Web Accessibility
ACCESSIBILITY POLICY
Purpose
The purpose of this Policy is to set out the principles and commitments that guide Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics (“Lush”) on its path to improving accessibility and ensuring compliance with applicable accessibility legislation.
Application and Scope
This Policy applies to all Lush employees (including persons who participate in developing Lush’s policies) and persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of Lush, to Lush’s customers, members of the public and other applicable third parties.
Commitment Statement
Lush’s goal is to foster an inclusive organizational culture that supports dignity, independence and equal opportunity. Lush is committed to identifying and meeting the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in an effective, appropriate and timely manner through compliance with applicable accessibility legislation and through the furtherance of its organizational goal to identify and address barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Definitions
Accessible Formats: formats that are an alternative to standard print and are accessible to people with disabilities. They may include, but are not limited to, large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, and Braille.
Accommodation: the special arrangement made or assistance provided so that persons with disabilities can participate in the experiences available to persons without disabilities. Accommodation will vary depending on an individual’s unique needs.
Assistive Devices and Measures: supports made available by providers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, such as wheelchairs, volunteers, real-time captioning services (e.g., on-screen typing of what speakers are saying), sign language interpreters, deaf-blind interveners and Telephone Teletypes (TTY) for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, have speech impairments or are deaf-blind.
Barrier: anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in one or more aspects of society, including a physical barrier, an architectural barrier, information or communications barrier, attitudinal barrier, technological barrier, policy or practice.
Communication Supports: supports that individuals with disabilities may need to access information. They include, but are not limited to, captioning, alternative and augmentative communication supports, plain language, sign language and other supports that facilitate effective communications.
Disability: means a disability within the meaning of applicable accessibility legislation.
Feedback: any comments, compliments, suggestions or complaints provided to Lush by those we serve.
Kiosk: an interactive electronic terminal, including a point-of-sale device, intended for public use that allows users to access one or more services or products or both.
Redeployment: reassignment of employees to other departments or jobs within the organization as an alternative to layoff, when a particular job or department has been eliminated.
Service Animal: means an animal used by a person with a disability for reasons relating to his or her disability.
Standard: what, according to the applicable accessibility legislation, a person or organization must do to achieve accessibility for persons with disabilities to whom the standard applies.
Support Person: means any person who accompanies a person with a disability to assist with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to services.
Requirements
1. Accessibility Policy & Commitment Statement
Lush has prepared and will maintain this document to describe the principles and commitments that guide Lush on its path to improving accessibility and ensuring compliance with applicable accessibility legislation.
2. Self-Service Kiosks
Although Lush does not currently use self-service kiosks, Lush will have regard to the accessibility for persons with disabilities should it design, procure or acquire self-service kiosks by considering what accessibility features could be built into kiosks to best meet the needs of its customers and clients.
3. Training
Where necessary for compliance with applicable accessibility legislation, Lush will provide training to:
· its employees and volunteers (if any),
· all persons who participate in developing Lush’s policies, and
· all other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of Lush,
on the requirements of applicable accessibility legislation. The training that is provided will take into consideration and will be appropriate to the duties of the individuals receiving the training.
Lush will provide training on an ongoing basis with respect to changes made to applicable accessibility legislation.
Records of the training provided will be maintained and will include: (i) the dates on which training was provided and (ii) the individuals to whom training is provided.
4. Information and Communications
Feedback: Lush will continue to ensure that its processes for receiving and responding to feedback are accessible to persons with disabilities by providing, or arranging for the provision of, accessible formats and communications supports, upon request. Feedback regarding accessibility issues can be made to Lush by calling 1-888-733-5874. Complaints will be addressed as soon as practicable after receipt.
Accessible formats and communication supports: Upon request, Lush will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities in a timely manner that takes into account each person’s accessibility needs due to disability and (if applicable) at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons.
Lush will consult with the person making the request for an accessible format or communication support when determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.
Emergency Procedure, Plans, or Public Safety Information: Lush has emergency response procedures, plans and public safety information that it makes available to the public. Upon request, Lush provides or arranges for accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities in a timely manner that takes into account each person’s accessibility needs due to disability and (if applicable) at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons.
Lush will consult with the person making the request for an accessible format or communication support for the procedures, plans and public safety information when determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.
5. Employment
Lush’s policies and practices are intended to build an inclusive and accessible work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.
Recruitment: In its recruitment processes, Lush will advise its employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities.
Recruitment, Assessment or Selection Process: Lush will notify job applicants, when they are individually selected to participate further in an assessment or selection process, that accommodations are available upon request in relation to the materials or processes to be used.
If a selected job applicant requests accommodation relating to their participation in the hiring process, Lush will consult with the individual and provide or arrange for the provision of suitable accommodation that takes into account the applicant’s disability-related needs.
Notice to Successful Applicants: When making offers of employment, Lush will notify successful applicants of its policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
Informing Employees of Supports: Lush will notify its employees of its policies (and any updates to those policies) for supporting employees with disabilities, including policies regarding the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee’s accessibility needs due to disability. This information will be provided to new hires as soon as practicable after they commence employment.
Accessible Formats and Communication Supports for Employees: If an employee with a disability asks for information in an accessible format or to receive communication supports, Lush will consult with the employee to provide, or arrange for the provision of, accessible formats and communication supports for information that the employee needs to perform his/her job, as well as information that is generally available to other employees.
In determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support, Lush will consult with the employee making the request.
Workplace Emergency Response Information: Lush will provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees with disabilities where the disability is such that individualized information is necessary and Lush is aware of the need for accommodation. Lush will provide workplace emergency response information as soon as practicable after learning of the need for accommodation due to an employee’s disability.
Where an employee who receives individualized workplace emergency response information requires assistance, Lush will designate a person to provide assistance and, with the employee’s consent, Lush will provide the workplace emergency response information to such person.
Lush will review individualized workplace emergency response information, at minimum, whenever:
· the employee moves to a different location within Lush,
· the employee’s overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed, or
· Lush reviews its general emergency response policies.
Documented Individual Accommodation Plans: Lush will develop and maintain a written process for the development of documented individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities.
If requested, information regarding accessible formats and communications supports provided will also be included in individual accommodation plans, in accordance with the applicable Standards, if any. Additionally, the plans will include individualized workplace emergency response information (where required and in accordance with the applicable Standard, if any). Plans will also identify any other accommodation that is to be provided.
Return to Work Process: Lush will develop and maintain a documented return to work process for its employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and who require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work.
The return to work process will, as part of the process, outline the steps that Lush will take to facilitate the return to work and will include documented individual accommodation plans.
Lush notes that this return to work process will not replace or override any other return to work process created by or under any other statute.
Performance Management, Career Development and Advancement & Redeployment: Lush will take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when conducting performance management, providing career development and advancement to employees, or when redeploying employees.
6. Built Environment
Lush will ensure that it adheres to the general obligations and technical requirements of applicable accessibility legislation when it constructs new or redevelops built environments or public spaces, including but not limited to parking and waiting areas.
7. Customer Service
Lush strives at all times to provide its goods and services to the public and applicable third parties in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. Lush is also committed to giving persons with disabilities the same opportunity to access and benefit from its goods and services as other members of the public.
Provision of Service to People with Disabilities: Lush will provide its services and communicate with customers, members of the public and applicable third parties to whom it provides goods and services at its premises in a manner that takes into account a person’s disability.
Persons with disabilities will be permitted to obtain, use or benefit from Lush's services through the use of their own assistive devices. It is the responsibility of the person with a disability to ensure that his or her assistive device is operated in a safe and controlled manner at all times.
Lush is committed to welcoming persons with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the parts of its premises that are open to the public and other applicable third parties, to the extent permitted by law. Lush will ensure that all employees and others who deal with the public and applicable third parties at Lush's premises are properly trained in how to interact with persons with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal where it is required by applicable accessibility legislation.
Lush is also committed to providing access to the parts of its premises that are open to the public and other applicable third parties to the support persons of persons with disabilities.
Notice of Temporary Disruption: Lush will provide appropriate parties with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in services provided by Lush which are usually used by persons with disabilities, if any. This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.
Availability of Documents: A copy of Lush’s Commitment Statement and notice regarding this Policy shall be made available in a public area(s) at Lush's premises where it is required by applicable accessibility legislation. Upon request, Lush will provide this document in an accessible format which takes into account the person's disability.