RemedyBlox Commitment to Accessibility & Inclusion Design

OUR COMMITTMENT TO ACCESSIBLE & INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS

Photograph of an empty wheelchair resting on a concrete floor with accessibility symbol on ground.

Creating Accessible & Inclusive Environments Is not just the "Right Thing To Do" - It's The Law!

RemedyBlox is proud of its commitment to consistently implement accommodation and inclusive best practices into our service platforms - including on projects we help develop for our clients.

We always strive to promote equitable access for all - especially:

People with visible / non-visible disabilities and special needs
Vulnerable community groups
Seniors with special needs
Individuals with dietary & environmental restrictions (e.g., scent sensitivities)
Diverse sexual orientation groups, and
Members from diverse ethno-cultural & religious backgrounds

REMEDYBLOX' SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE IN ACCESSIBILITY

Our Accommodation & Inclusion Acumen

RemedyBlox' founder "Remedy"Max is well versed in both the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

In her role as the Disability & Diversity Liaison Officer for the Ontario Public Service for nearly a decade - she assisted many Ministries across Ontario with the creation and implementation of inclusive and accessible policies in the Public and Private Sectors that have made a positive impact on the lives of people with disabilities and special needs. She also led numerous disability and accessibility initiatives and applied research project findings to positively contribute to the development and implementation of the AODA's "Customer Service" and "Information & Communication" Accessibility Standards (2008 - 2011) in Ontario.

Key components of RemedyBlox' business model embrace and reflect the vast accommodation acumen that its founder gained through her past accessibility and diversity work with the Ontario Public Sector.

Our Commitment to Creating Inclusive Spaces

As a champion and advocate for accessibility and inclusion of people with special needs and diverse community groups for the past 2 decades (as illustrated from the many milestone accomplishments achieved to date by "Remedy" Max - we at RemedyBlox are committed to continue to build upon such inclusion and accommodation measures and best practices in all of our professional services offered to corporate business clients and members of the general public alike.

Our Founder's Milestone Achievements

To view highlights of "Remedy" Max' professional career that earned her numerous recognitions and awards to date for her positive contributions made in creating accessible, healthy and safe environments for diverse communities, government agencies, corporate sectors, special interest groups and for members of the general public (particularly those with special needs) please CLICK on TAB below..

Find out more

WAYS WE HELP PROMOTE ACCESSIBLE & INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS

Access & Accommodation Surveys

RemedyBlox has designed a comprehensive accommodation checklist, one that we administer to everyone that registers for our upcoming training courses or event programs we are hosting. Similarly, we rely and administer the same accessibility survey to all delegates and attendees of any client that retains our event planning services for their upcoming event or training program.

These accommodation surveys offer each participant with the opportunity voluntarily self-identify any special accommodation requests they may have for an upcoming event program they registered for with us or with a business client that we are assisting to develop and manage the upcoming event.

This advance identification of specific event accommodation needs affords us with the opportunity to plan and secure the identified accommodations with the respective service providers well in advance. We rely on each participant to help us with this important information gathering so that we can make their attendance and participation at the event as inclusive and accessible as reasonably possible. The private information generated through these surveys is retained in confidence and at no point do we ask or want to know the medical diagnosis or details of their personal medical conditions for which accommodations are being requested. It is sufficient for any accommodation requests made to fall under the generic term of disability or religious observance.

We value and stand behind protecting the privacy rights for every participant and remind all event staff on proper protocols to follow when attending to those attendees with special accommodation needs who had self-disclosed to us their accommodation needs in advance.

Accommodation Considerations for various disabilities

Accommodation Is Central to Our Event Venue Selection Process

Prior to RemedyBlox selecting a particular hotel venue or conference center for one of its public risk-based educational events or weekend empowerment retreats - a full on-site venue evaluation is conducted to ensure that the design and layout of the facility and its grounds can deliver unrestricted access to its participants with special accommodation needs.

Onsite inspections are also cross-checked with the completed accommodation needs survey all of our registered participants provide voluntarily in advance to ensure the venue facility is fully accessible to their physical disabilities, non-visible disabilities, dietary needs and religious / ethno-cultural restrictions.

Selection of hotel venues and conference centers is also contingent on the facility's staff and event management team's ability and capacity to work with us directly in all aspects of event development and to remain flexible to any changes needed to make our event program fully accessible and inclusive for all members of our target audience. This includes requiring venue facilities to properly instruct their staff to refrain from using scented deodorizers or cleaning products in the conference space, avoiding fresh flowers, use of latex products, and ensuring elevators providing access to conference rooms are operational on the day of our event with contingencies in place for malfunctions.

To ensure that our event participants with special needs will have unrestricted access and egress at the venue location at all times - we also develop emergency plans that are shared with the venue staff to ensure that they can quickly attend to those needing special assistance to evacuate the premises if an unexpected emergency like fire, flood, earthquake were to happen.

Often times we will look for venue locations that offer conference spaces and classroom settings with window views to help accommodate any attendees who self-identify to us in advance of being claustrophobic and needing to avoid feeling trapped.

We also select our event venue locations on their kitchen staff's ability to offer flexible menu choices to our attendees who hold certain dietary restrictions based on medical grounds or religious / ethno-cultural restrictions.

In summary - through our subject matter knowledge in strategic accommodation event planning we ensure all of our participants feel welcome and have equal unrestricted access to all services regardless of their abilities or diverse backgrounds.

Accessible Communication Supports

We at RemedyBlox understand the various accessible communication supports and alternative formats available to accommodate persons with visual, hearing, cognitive and mobility restrictions at an educational forum setting. As such, we always welcome the opportunity to discuss and work out communication supports for individuals requiring such special accommodations at our learning events and program locations.

Examples of alternate accessible communication supports we can offer (with advance notice) to our program registrants with special needs:

Reading written information to a person directly
Large print formats
Text transcripts of audio or visual information
Handwritten notes instead of spoken word
Information written in plain language
An electronic document formatted to be accessible for use with a screen reader
Alternative publication formats in print and e-sources
Sign language interpreters for those who are deaf or hard of hearing
Properly placed event signage at entrance points in large print formats to provide ease of access and clear orientation at the venue
Event greeters welcome and guide participants with special needs to designated program area at the venue site.

In case it may not be possible to convert requested program or course materials for someone with a specific disability or restriction, we issue a timely explanation as to the reasons for select document(s) being unconvertible. (For example, the technology to convert the information is not readily available, or the information may be lost in the conversion process and cannot be conveyed in a meaningful way). We offer a summary of information that is available to them to promote continued access to alternate accommodation supports.

Accommodating Various Dietary Restrictions - Icons of Food Groups

Specialized Menu Options to Accommodate Dietary Restrictions

Our team at RemedyBlox has the proven knowledge, established understanding and respect for people's dietary restrictions based on medical grounds or religious dietary observances. Our team's vast experience having planned and hosted hundreds of various events for diverse community groups and attendees over the years with various dietary restrictions, affords us with the proven know-how to design and work out delicious menu options with participating venue chefs and their venue site's catering team.

We also take pride in our ability to design meal selections with chefs where the offered alternative food choices do not just meet the identified dietary restrictions of a few but are nutritious and tasty meals able to be savored and shared by all in attendance whenever possible as this proactive approach furthers the collective inclusive experience for all during meal times.

For example: If several people have identified being lactose intolerant then any meals requiring dairy we ask the chef to substitute with lactose free ingredients so that the final dishes can be consumed equally by all. Similarly if someone indicates being allergic to strawberries or kiwis then such fruits are eliminated from the entire menu and substituted with other fruits that all are able to consume. On a separate note we are very cognizant that some people might be sensitive or allergic to some condiments, spices, preservatives and nuts where we advise the chef in advance including requesting that such items not come into contact with food items being prepared in the kitchen to avoid allergen cross-contamination.

We also hold decades of experience in planning and designing alternative menu options at public events where we know which food items can be easily substituted to meet the dietary restrictions and needs of our customers and the importance for proper labeling of food dishes at buffet stations to identify which dishes were prepared with special dietary needs in mind.

Examples of Customized Menu Options often involve creative substitutions for the following items:

Alcohol Free Cakes and Desserts
Dairy / Lactose Free
Egg Free
Gluten Free
Kosher / Halal
Low Sodium and limit on select spices and preservatives
MSG Free
Nut Free
Mushroom Free
Pork / Bovine Free Meats or By-products
Specific fruit and vegetable avoidance (e.g., strawberries, tomatoes, green peppers, kiwi, etc..)
Sugar Free / Alternate Sweetener Options
Sulfite-Free
No Trans-Fats
Vegetarian / Vegan
Wheat Free

Large red rim circle with crossed out line across with bottles of scented products inside the circle

Scent Free Policy / Accommodation for Chemical Allergies & Scent Sensitivities

We at RemedyBlox are most cognizant of many people having various environmental sensitivities including severe allergies to latex and scents such as; perfumes, pollen & flowers, and particularly chemical deodorizer agents often sprayed at some establishments which can trigger a severe allergic reaction or exacerbate an existing medical condition for those vulnerable to such exposures.

As a result, whenever we plan an upcoming event for our own customer base or assist our clients with their corporate events we ensure that the venue being considered is both in agreement and capable to offer a strict no-scent policy for our clients at our event venues.

We also look to the venue to control against the use of specific materials by their staff not just on the day of our event but at least one week prior so as to minimize the direct exposure risk to identified allergens and allow for proper natural dissipation in advance of our customers arriving at the venue site.

Some of our "Scent-Free" measures and controls against typical "Environmental Triggers" include:

Scent-free soaps offered at the venue's public restrooms
Avoid use of fresh cut floral displays given that pollen can trigger asthma attack or exacerbate some medical conditions
No spraying of chemical odor-eaters or deodorizing agents anywhere at the facility prior to or during the term of our event
All carpet steam cleaning or vacuuming to consist of scent-free cleaning solvents
No-perfume scented products to be worn by the venue facility staff members out of consideration to our event program registrants
Venue staff to only use latex-free gloves especially when handing food, during meal preparation and during service
Any decorative balloon displays at the venue location is to consist of only latex-free balloons

Photograph of a large conference room with people sitting at tables facing screen at front of room.

Creation of Inclusive and Accessible Public Events

Ways that RemedyBlox can help make your upcoming event fully accessible and AODA compliant:

We design and administer accommodation surveys to your event audience;
We conduct a robust venue site inspection to determine level of available accommodations in place and needing to be implemented into the event plan;
We identify available alternate supports for outstanding accommodation requests;
We fulfill accommodation support contracts with third party accessibility service providers;
We carry out all correspondence and discussion with your event registrants to determine best solutions for meeting their self-identified accommodation requests;
We manage all event accommodation logistics pre- and during your event program;
We plan and coordinate all accommodation support efforts with the venue management team and all staff pre and during a given corporate event;
We administer a post-event accommodation evaluation survey to all in attendance to determine efficiencies and also short-comings that can be improved upon in the future; and
We prepare a post-event accommodation summary report for you that will serve as required confirmation that your event was compliant and met the applicable state / provincial accessibility standards.

ASSISTING EMPLOYERS CREATE SUCCESSFUL ACCOMMODATION PLANS

Accessibility & Accommodation Services

We work with our business clients to help evaluate their workplace accommodation plans at the workplace as well as at their corporate conferences and specials events.

In addition, we know how to assist with the implementation of accommodation plans so as to create an equitable and inclusive environment for persons with disabilities and special needs - such as:

employees / customers with disabilities / special needs
injured workers returning to work on a gradual / modified basis
people with visible / non-visible disabilities
individuals with special dietary restrictions
the elderly with special accommodation needs
individuals with environmental allergies / scent sensitivities
diverse sexual orientation groups, and
persons from diverse ethno-cultural and/or religious backgrounds requiring special considerations

DESIGNING INCLUSIVE & ACCESSIBLE CORPORATE EVENTS

Office employees sitting around a table writing and collaborating.

Let Us Help You Deliver An Accessible & Inclusive Event Program

Ways that we at RemedyBlox can help make your upcoming event fully accessible and inclusive:

We design and administer comprehensive event accommodation surveys to help identify any special accommodation needs your event guests will require that need to be incorporated into your event plan;
We carry out all correspondence and discussion with your event participants to determine best solutions for meeting their self-identified accommodation requests;
We conduct a robust venue location site inspection to determine the level of available accommodations are already in place and what accommodations still need to be implemented into the event plan;
We identify available alternate supports for outstanding accommodation requests;
We fulfill accommodation support contracts with third party accessibility service providers;
We manage all event accommodation logistics pre- and during your event program;
We plan and coordinate all accommodation support efforts with the venue management team and all staff pre and during a given corporate event;
We administer a post-event accommodation evaluation survey to all in attendance to determine efficiencies ("what worked well") and also any short-comings that can be improved upon in the future next time you hold a similar events ; and
We prepare a post-event accommodation summary report for you that will serve as proving required confirmation that your event was compliant and met the respective Accessible Policies and Standards in place in your jurisdiction that the event was held (e.g., Compliance under the AODA for Ontario, Canada)

To learn more about our accessibility focused event assistance services please CLICK on TAB below.

You can also contact us directly using the online form below to discuss your upcoming event needs and ways we can assist you to deliver a fully accommodated and inclusive event for your event audience with special needs or special dietary restrictions based on medical restrictions or ethno-cultural and/or religious observances.

EVENT ASSISTANCE SERVICES

PROMOTING DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Office employees sitting behind desk computers listening to a woman at front of room speak.

STAFF ACCESSIBILITY WORKSHOPS & INCLUSION TRAINING

Let Us Help You Create a Vibrant & Dynamic Diverse Workforce!

We believe in the motto "Diversity is Society's Strength" and we carry this concept forward into our staff training programs that aim to help corporate clients and business owners create a healthy, accommodated and inclusive team environment for their staff as well as creating a positive and welcoming service experience for their customer base.

The following staff training workshops are currently offered online to assist employers create a healthy, safe and inclusive workplace environment for their staff and better accommodate their customer with disabilities and special needs and from diverse backgrounds.

Accessibility is Not Just the Right Thing to Do...It is the Law!
Diversity Sensitivity Training: Managing Society's Mosaic
Return to Work Plans: Workplace Accommodations You Can't Afford to Overlook

To view details of these staff training workshops - please CLICK on TAB below.

ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION TRAINING TOPICS

CORPORATE PRESENTATIONS TO PROMOTE ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION

Our subject matter experts deliver riveting and insightful online presentations for the business sector.

Presentation Topics Include:

ACCESSIBLE AIR: Providing Services to Passengers with Disabilities
Cultural Change Through Courageous Conversations
Scent Allergies: Employers / Businesses / Landlords Duties to Accommodate
Thinking Beyond Structural Barriers
Workplace Accommodations: Facilitating a Seamless Return to Work Transition
Fundamentals of Behavior Addictions and Associated Risks to Employers

To view description on the above presentation topics - please CLICK on TAB below.

ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION CORPORATE PRESENTATIONS

WAYS WE PROMOTE ACCESSIBILITY & DIVERSITY IN PUBLIC FORUMS

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Accessibility & Diversity Strategy

We deliver a host of public awareness online presentations, interactive workshops including school programs that focus on accessibility and diversity promotion.

We speak to members of the general audience as well as special interest organizations representing vulnerable clients where our subject matter experts share their knowledge and best practices to promote equitable and unrestricted access to all regardless of their abilities or diverse backgrounds.

TARGET AUDIENCES:

employees / customers with disabilities / special needs
injured workers returning to work on a gradual / modified basis
people with visible / non-visible disabilities
individuals with special dietary restrictions
the elderly with special accommodation needs
individuals with environmental allergies / scent sensitivities
diverse sexual orientation groups, and
persons from diverse ethno-cultural and/or religious backgrounds requiring special considerations
disability / diversity awareness promotion and sensitivity training for children

To review our current presentation topic list on the above - please CLICK on TAB below.

ACCOMMODATION / INCLUSION- PUBLIC PRESENTATION TOPICS

PLANTING SEEDS OF ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION IN YOUNG MINDS

Our School Programs Help Promote Accessibility & Inclusive Thinking

We believe our future rests in the hands of our youth - which is why we aim to broaden awareness among children about accessibility and diversity. By planting the seeds of accommodation and inclusivity in the minds of children we can achieve the much needed changes in our society to provide unrestricted access and a sense of belonging to all - regardless of their ability, race, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs or sexual orientation.

CHILD PROGRAM TOPICS: