MERIX strives to provide its services in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. MERIX is committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity as others to access and benefit from its services.
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that MERIX’s business is accessible to persons with disabilities by identifying, removing, and preventing barriers that might interfere with their ability to make use of MERIX’s services and facilities.
MERIX will use reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies, practices, and procedures are consistent with the following principles:
- That MERIX’s services are provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities;
- That MERIX operates its business such that persons with disabilities will benefit from its services in the same or similarly way as others, and that where integration is not possible, alternative measures will be used to enable a persons with disabilities to obtain, use or benefit from MERIX’s services; and
- That persons with disabilities are given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use or benefit from MERIX’s services.
Notice of Temporary Disruptions in Services of Facilities
MERIX is aware that the operation of its services and facilities is important to our customers. On occasion, disruptions in MERIX’s services and facilities may occur due to reasons that may or may not be within MERIX’s control or knowledge.
MERIX will make reasonable efforts to provide notice to the public of any disruption in its services and/or facilities, including: information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative services and/or facilities, if any that may be available. MERIX will make reasonable efforts to provide prior notice of any planned disruptions in its services and/or facilities, if possible, recognizing that in some circumstances, including an unplanned temporary disruption, advance notice will not be possible. In such cases, MERIX will provide notice as soon as reasonably possible.
When temporary disruptions occur to MERIX’s services and/or facilities, MERIX will provide notice by posting the information in visible places, or on the company’s website (www.merixfinancial.com), or by any other method that may be reasonable under the circumstances as soon as reasonably possible.
Assisted Devices and Measures that Assist with Accessibility
A person with a disability may provide their own assistive device for the purpose of obtaining, using and benefiting from MERIX’s services and facilities. Exceptions may occur in situations where MERIX has determined that the assistive device may pose a risk to the health and safety of a person with a disability or the health and safety of others on its premises In these situations and others, MERIX may offer a person with disability other reasonable measures to assist him or her in obtaining, using and benefiting from MERIX’s services and facilities, where MERIX has such other measures available.
It is the responsibility of the person with the disability to ensure that his or her assistive device is operated in a safe and controlled manner at all times.
Use of Service Animals and Support Persons
Service Animals
A person with a disability may enter premises owned and/or operated by MERIX accompanied by a service animal and keep the animal with them if the public has access to such premises and the animal is not otherwise excluded by law. If a service animal is excluded by law, MERIX will ensure that alternate means are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from MERIX’s services and facilities.
If it is not readily apparent that an animal is a service animal, MERIX may ask the person with a disability for a letter from a physician or nurse confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to his or her disability. MERIX may also, or instead, ask for a valid identification card or certificate of training from a recognized guide dog or service animal training school.
It is the responsibility of the person with disability to ensure that his or her service animal is kept in control at all times. If an employee or any other person on MERIX premises has a severe allergy to animals, which could result in health and safety concerns, MERIX will make reasonable efforts in the circumstances to meet the needs of all individuals.
Support Persons
A person with a disability may enter premises owned and/or operated by MERIX with a support person and have access to the support person while on the premises. MERIX may require a person with disability to be accompanied by a support person while on MERIX premises in situations where it is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health and safety of others on the premises. A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will have access to his or her support person while on MERIX premises.
In situations where the support person will be exposed to confidential information, MERIX may require that the support person sign a confidentiality agreement.
Availability of Documents for Customer Service Standard
All documents required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Regulation, including this policy, are available upon request by any customer.
When providing a document to a person with a disability, MERIX will provide the document, or the information contained in the document, in a format that properly takes the person’s disability into account.
All documents required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Regulation, including this policy, will be posted on MERIX’s website (www.merixfinancial.com).
Training
MERIX will provide training to its employees, agents, volunteers, and to every other person who deals with members of the public or other third parties on MERIX’s behalf (“MERIX Staff”), about the provision of MERIX’s services to persons with disabilities.
Training will include:
- The purpose and application of this policy;
- A review of the purposes and requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act;
- A review of the purposes of the purposes and requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Regulation;
- How to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disabilities;
- What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing MERIX’s services and/or facilities;
- Instruction on MERIX’s policies, procedures and practices pertaining to the provision of services to persons with disabilities;
- How to use equipment or devices available on MERIX’s premises, or that is otherwise provided by MERIX, to assist with the provision of MERIX’s services to persons with disabilities; and
- How to interact with persons with disabilities who use assistive devices or who require the assistance of a support person or service animal.
Training will be provided as soon as practicable to current and new MERIX Staff members and whenever changes are made to MERIX’s policies, procedures and practices governing the provision of its services to persons with disabilities.
MERIX will maintain records of all training conducted pursuant to this policy. These records will include the number of individuals trained and the dates on which the training occurred.
Feedback
MERIX is committed to providing high quality services to all members of the public it serves. Feedback from the public is appreciated as it may identify areas that require change and encourage continuous service improvements, including improvements in the manner in which MERIX provides services to persons with disabilities.
Feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Anyone wishing to provide feedback on the manner in which MERIX provides goods and services to persons with disabilities may do so by telephone, email, or regular mail (including feedback in writing, on disc or otherwise) as follows:
MERIX Financial
Attention: Chief Compliance Officer
200 King Street West, Suite 400
Toronto, Ontario MH5 3T4
Phone: (416) 366-8606 ext. 2321
E-mail: [email protected]
We can arrange for accessible feedback and alternate formats upon request.
Any complaints with respect to this policy will be handled in accordance with MCAP’s current complaint management procedures.