Executive Summary

JNB Heavy Haul is committed to building a culture of inclusivity and accessibility. Not only is this part of our company culture but opening access to all is imperative to our continued growth and competitiveness as an employer in the trucking sector. We will contribute to a barrier-free Canada for everyone by building an accessibility framework that will support employees and the public we serve have the best experience possible with our services, products and facilities.

We know creating a barrier-free environment takes time and we are dedicated to the ongoing identification, removal and prevention of barriers. JNB Heavy Haul will build on our current efforts through the development of our initial Accessibility Plan as required under the Accessible Canada Act.

This Accessibility Plan will guide our organization in meeting our accessibility commitments and in building an accessibility-confident culture.

To address gaps in these areas, it is important to recognize and understand the needs of those with disabilities. For this reason, this plan was developed in consultation with employees who identify as having a disability via employee surveys, roundtable discussions and 1-1 interviews. In addition, external organizations that serve people with disabilities were consulted in the development of this plan.

A summary of initial opportunities include:

  • Improving the attraction of persons with disabilities to jobs in our company and the trucking sector.
  • Expanding the range and options for accommodation, especially for drivers.
  • Being better prepared to provide information in accessible formats when requested.
  • Improving the knowledge of our IT team and leveraging the capabilities of accessibility features in current and future IT equipment, programs and systems.
  • Initiating processes where there is a more thorough review and a “through an accessibility lens” approach to the assessment of facilities, procurement procedures, company programs, new initiatives and on-going services.

Your Input and Feedback

JNB Heavy Haul welcomes feedback on our Accessibility Plan from the public, employees and our stakeholders. This feedback is valuable to us as it helps us break down accessibility barriers and build on our commitment to accessibility and inclusion.

If you have an inquiry or feedback, please use one of the contact methods below. We will respond to all feedback in a timely manner. If you require support while providing feedback let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Submit Feedback Online

Statement of Commitment

At JNB Heavy Haul we are committed to making our organization and the services we provide accessible to all, including persons with disabilities. All Canadians have the right to benefit from our services equally and those who work with us have the right to perform their jobs free of barriers.

Reporting Our Plan

As required by the Accessible Canada Act, we will publish a status report every year that measures our progress against our commitments. We will also review and update our Accessibility Plan every three years. Progress Reports and updates to our Accessibility Plan will be shaped by consultation with persons with disabilities.

ADDRESSING AREAS IDENTIFIED IN THE ACCESSIBLE CANADA ACT

Employment

The "employment" area ensures that candidates and employees with disabilities and those who experience barriers are supported throughout the entire employment lifecycle.

Barrier #1:

Our company continues to face competition for employees and currently is not attracting enough applicants from underrepresented populations such as persons with disabilities.

Actions:

  • Enhance the careers section of our website to increase visibility to Canadians with disabilities of the various jobs available in the trucking sector, highlighting our commitment to their inclusion in our workforce.
  • Educate hiring managers on accessibility and how they can ensure a barrier-free hiring, selection and accommodation process.
  • Benchmark current recruitment, selection and onboarding practices against leading accessibility practices in other trucking companies and different industries.

Barrier #2:

There is a need to expand our understanding of the range and variety of accommodation options available to persons with disabilities interested in becoming truck drivers.

Actions:

  • Develop a framework that helps managers understand their responsibilities in the accommodation process and guides them in supporting their employees and implementing suitable workplace adjustments.

Built Environment

The "built environment" area ensures that workspaces and the work environment are accessible for all.

Barrier #3:

Some spaces within the office and truck yard may limit the mobility of employees and visitors with disabilities.

Actions:

  • We are scheduled to break ground on our new facility which will be ACA and ACR compliant in the fall of 2024 and for occupation in spring 2025
  • Establish a standing advisory committee of internal stakeholders to provide feedback on additional proposed design changes to the built environment and assign priority for completion.

Barrier #4:

Safety signage in our buildings and truck yard is not accessible for people with low vision.

Actions:

  • Install signs with tactile and Braille text in key locations throughout buildings and the truck yards. This includes tactile walking surface indicators to warn of hazards, including the tops of stairways.
  • Improve illumination of current yard signs regarding safety and direction indicators.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

“Information and communication technologies” are technological tools used to send, store, create, share, or exchange information.

Barrier #5:

The current IT staff is not well versed in accessibility technology and does not know how to assist persons with disabilities in the workplace.

Actions:

  • Train IT employees to increase their accessibility knowledge and learn how to adapt services and improve interactions with persons with disabilities.
  • Deliver and promote end-user training on using accessibility features on all available programs.
  • Develop and promote guidance and training documents for persons with disabilities (e.g., making items larger on a screen, activating reader on MS Word, activating closed captioning on MS Teams, etc.).
  • Develop accessibility guidance checklists and documents for employees that are building or procuring information technology.

Barrier #6:

Many of the tools and software used in the company have accessibility capabilities that are not being used in an accessible way.

Actions:

  • Take an inventory of IT systems used by the company to measure accessibility capabilities.
  • Progressively introduce new accessibility functionality to IT systems.

Barrier #7:

The inaccessibility of technologies in commonly used meeting and collaboration spaces can limit the ability of facilitators and attendees to participate meaningfully.

Actions:

  • Review the technology used in common conference, learning and meeting spaces to ensure that it meets a high level of accessibility and respects all legal and policy requirements.

Communication Other Than ICT

This area requires that organizations provide barrier free access for the public, clients and employees to all the communications that the Company produces for this audience.

Barrier #8:

The Company does not have a consistent process to ensure alternate formats of communication that it issues to employees and other stakeholders are available and provided in a timely manner.

Actions:

  • Identify service providers and develop contracts or agreements to create alternate formats, where appropriate and when needed.
  • print
  • large print
  • braille
  • audio format
  • an electronic format that’s compatible with adaptive technology meant to help people with disabilities.

Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities

The “procuring (buying) goods, services and facilities” area ensures that accessibility is considered at the beginning of the buying process.

Barrier #9:

JNB Heavy Haul’s procurement procedures and practices do not take into consideration accessibility requirements.

Actions:

  • Update the procurement procedures to include accessibility checks when buying goods and services.
  • Include accessibility considerations into procurement templates (e.g., requests for proposals) so that they inform the selection of external vendors, products and services and confirms that they will abide by the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act.

Design and Delivery of Programs and Services

When designing and delivering the Company’s internal and external programs and services, accessibility considerations must be part of the process right from the very start.

Barrier #10:

Currently there is no standard approach for ensuring all programs, processes and services have taken accessibility into account.

  • Prepare standard resources and commonly issued company communication in alternative formats so that they are ready to be distributed upon request.
  • When asked, we commit to providing these alternate formats as soon as possible and within time frames listed in the Accessible Canada Regulations:

Actions:

  • Leverage the mandatory requirement to consult with persons with disabilities by creating a forum consisting of employees from various departments including drivers, mechanics, yard workers, IT, HR, finance etc.,) to review and provide feedback on all programs, processes, policies and services. This forum will review current programs and services and then will provide input prior to the development of future programs and services.
  • Develop and promote guidelines on how to apply the accessibility lens when reviewing company policies, programs and services.
  • Create an Accessibility Checklist to help ensure key accessibility considerations are considered.
  • Provide training on the Accessible Canada Act and Accessible Canada Regulations for those whose role is to develop programs, processes and procedures.

Transportation

JNB Heavy Haul does not coordinate a transportation system, or a fleet of transportation vehicles as defined in the Accessible Canada Act. This means that standards for transportation are not in the scope of this plan.

NOTE: Transportation for this purpose refers to the transportation of people not goods (for example, buses or airplanes).

Consultations

To align with JNB Heavy Haul ’s commitment to make our workplace environment accessible to all, we have developed our Accessibility Plan in consultation with our employees, including those with disabilities.

We gathered feedback and input from our team members and external organizations in several ways:

  • Companywide survey.
  • Focus groups and 1-1 interviews with employees with disabilities so they can share their feedback and ideas.
  • Engaging with external organizations supporting persons with disabilities to understand and seek recommendations for improving accessibility to the Company’s building space and yards and our programs and services.

Definitions

Accessibility:

Refers to the needs of persons with disabilities being intentionally and thoughtfully considered when products, services and facilities are built or modified so they can be used and enjoyed by persons of all abilities.

Barrier:

The Accessible Canada Act defines a barrier as “anything—including anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice—that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.”

Disability:

The Accessible Canada Act defines a disability as “any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment—or a functional limitation— whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.”