Accessibility Information

Statement of Organizational Commitment

Serenia Life Financial is committed to providing quality products and services that are accessible to persons with disabilities, in a manner that respects dignity and independence.

Serenia Life Financial provides its products, services, and access to facilities in a timely manner to persons with disabilities and will meet applicable legislative requirements for removing and preventing barriers.

Providing Goods and Services and Access to Facilities to People with Disabilities

Serenia Life Financial will make reasonable efforts to:

• Provide its financial products, services, and access to facilities in a way that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
• Give persons with disabilities the same opportunity to access our goods, services, and facilities and allow them to benefit from the same services, in the same place, and in a similar way as other persons.
• Communicate in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.

The above does not preclude or restrict Serenia Life Financial from applying its underwriting criteria and requiring a person with a disability to provide evidence of insurability satisfactory to Serenia Life Financial.

Assistive Devices

Persons with disabilities own assistive device(s):

A person with a disability may provide their own assistive device for the purpose of obtaining, using, and benefitting from Serenia Life Financial’s products and services unless otherwise prohibited by law (i.e., health and safety reasons). In such situations, Serenia Life Financial may offer a person with a disability other reasonable measures to assist them in obtaining, using, and benefitting from Serenia Life Financial’s financial products and services, where Serenia Life Financial has such other measures available.

Assistive device(s) provided by Serenia Life Financial:

Where applicable, assistive devices owned and operated by Serenia Life Financial (e.g., elevator) will be available to assist with serving the needs and requirements of a person with a disability while using the goods, services, and facilities offered by Serenia Life Financial.

Use of Service Animals

Serenia Life Financial is committed to welcoming persons with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the parts of our premises that are open to the public. If a guide dog or other service animal accompanies a visiting person with a disability, Serenia Life Financial shall ensure that the person is permitted to enter the premises with the animal and keep the animal with them.

Exceptions to the rule

Service animals will not be permitted:

1. where food preparation is being undertaken
2. as otherwise prohibited by law

If a service animal is excluded by law, Serenia Life Financial will ensure that alternate means are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use, or benefit from Serenia Life Financial’s financial products and services.

Care and control of the animal

A person with a disability who is accompanied by a service animal must maintain care and control of the animal at all times.

Allergies

If other persons on the premises have a severe allergy to animals, which could result in health and safety concerns, Serenia Life Financial shall make reasonable efforts to meet the needs of all individuals.

Use of Support Persons

Serenia Life Financial is committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person. If a support person accompanies a person with a disability, Serenia Life Financial shall ensure that both persons are entitled to enter the premises together and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person while on the premises.

When a support person may be required

Serenia Life Financial may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when on the premises, but only if a support person is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health and safety of others on the premises.

Fees and admission

There will be no fee required for the support person to attend Serenia Life Financial premises or in connection with a support person’s presence at the premises.

Training for Staff

Serenia Life Financial will provide training to all employees and volunteers who deal with the public or other third parties on their behalf; all other persons who provide goods, services, or facilities on behalf of the organization; and all those who are involved in the development and approvals of customer service policies.

Content of training

All training, regardless of format, will include:

1. review of the purposes and requirements of relevant accessibility legislation
2. instruction on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities
3. instruction on how to interact with people with disabilities who use assistive devices or require the assistance of a guide dog, other service animal, or a support person
4. instruction on how to use equipment or devices available at Serenia Life Financial premises, or that are provided otherwise, that may help people with disabilities access Serenia Life Financial’s products, services, and access to facilities
5. instruction on what to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing Serenia Life Financial’s products or services.

When training will be conducted

The training will be provided to each person as soon as practical after they are assigned the applicable duties. Training will also be provided on an ongoing basis in connection with changes to the policies, practices, and procedures governing the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities.

Notice of Temporary Disruption

Temporary disruptions in Serenia Life Financial’s services and facilities may occur due to reasons that may or may not be within Serenia Life Financial’s control or knowledge. Serenia Life Financial will make reasonable efforts to provide prior notice of planned disruptions, if possible, recognizing that in some circumstances, such as in the situation of unplanned temporary disruptions, advance notice will not be possible.

Information to be included in notice

Serenia Life Financial will make reasonable efforts to provide notice of the disruption to the public, including:

1. information about the reason for the disruption
2. its anticipated duration
3. a description of alternative facilities or services, if any, that may be available

Manner of notification

When temporary disruptions occur to Serenia Life Financial’s services or facilities, Serenia Life Financial will provide notice by:

1. posting the information in visible places
2. publishing the information on Serenia Life Financial’s website
3. any other method that may be reasonable under the circumstances as soon as reasonably possible

Notice of Availability and Format of Documents

Serenia Life Financial will provide all client service documents, including this information, upon request from persons with disabilities, in an accessible format that takes into account the person’s disability within 45 days of the request.

Feedback Process on the Accessibility Provision of Goods, Services, or Facilities

Feedback regarding the way Serenia Life Financial provides products, services, and access to facilities to people with disabilities can be made by a person with a disability in the manner deemed most convenient to them, such as in person, by telephone, in writing, by email, by webform or through mailing the provided feedback form below.

Accessibility Feedback Webform Accessibility Feedback PDF Form

General

Feedback or questions about this information should be directed to:

Toll-free: 1-800-563-6237
Local: 1-519-886-4610
member.services@serenialife.ca

Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

Serenia Life Financial fully supports the standards of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA) and has developed plans to implement them in our organization. Our Multi-Year Accessibility Plan outlines what we will do to remove and prevent accessibility barriers in our organization for customers and/or employees. Please consult our plan for further information.