Western Fair Association, and by proxy the AgRobotics Working Group, is committed to providing a barrier-free environment for all stakeholders including our clients/customers, employees, job applicants, suppliers, and any visitors who may access our information, or use our services. As a Working Group, we respect and uphold the requirements set forth under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005), and its associated standards and regulations.  

The AgRobotics Working Group understands that we have a responsibility to ensure a safe, dignified, and welcoming environment for everyone. We are committed to ensuring compliance by incorporating accessibility legislation into our policies, procedures, equipment requirements, training, and best practices. In addition, we will strive to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in a timely and effective manner 

Purpose and Scope  

The AgRobotics Working Group (ARWG) strives at all times to provide goods and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.  The ARWG is also committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities receive accessible goods and services of the same quality that others receive. This plan is intended to meet current legislative requirements and applies to the provision of goods and services, not to the goods themselves.   

Reasonable efforts will be made to ensure that:   

• Where possible, goods and services are provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities;  

• The goods and services provided to persons with disabilities are integrated with the provision to others unless an alternate measure is necessary to allow a person with a disability to benefit from the goods and services. The alternate measure may be temporary or permanent, and may be dependant on the nature and location of the specific ARWG event; 

• Communication with a person with a disability is conducted in a manner that takes into account their disability;  

• People with disabilities may use assistive devices, service animals and support persons as is necessary to access AgRobotics Working Group goods and services. If a service animal is excluded by law from a premise, other measures will be made available for the person with a disability to access the goods or services.  

Training:  

• Western Fair Association will take the following steps to ensure AgRobotics Working Group employees are provided with the training needed to meet Ontario’s accessible laws:   

• Communicate the purpose of the law.  

• How to interact and communicate with people, with various types of disabilities.   

• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing WFD goods and services.   

• Staff training will be updated as changes are made to the AODA.  

Information and communications:  

• Western Fair Association is committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities.   

Feedback process:  

• Western Fair Association will take the following steps to ensure existing feedback processes are accessible to people with disabilities upon request   

• WFD shall provide customers with the opportunity to provide feedback on the service provided to customers with disabilities verbally (in person or by phone) or written (hand-written, delivered, website or email). 

Customers can submit feedback to:   

AgRobotics Working Group 

Western Fair District 

316 Rectory Street, London, ON 

arwg@westernfairdistrict.com 

226-242-4964 

Publicly available information: 

• AgRobotics Working Group meetings will be published on the Working Group website 6 weeks following the meeting time. Meeting notes are also available on request in the following format: 

• Hard-copy  

• Large print  

• Email pdf version  

Western Fair Association will take the following steps to prevent and remove other accessibility barriers identified:  

Assistive Devices:  

• Reasonable measures will be put in place to reduce barriers to those who need assistive devices from participating in ARWG meetings and demo days. Please note, due to the nature of field trials (uneven ground, outside conditions), customers are recommended to contact us directly for specific event-related questions 

Guide Dogs and Service Animals:  

• Service Animals are permitted on Western Fair Property, provided they are well-mannered and wearing appropriate identification. When attending off-site events, some of which may take place on private property, event attendees are advised to contact the AgRobotics Working Group in advance. 

Support Persons:  

• Fees are not currently charged for AgRobotics Working Group meetings or demo days. Individuals requiring a support person will not be charged for the Support Person.  

Notice of Temporary Disruptions:  

• Any temporary disruptions to meeting times or events will be promoted first through email, and then to the website (for event-specific items).