Our plan for 2026 to 2031 to find, remove and prevent the barriers that get in people's way, so everyone can take part fully at Hopewell.
Our commitment
Hopewell Support Services is committed to a fulfilling life for everyone we support. That means an organization where people living with disabilities are not accommodated as an afterthought, but expected, welcomed and planned for from the start.
This plan sets out what we will do between April 2026 and March 2031 to identify, remove and prevent barriers for the people we support, their families, our staff, our volunteers and anyone who visits us or uses our services.
We publish it because the law asks us to, and because saying out loud what we intend to do is how we hold ourselves to it.
In short
A barrier is anything that stops someone from taking part. It might be a step, a form that is hard to read, a website that will not work with a screen reader, or a way of doing things that leaves someone out.
This plan says what we already do to remove barriers. It says what we will do next, one year at a time, for the next five years. It says who is responsible, and how to tell us when we get it wrong.
You can ask us for this plan in another format, such as large print, an audio recording, or a version read to you over the phone. It is free.
About this plan
The Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (O. Reg. 191/11) under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 requires large organizations to establish, document and maintain a multi-year accessibility plan, post it publicly, provide it in accessible formats on request, and review it at least once every five years. Hopewell employs more than 50 people, so these obligations apply to us.
Five fiscal years, from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2031 (FY2026-27 through FY2030-31). We will publish a short progress update each year alongside our Annual Report, and rewrite the plan in full in its final year.
Everyone at Hopewell: our Board, leadership, employees, students, volunteers, and anyone providing goods or services to the public on our behalf. It covers every home and program space we operate, our offices, our website and our digital tools.
The Chief Executive Officer is accountable to the Board for this plan. Human Resources leads training, hiring and employee accommodation. Program Managers are responsible for accessible service and for answering feedback. Everyone at Hopewell is responsible for spotting barriers and saying something.
Where we are today
A plan is only honest if it starts from the truth. This is what we already do, every day.
Our Accessibility Standards for Customer Service policy (SS-119) is approved by the Chief Executive Officer and sets out how we serve people with disabilities in a way that respects dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity. It was last revised in March 2025 and is due for review in March 2027.
Management, coordinators, nurses and front-line support workers are trained on the AODA and the Customer Service Standard within 30 days of hire, through e-learning courses we run ourselves. Training covers respectful communication with people with a range of disabilities, and the use of assistive devices including lifts, walkers, standers and the hopsa harness. Staff are re-trained whenever our approach changes.
Anyone may use their own assistive device anywhere in our services. We also provide devices on site, including wheelchair lifts, van lifts, walkers, standers and listening devices, and we train staff to use them safely.
Service animals are welcome in all approved areas open to the public, and people are welcome to be accompanied by a support person while using our services. Where someone else's health and safety could genuinely be affected, we work through every option to make it safe for both people rather than turning anyone away.
On request we provide information and communication in accessible formats, including large print, recorded audio, electronic formats, braille, plain language, writing instead of speech, and communication through an assistive device or service. We agree the format with the person asking, and there is no extra charge.
When a service or facility people rely on is disrupted, planned or not, we post notice at the affected location saying why, how long we expect it to last, and what alternatives are available. This covers every one of our homes and program spaces.
Feedback and complaints are welcome by phone, letter, email, through this website or in person, and we reply in the same way you contacted us. Every piece goes to the responsible Program Manager, with a response within 72 hours. If an investigation will take longer, we tell you and give you a timeline. A family member or advocate can raise something on someone's behalf.
This website is built to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA. It has a skip-to-content link, works from the keyboard alone, carries captions on our videos, respects the setting that reduces motion, meets colour-contrast minimums, and includes an Easy Read guide to our programs in short, simple sentences.
The plan
Each item is marked so you can tell what is already running from what is still ahead of us. We review the plan every year and update it as things change.
Our commitments
These follow the order of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (O. Reg. 191/11) itself: the general requirements that apply to every organization, then each of the five standards in turn. Anyone checking this plan against the regulation should be able to work straight down the list.
We maintain a written accessibility policy setting out how Hopewell achieves accessibility, and this multi-year plan setting out how we will identify, remove and prevent barriers. Both are publicly posted, available in an accessible format on request, and reviewed at least once every five years. This plan was prepared in consultation with people with disabilities, and each review will be too.
Everyone who works or volunteers for Hopewell, and anyone who provides goods or services to the public on our behalf, is trained on the accessibility standards and on the Human Rights Code as it applies to people with disabilities. Training is appropriate to the person's role, delivered within 30 days of starting, refreshed whenever our policies change, and recorded with the dates and the number of people trained.
We will build accessibility features into what we buy (goods, services, facilities and technology). Where that is not practicable, we will explain why on request. Any self-service kiosk we introduce will have accessibility features built in.
We provide accessible formats and communication supports on request, in a timely way, at no extra cost, and in consultation with the person about what actually works for them. Our feedback process is accessible in the same way. Our website and web content meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Emergency and public safety information is available in an accessible format on request.
We tell applicants that accommodation is available throughout recruitment, assessment and selection, and again when we make an offer. We tell employees about our accommodation supports. We provide accessible formats and communication supports an employee needs to do their job. We prepare individualized workplace emergency response information for employees who need it. We maintain a documented individual accommodation plan process and a documented return-to-work process, and we take accessibility into account in performance management, career development and redeployment.
Hopewell is not a public transportation provider, so the bulk of the Transportation Standards, which govern transit operators, does not apply to us. We do, however, drive the people we support as part of everyday service: to programs, appointments, work, volunteering and community activities.
Our commitment is straightforward. Where the accommodation a person needs cannot be met by a Hopewell vehicle, we will arrange accessible transportation instead, including requesting an accessible taxi, so that no one is left without a way to get there. The person is never simply told we cannot take them.
We keep our vehicles maintained, we do not charge a person more because they require an accessible vehicle, and a support person travelling with someone is not treated as an extra fare.
When we build new exterior paths, parking, service counters, waiting areas or outdoor spaces, or substantially redevelop existing ones, we meet the Design of Public Spaces standard. We maintain the accessible parts of our spaces, and when an accessible element is out of service we post notice and explain the alternative.
We serve people with disabilities in a way that respects dignity and independence, integrates them into the same services everyone else uses, and gives equal opportunity to benefit from them. We welcome assistive devices, service animals and support persons. We give notice when a service is disrupted. We train everyone who deals with the public, and we keep our customer service policy (SS-119) current and available to anyone who asks.
Keeping ourselves honest
A short progress update published alongside our Annual Report: what we committed to, what we delivered, and what slipped. We would rather say a thing is late than quietly drop it.
We file an accessibility compliance report with the Government of Ontario, as required of organizations our size, and we keep the records that back it up.
We review and rewrite this plan in full. The next full review is due in FY2030-31, and sooner if the standards change or you tell us it is not working.
If something at Hopewell is hard for you to use, or this plan misses something that matters, we want to hear it. Tell us in whatever way is easiest for you and we will reply the same way, within 72 hours. You can also ask for this plan, or any of our information, in another format: large print, audio, electronic, or read to you over the phone. There is no charge, and you do not need to explain why.
You can also write to us or visit at 381 Elmira Road North, Unit 1, Guelph, ON N1K 1H3.