Commitment to Client Service Statement

Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities – AODA

Our Mission

Barber, Stewart, McVittie & Wallace (BSMW) is committed to providing quality insurance solutions and advice for the best value. We will accomplish this through product and service excellence to meet the unique needs of our clients.

Our Commitment

BSMW strives at all times to provide our goods and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our services and allowing them to benefit from the same services, in the same place and in a similar way as other customers.

Providing Goods and Services

BSMW is committed to excellence in serving our clients, including people with disabilities, and we will carry out our functions and responsibilities in the following areas:

Communication

We will communicate with people with disabilities in a manner that takes into account their disability. We will train employees who communicate with customers on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.

Telephone Services

We are committed to providing fully accessible telephone service to our customers. We will train employees to communicate with customers over the telephone in clear and plain language and to speak clearly and slowly.

Assistive Devices

We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our services. We will ensure that employees are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our services.

Use of Service Animals or Support Persons

We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the parts of our premises that are open to the public. We will also ensure that employees are trained in how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.

We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person. Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to enter the premises with his or her support person. 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 on our premises.

Notice of Temporary Disruption

BSMW will provide clients with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in services at our premises. This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available. The notice will be placed at the public entrances of our premises.

Training for Employees

BSMW will provide training for all employees who deal with the public, and those who are involved in the development of customer service policies, practices and procedures, on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities. Employees will also be trained on an ongoing basis when changes are made to these policies, practices and procedures.

The ultimate goal of BSMW is to meet client expectations while serving clients with disabilities. Comments on our services regarding how well these expectations are being met are welcome and appreciated and can be communicated by telephone (1-866-858-5257) to any BSMW representative or electronically at asharpe@bsmw.ca.