About Us

• about us
• contact
• careers
• privacy policy
• acceptable use (AUP)
• terms and conditions
• highspeed service agreement

2024-2026 Accessibility Plan

May 31, 2024

This document is also available for download:

• Sentex_ACA_Plan_2024_2026.pdf
• Sentex_ACA_Plan_2024_2026_Large_Print.pdf (large print)

Accessibility Plan Overview

This Accessibility Plan covers the periods between June 1, 2024 and June 1, 2026.

Our goal is to make Sentex a better place for everyone – customers, staff and visitors alike.  To do this we will remove physical barriers to access, provide training to employees, introduce additional support and contact methods and rewrite policies and procedures...all while steadily working towards a completely inclusive environment.

Over the next two years, Sentex has committed to:

• Upgrade and improve the physical environment at our office.
• Revise current policies and plans to specifically address needs of those people with disabilities.
• Provide training to employees on disability inclusion and accessibility.
• Review our hiring process to make it accessible.
• Create accommodation guidelines for employees with disabilities.
• Review of our website and update to remove accessibility barriers.
• Ensure that alternative document formats are available upon request. Alternative formats include; braille, large print, or audio.
• Ensure that all the images on our website have a description of the image for people who cannot see the picture.
• To consider accessibility when we buy new products and offer new services.

We developed this plan in cooperation with our employees, people with disabilities and support professionals. The information and knowledge they shared with us formed the foundation of this plan.

Table of Contents

• 1 General
• 1.1  Statement of Commitment
• 1.2  About Sentex
• 1.3  Contact Information & Feedback Process
• 1.4  Alternative Formats
• 1.5  Definitions
• 2 Areas Described under Section 5 of the ACA
• 2.1  Built Environment
• 2.2  Employment
• 2.3  Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
• 2.4  Communication, other than ICT
• 2.5  Procurement
• 2.6  Design and Delivery of Programs and Services
• 2.7  Transportation
• 3 Consultations
• 4 Conclusion

1. General

1.1 Statement of Commitment

At Sentex, we are dedicated to being accessible and welcoming to everyone, including people with disabilities. We want to make sure that our organization is accessible for all employees and ensure that the information we produce is available to all. We are committed to removing accessibility barriers at Sentex.

1.2 About Sentex

Sentex is a data communications company, founded in 1994 in Guelph. We provide internet access and VPN security to thousands of customers across Canada. Our dedication to customer service plays a significant role in sustaining our excellent reputation. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff are always available to answer any questions or concerns. We believe the human element is fundamental in customer satisfaction.

1.3 Contact Information & Feedback Process

You can provide feedback on this plan or accessibility in general. You do not need to provide your personal information when submitting your feedback. Your feedback will be used to help us improve accessibility at Sentex. Comments and suggestions will also help to build our next accessibility plan and subsequent progress reports.

You can choose to provide feedback via any of the following methods:

• Post mail:
  Accessibility Officer
  Sentex Communications
  240 D, Holiday Inn Drive,
  Cambridge, ON N3C 3X4
  
• Telephone:
  (519) 651-3400 or 1-888-473-6839
  or (519) 651-2215 (fax)
• Email:
  accessibility@sentex.ca
• Online:
  By completing the one of the following forms:
  Anonymous feedback: https://www.sentex.net/aboutus/feedback-anon.html
  Named feedback: https://www.sentex.net/aboutus/feedback-full.html

1.4 Requesting the Plan in an alternative format

If you require this plan in a different format, we can provide the following upon request through the means stated in section 1.3.

• Large Print: We can provide a large font printed copy of this plan. We can provide this within 15 days of your request.
• Braille: We can provide a braille copy of this plan. We can provide this within 45 days of your request.
• Audio: We can provide an audio copy. (an audio file with a person’s voice reading the text) We can provide this within 45 days of your request.

1.5 Definitions

This document uses the following terms as laid out in the Accessible Canada Act:

• Disability: An impairment or difference in physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, or communication ability. Disabilities can be permanent, temporary, or can change over time.
• Barrier: A barrier is anything that might prevent people with disabilities from full and equal participation. Barriers can be based on attitudes, the built environment, technology, how information is communicated, or the result of a policy or procedure.
• Accessibility: The design of products, devices, services, environments, technologies, policies, and rules in a way that allows all people, including people with a variety of disabilities, to access them as independently as the person wishes.

2. Areas Described under Section 5 of the ACA

2.1 Built Environment

Sentex is headquartered in Cambridge Ontario. Customers, the public, contractors and suppliers are welcome to visit our office. We acknowledge some barriers to access exist however we are committed to making space as accessible as possible.

Accessibility Goals

• In office space will have barrier free access to all common areas.
• An audit and revision of existing plans and development of new plans to be published as appropriate. (fire, severe weather, evacuation, violence)

2.2 Employment

Sentex has a current workforce of 11 employees. Since 2020 many employees have split their work time between home and out office on a hybrid basis. The goals outlined below will help us to improve accessibility for our current and future employees with disabilities.

Accessibility Goals

• Sentex will train all employees on accessibility and disability awareness.
• We will review our hiring and recruitment process to find and remove accessibility barriers for job applicants.
• Sentex will include information about how job applicants can request and receive accommodations during the hiring process, in our job postings. We will also remind job applicants that they can request accommodations when we contact them for an interview.
• We will develop, publish and share guidelines on how current employees with disabilities can request and receive accommodations.

2.3 Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Our website, www.sentex.net, is the primary point of access for many of our customers. Our public website has some accessibility features, but we are aware that some barriers remain. We are intent on reviewing and removing barriers to accessibility on our public website and in our internal technology systems.

Accessibility Goals

By the end of 2024, Sentex will address and remove the accessibility barriers that were found through our consultations with people with disabilities. These changes include:

• Improving colour contrast and text size.
• Making sure the format and layout of our web pages are consistent.
• Improvements to help make sure that people who are using screen readers can read the information on our website.
• We will determine whether our website meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) guidelines.
• Sentex will have in place a process to complete regular reviews of our website to make sure that it is accessible to people with disabilities.
• We will publish a text-only version of our website to ensure that the information we publish is fully accessible for everyone.
• Research, review and implement alternative support options.

2.4 Communication, other than ICT

Our employees communicate with each other regularly through phone, e-mail, text-based chat and in person. We communicate with the public through our main website, email, ticketing system and by phone. The following goals will help us to improve the accessibility of our communications.

Accessibility Goals

• Sentex will have a process to meet requests for alternative formats of the documents on our website. Once this process is in place, we will provide documents in large print, braille, or audio formats, upon request.
• Sentex will ensure all images posted to our social media accounts and websites have alternative text descriptions. (the short-written description of an image that helps people who cannot see the image to understand what the image is).
• We will develop a process to provide alternative versions for invoices and accounting related communications.

2.5 Procurement

Our commitment to provide superior service and value means we partner with many vendors. We are dedicated to making sure that the products and services we buy and distribute are as accessible as possible.

Accessibility Goals

• Sentex will include accessibility considerations in our procurement policy.
• We will develop alternative versions of order forms and sales brochures and provide them in a timely manor if requested.

2.6 Design and Delivery of Programs and Services

Sentex’s main business is supplying internet connectivity and providing a suite of add on services to secure and enhance that connectivity. As our core services are related to communication, the goals that we have listed in sections 2.3 and 2.4 of this plan will help improve the accessibility of this service.

2.7 Transportation

Sentex does not run or operate any passenger transportation services; therefore, we have not developed any goals in this area.

3. Consultations

We are committed to listening to experiences and feedback from people with disabilities and are dedicated to making Sentex a more accessible place that is attractive to potential customers and employees. We want everyone to feel reassured that their accessibility needs will be met. Throughout the creation of this plan, we consulted with employees, customers, care professionals and members of the public who have disabilities.

We have engaged with customers that have specific products tailored to their business so we can be sure we’re offering appropriate accommodations to staff within their organization that may have special requirements.

A survey was sent to all of our employees to ask for their thoughts on accessibility.  Feedback was positive and indicated a willingness to explore and further invest in our plan.

One on one consultations were held with people who have disabilities or who work directly with support agencies. Their experiences helped us to understand what barriers exist when interacting with us and organizations like ours.  Valuable feedback exposed possible avenues of improvement that were not immediately obvious to us. We will continue to consult with people who have disabilities as we work to improve accessibility at Sentex.

4. Conclusion

Sentex is committed to making sure that our operations, services, products and communications are accessible for all people, including people with disabilities. As a small company we recognize that we will need support for our accessibility initiatives from staff, experts and people with disabilities. We look forward to cultivating those relationships as this process develops over the coming years.