Phone: 1-800-816-8335 | Fax: 647-417-7190
Email: Admin@Progressive.Law
Progressive Barristers is a law firm deeply committed to access to justice and to obtaining outstanding results for our clients without compromise. We provide exceptional legal services customized to meet clients’ needs and budget.
Please note that our offices at 174 Davenport Road are not wheel-chair accessible. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause. We are able to arrange to meet clients living with mobility differences in an alternate wheelchair-accessible office nearby. If you are unable to access our office we are happy to meet at another venue as well, such as your favourite coffee shop. Where the circumstances require, we may also be able to accommodate making a house-call.
In compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2005 (the “AODA”), this 2020-2024 accessibility plan outlines the policies and practices that Progressive Barristers Professional Corporation (PBPC) has and intends to put in place.
PBPC is committed to treating all people in a respectful way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence, including in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code (the “Code”). We believe in inclusion and equitable access to opportunity. We are committed to meeting the accessibility requirements under the AODA and meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner. To that end, we will endeavour to prevent and remove barriers to accessibility, as set out below.
PBPC strives for excellence in serving all of our clients, including those who may have disabilities. We are committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities have equitable access to our legal services and receive the same quality of services, in a manner that respects their dignity and independence. In accordance with the terms of our Accessible Client Service Policy, we commit to:
communicating with clients and visitors who have disabilities in ways that take into account their disability and facilitate effective communications;
invite anyone to use their assistive devices in order to access or benefit from our services (though as noted above, our 174 Davenport Road office is not wheelchair accessible);
welcome to our premises clients and visitors who are accompanied by a support person, or who rely on service animals;
train all members of our firm to communicate appropriately with people with various types of disabilities; and
maintaining a process for receiving and responding to feedback.
PBPC will ensure that training is provided to members of our firm on the requirements of AODA and the Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities. Training will be provided to members of our firm in a way that is appropriate to their duties and will include:
mandatory training on the requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards and on the requirements of the Code as they pertain to persons with disabilities;
orientation for newly hired employees, as well as whenever changes are made to relevant policies and procedures; and
mandatory training on the requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, and the Firm’s Accessible Client Service Policy.
PBPC will provide any person with a copy of the documents required under the Customer Service Standard, Ontario Regulation 429/07 upon request (see below for our contact information).
PBPC is committed to meeting the communications needs of people with disabilities, and to improving our services wherever possible. To these ends:
Clients and members of the public can provide feedback through a number of formats, including in writing, email, phone, fax and/or personal visits to one of our offices.
Where a response to the feedback is requested in an accessible format, we will consult with the recipient to ensure the appropriate accessible format.
All members of our firm have been trained to provide services and receive feedback in a manner compliant with AODA’s Customer Service Accessibility Standards for persons with disabilities.
Upon request, PBPC will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communications supports for persons with disabilities. This will be done in a timely manner that takes into account the person’s accessibility needs and at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons. We will consult with persons with disabilities to determine their specific needs.
We are committed to making our website fully WCAG 2.0 Level A (or higher) compliant by January 1, 2021.
PBPC is committed to fair, equitable, diverse and inclusive employment practices.
PBPC will accommodate people with disabilities during its recruitment processes, as well as when people are hired. This will include the following practices:
Postings for employment opportunities at PBPC will continue to reflect our commitment to the AODA and to providing accommodation for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment process.
Upon request, PBPC will offer applicants selected for an interview accommodation during the interview process. We will consult with applicants to determine and provide suitable accommodation commensurate with their accessibility needs up to the point of undue hardship.
Any new employment contracts signed by PBPC will include a reference to our commitment to AODA principles and to accommodating employees with disabilities.
Requests for accommodation will be dealt with in a timely manner, and the privacy of the employee will be reasonably protected.
Individual accommodation plans and return-to-work plans will be in writing and kept on file confidentially. Plans will be reviewed periodically and updated as required.
PBPC is committed to ensuring that the accessibility needs of employees are taken into account whenever performance management, career development and redeployment processes are implemented. Feedback and coaching will be provided in a manner that is accessible to employees with disabilities.
PBPC will review and update this Plan at least once every five years.
On a regular basis, PBPC will also assess, review, and where necessary, amend its policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the AODA.
For more information about this accessibility plan, or to obtain accessible formats of any of our AODA documents, contact:
Shibil Siddiqi
Direct Line: 416-332-4969
Email: Shibil@Progressive.Law
Progressive Barristers Professional Corporation (PBPC) strives for excellence in serving all of our clients. The purpose of this policy is to meet service delivery expectations while serving clients with disabilities. We are committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities have equitable access to our legal services and receive the same quality of services, in a manner that respects their dignity and independence.
This policy has been adopted pursuant to the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service enacted under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”), and also reflects our commitment to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities in the provision of our services, and to eliminate barriers that may impede access to our services.
Our commitment is demonstrated in the following ways:
We communicate with clients and visitors who have disabilities in ways that take into account their disability and facilitate effective communications. All members of our firm have been trained on how to communicate appropriately with people with various types of disabilities.
While we do not provide assistive devices to clients or visitors, we invite anyone to use their own assistive device in order to access or benefit from our services. All members of our firm have been trained on how to interact with people who use a variety of assistive devices. As noted above, however, our office is not wheel-chair accessible. If you use a chair, please contact us to make alternate arrangements.
We welcome clients and visitors who are accompanied by a support person to our premises. At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to his or her support person while in our offices. All members of our firm have been trained on how to interact with people who are accompanied by a support person. We have policies in place to safeguard a client’s confidential information when communications occur in the presence of the client’s support person.
We welcome clients and visitors who rely on service animals. We will ensure that individuals are comfortable bringing a service animal into our premises and that the animal’s working role will be respected at all times. All members of our firm have been trained on how to interact appropriately with people who rely on service animals.
We will provide further training to members of our firm in the above-noted areas as part of our orientation for newly hired employees, as well as ongoing training whenever changes are made to relevant policies or procedures.
Our goal is to ensure unimpeded access to our services for all persons with disabilities, in a manner that respects their dignity and independence and is consistent with the principles of inclusion, equity and human rights. We welcome and appreciate feedback on whether our services are being provided to persons with disabilities in a manner that achieves this goal.
Feedback can be provided to us by phone or in writing by email, fax, regular mail or personal delivery. Please address your feedback to:
Shibil Siddiqi
Phone: 1-800-816-8335 Ext. 1
Fax: 647-417-7190
Email: Shibil@Progressive.Law
Progressive Barristers
174 Davenport Road
Toronto, ON M5R 1J2
The privacy and confidentiality of individuals who contact us will be respected. However, we also welcome anonymous feedback.
We will endeavour to acknowledge all feedback (except anonymous feedback) within five business days, with the understanding that follow-up may be required. All feedback will be reviewed for possible action that can be taken to improve our service delivery. Where possible, complaints will be addressed immediately. However, some complaints may require more time to address. Complainants will be notified of the anticipated time required to address their concerns and of the actions that are ultimately taken by the firm.
We will respond to all feedback in a manner that takes into account the complainant’s disability, if any.
