements for developing, implementing, and mandating accessibility standards in order to achieve accessibility for persons with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures, and premises. A detailed compliance framework is included in the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) (O. Reg. 191/11) that defines the standards for accessibility in areas including:

Customer service
Information and communication
Transportation
Employment
Design of public spaces

The AODA Multi-Year Accessibility Plan (the “Plan”) is developed to ensure that Nanometrics meets its compliance obligations for accessibility set out in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) (O.Reg. 191/11), and in consideration of the related provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Workplace Safety Insurance Act, 1997, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

MULTI-YEAR ACCESSIBILITY PLAN

Purpose

Nanometrics is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity. We are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities and will do so by preventing and/or removing barriers to accessibility and meeting disability requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Definitions

Accessible format: Includes but not limited to large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, braille, and other formats usable by persons with disabilities.

Assistive Devices: Is a technical aid, communication device or other instrument that is used to maintain or improve the functional abilities of people with disabilities. Personal assistive devices are typically devices that customers bring with them such as a wheelchair, walker or a personal oxygen tank that might assist in hearing, seeing, communicating, moving, breathing, remembering or reading.

Barrier: Anything that keeps someone with a disability from participating in all aspects of society. Examples of barriers include:

Physical and architectural barriers: Occur in the environment and prevent access for people with disabilities
Information or communications barriers: Arise when a person with a disability cannot easily receive and/or understand information that is available to others (e.g. publications that are not available in large print, digitally, Braille, or other accessible formats)
Technological barriers: Occur when technology or the way it is used does not meet the needs of people with disabilities (e.g. a website that does not support screen reading software)
Attitudinal barriers: May result in people with disabilities being treated differently than people without disabilities (e.g. a receptionist who talks to an individual’s support person rather than the individual with a disability)
Systemic barriers: Policies, practices, and procedures result in people with disabilities being treated differently than others or sometimes excluded altogether

Communication support: Includes but not limited to captioning, alternative and augmentative communication supports, plain language, sign language, and other supports that facilitate effective communication.

Guide dog: Is a highly trained working dog that has been trained at one of the facilities listed in Ontario Regulation 58 under the Blind Persons’ Rights Act, to provide mobility, safety and increased independence for people who are blind.

Person Requiring Assistance (PRA): A person identified as requiring assistance at the time of an evacuation. This can be due to a medical condition or some other reason.

Person with Disabilities: An individual who has a disability. “Disability” is defined in the Ontario Human Rights Code as:

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 co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or in 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
An injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997

Service animal: As reflected in Ontario Regulation 429/07, an animal is a service animal for a person with a disability if:

if it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability
if the person provides a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability. O. Reg. 429/07, s. 4 (9)

Support person: As reflected in Ontario Regulation 429/07, a support person means, in relation to a person with a disability, another person who accompanies him or her in order to help with communication, mobility, personal care, medical needs or access to goods and services.

Temporary Disruption: A short term planned or unplanned disruption to facilities or services that persons with disabilities usually use to obtain the Nanometrics’s goods and/or services.

Undue Hardship: The duty to accommodate obliges the employer to make reasonable efforts to alter the workplace to accommodate an employee’s disability related needs thus allowing the employee to properly carry out their work duties. This duty stops short of the employer experiencing “undue hardship”. Such undue hardship generally involves excessive interference with a business’ operation, or an increased risk to the health and safety of the employee, coworkers, or others. What constitutes undue hardship varies based on the circumstances surrounding each individual case.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines how to make Web content more accessible to people with disabilities.

Requirements

Accessible Customer Service: Nanometrics makes every reasonable effort to ensure that its policies, practices, and procedures are consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity by:

Allowing customers with disabilities to do things in their own ways and at their own pace when accessing goods, services, and facilities, as long as this does not present a health and safety risk
Using alternative methods of access when necessary to ensure that customers with disabilities have access to the same goods, services, and facilities in a similar manner
Taking into account individual accommodation needs when providing goods and services
Communicating in a manner that takes into account the customer’s disability

Persons with disabilities may use their own assistive devices as required when accessing goods or services or facilities. In cases where the assistive device presents a health and safety concern or where accessibility might be an issue, the HR Department should be informed so that other reasonable measures can be put in place to ensure the access of goods and services.

Guide Dogs and Service Animals: If a customer with a disability is accompanied by a guide dog, a service dog, or another service animal, Nanometrics will allow the person to enter any Nanometrics’s facility with the animal and to keep the animal with them.

If it is not readily apparent that the animal is being used by the customer for reasons related to their disability, Nanometrics may request verification from the customer. Verification may include:

A confirmation that the person requires the animal for reasons related to the disability (see Service Animal definition)
A certificate of training from a recognized guide dog or service animal training school. It is the responsibility of the customer with a disability to ensure that their service animal is under their control at all times

Use of Support Persons: If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, Nanometrics will ensure that both are allowed to enter its premises together, and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person.

Nanometrics may require the person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when on Nanometrics’s premises in the event that a support person is necessary to protect the health and safety of the person with a disability or the health and safety of others on the premises. This may only occur after consulting with the person with a disability.

Use of Assistive Devices: Persons with disabilities may use their own assistive devices as required when accessing Nanometrics’s goods and/or services. In cases where the assistive device presents a safety concern or where a barrier may exist, other reasonable measures may be used to ensure the access of goods and/or services.

Nanometrics will ensure that its employees are familiar with the use of assistive devices available on Nanometrics’s premises, as appropriate to their duties, and inform persons with disabilities of the available assistive devices.

Notice of Temporary Disruptions: Nanometrics makes all reasonable efforts to provide notice of any temporary disruptions to facilities or services that customers with disabilities rely on to access or use goods or services. In some circumstances, notice may not be possible.

When disruptions occur without notice, Nanometrics informs customers by:

Posting written notices in conspicuous places, including at the point of disruption and all entrances;
Informing customers verbally upon arrival

The following information is provided regarding the disruption, unless it is not readily available or known:

Goods or services that are disrupted or unavailable
Reason for the disruption
Expected duration
A description of alternative services or options that are available

Employees are informed of this information as soon as reasonably possible in the event of a disruption so that they can inform customers and respond to inquiries.

Emergency Response Plan: Employees hosting customers or visitors will ask the individual before their visit if they require any alternative format or accommodation of our Emergency Response Plan and notify our Human Resources department of any requests.

Customer Feedback Process: The ultimate goal of Nanometrics is to meet customer expectations while serving customers with disabilities.

The feedback process allows customers to provide comments verbally (in person or by telephone) or in writing (handwritten, delivered, or e-mail).

Accessible formats and communication support will be made available upon request to persons wishing to provide feedback. Privacy will be respected throughout the process.

Nanometrics’s response will be in a format that respects the communication preference of the person with a disability. Additional time may be required for follow-up depending on the format of response required.

Availability of Accessibility Documents: All documents required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, including the Plan, and written feedback process will be available upon request.

When providing these documents to a person with a disability, Nanometrics will endeavor to provide the document, or the information contained in the document, in a format that takes the person’s disability into account.

Where Nanometrics determines that these documents cannot be converted into an accessible format, Nanometrics will provide the person requesting the information or communication with:

An explanation as to why the information or communications are inconvertible
A summary of inconvertible information or communication

Accessible Information and Communication (Formats Available Upon Request): Nanometrics is committed to providing an accessible environment for all clients, employees, job applicants, suppliers, and visitors who may enter our premises, access our information, or use our services. As an organization, we respect and comply with the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and its associated regulations. We strive to provide an accessible and welcoming environment for everyone by identifying and removing barriers in our workplace and ensuring that new barriers are not created. Nanometrics ensures that persons with disabilities are provided with equal opportunities. We are committed to meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities in a timely and integrative manner that respects their dignity and independence.

Nanometrics strives to provide information and communications to all in a format or manner that meets the needs of individuals with disabilities. Nanometrics provides or arranges for the provision of accessible formats and communication support for persons with disabilities upon request. This includes but is not limited to our feedback process and all publicly available safety and emergency information, such as evacuation procedures and floor plans.

Website Accessibility: Nanometrics ensures that our website and web content meet the standards required by the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) (O. Reg. 191/11) to enable accessible information and communications online.

The public is informed of the availability of accessible formats and communication supported by job postings and the information available on our website. Requests for accessible formats or communication support should be submitted to our HR Department via email at hr@nanometrics.ca.

Nanometrics consults with the individual making the request to ensure a suitable format or communication support is provided. Accessible formats and communication supports are provided in a timely manner and at a cost no more than the original format.

These standards do not apply to:

Products and product labels
Unconvertible information or communications
Information that Nanometrics does not control through a contractual relationship

Unconvertible Information or Communications: Information or communications are classified as unconvertible where it is not technically practicable to convert them, or the technology required to make the conversion is not readily available. If Nanometrics determines that information or communications are unconvertible, Nanometrics provides the individual who made the request with an explanation as to why and a summary of the information or communications.

Notice of Accommodation Availability in Recruitment and Selection: Nanometrics will notify employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for job applicants who have disabilities. Applicants will be informed that these accommodations are available, upon request, for the interview process and for other candidate selection methods. Where an accommodation is requested, Nanometrics will consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for suitable accommodations in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability. Successful applicants will be made aware of Nanometrics’s policies and support for accommodating people with disabilities.

Accessible Formats and Communications Supports for Employees: Nanometrics will ensure that employees are aware of policies for employees with disabilities and any changes to these policies as they occur. Nanometrics will provide the information required to new employees as soon as practicable after they begin their employment.

If an employee with a disability requests it, Nanometrics will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for the following:

Information needed in order to perform their job
Information that is generally available to all employees in the workplace

Nanometrics will consult with the employee making the request to determine the best way to provide the accessible format or communication support.

Workplace Emergency Response Information: Where required, Nanometrics will create individualized workplace emergency response plans for employees with disabilities. This information will be created in consultation with the employee and take into account the unique challenges created by the individual’s disability and the physical nature of the workplace.

This information will be reviewed when:

The employee moves to a different physical location in the organization
The employee’s overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed
Nanometrics reviews general emergency response policies

Nanometrics will provide the workplace emergency response information to the person designated by the employer, if an employee who received individualized workplace emergency response information requires assistance and with the employee’s consent.

Individual Emergency Response Plans will be reviewed with the employee when:

The employee moves to a different location within the organization
The employee’s overall accommodation needs to change and require review
Nanometrics makes changes to our general Emergency Response Plan

Documented Individual Accommodation Plans for Employees: Nanometrics will develop and have in place written processes for documenting individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities. If requested, the individual accommodation should also include information regarding accessible formats, communication support (upon request), individualized workplace emergency response information, and any other accommodation provided.

Accessible Design of Office Layout and Public Spaces: When facilities management constructs or redevelops Nanometrics public spaces such as service counters and waiting areas Nanometrics will do so in keeping with requirements set out in the Integrated Accessibility Standards - The Design of Public Spaces Standards and Ontario’s Building Code.

AODA Training: Nanometrics will maintain a training plan that integrates the requirements of the AODA.

Nanometrics will provide training for its employees and volunteers regarding the IASR and the Ontario Human Rights Code as they pertain to individuals with disabilities. Training will also be provided to individuals who are responsible for developing the companies’ policies, and all other persons who provide goods, services, or facilities on behalf of Nanometrics.

Training will be provided as soon as is reasonably practicable. Training will be provided regularly to new employees and as changes to the companies’ accessibility policies occur.

Nanometrics will maintain records on the training provided, when it was provided, and the number of employees who were trained.

Responsibility

Human Resources is responsible for:

Documenting, maintaining, and updating this Plan
Filing the AODA Corporate Compliance Report with the Ontario Governments
Ensuring the AODA Multi-Year Accessibility Plan, and relevant AODA information are posted on the Nanometrics website
Addressing AODA concerns escalated to the Accessibility Office
Ensuring internet, and intranet content conforms to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
Ensuring that feedback process is documented and is working effectively as required and soliciting such feedback
Upon request, converting information, by persons with disabilities in an accessible format or ensuring the use of appropriate communication supports, where available
Assisting in formulating security plans and the posting of signage when there is a disruption to accessible services
Ensuring emergency plans are established and annually reviewed for Nanometrics employees who require assistance
Reporting any accessibility and/or equipment concerns for the reception area to management for resolution
Formulating plans, in conjunction with management and security, for advising customers and delivery services if the reception area or Nanometrics building is not accessible for people with disabilities

Directors, Managers, and Supervisors are responsible for:

Raising awareness to facilitate understanding of the Plan
Demonstrating sensitivity to and respecting confidentiality of information
Participating and co-operating to facilitate workplace accommodation, including the development of contingency plans

All employees are responsible for:

Ensuring they understand the intent of this Plan
Complying with the provisions of this Plan
Completing required training

Employees with disabilities are responsible for:

Participating and cooperating with all parties to facilitate workplace accommodation
Informing Human Resources of their need for accommodation in an emergency

Plan Maintenance

This Plan is reviewed every three years or sooner, if necessary. Inquiries about the Plan should be addressed to Human Resources.

Feedback

We welcome your feedback:

Email: hr@nanometrics.ca
Phone: (613) 592-6776
Write: 3001 Solandt Rd., Kanata, Ontario, Canada K2K 2M8

AODA