Purpose

The Sanofi Group is inclusive of Sanofi Pasteur Limited, sanofi-aventis Canada Inc. and Sanofi Consumer Health Inc. The Sanofi Group in Canada respects the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity for Ontarians with disabilities. This Policy is intended to ensure that Sanofi maintains an accessible environment for persons with disabilities with respect to the delivery and/or provision of goods, services, and facilities to Customers and in all facets of employment.

Scope

This Accessibility Policy outlines the policies and procedures that Sanofi promotes in Ontario, as it strives to ensure diversity, inclusion, and equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities, in accordance with the Accessibility Act for Ontarians with Disabilities, 2005 and its regulations (“AODA”), as amended from time to time.

This Policy applies to all employees, consultants or contractors of the Sanofi Group in Canada in the Province of Ontario, including the provision of any services from outside the Province of Ontario (e.g. outsourced call centres).

Statement

The Sanofi Group in Canada is committed to treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity. We are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the AODA.

Sanofi is further committed to promoting equality in employment and providing Ontario employees with programs, support and opportunities irrespective of disability.

In addition, Sanofi aims to ensure that our Ontario Customers and the public that we interact with have equal access to and receive equal benefit from our products and services.

Information and Communications

Sanofi will maintain documents describing this Policy on its website and, upon request, shall provide copies in an accessible format.

We are committed to meeting the communication needs of people with disabilities. Upon request, Sanofi shall provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities, including without limitation in respect of the information and communications referred to in this Policy. Sanofi will do so in a timely manner that takes into account the person’s accessibility needs due to disability and at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons, as applicable. Sanofi shall consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.

Upon request, Sanofi shall provide emergency procedures, plans, and/or public safety information to members of the public in accessible formats or with appropriate communication supports as soon as practicable.

Customer Service

Sanofi will provide access to its goods, services, and facilities to Customers with disabilities in a manner that is consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration, and equality of opportunity, and that is in compliance with the Customer Service Standards under the AODA.

Sanofi provides very restricted site access, and accordingly, there is minimal access by non-employees or third parties authorized to be on site. In addition, our products and services are not purchased by and rendered to Customers in the manner of other manufacturing organizations.

Subject to these bona fide occupational requirements, Sanofi will ensure all Customers receive equal accessibility to its goods, services, and facilities, and in particular in connection with the following areas:

Communication

When communicating with a Customer with a disability, communication will take into account the Customer’s disability. Employees, consultants, contractors, and any other individuals providing goods, services, or facilities on Sanofi’s behalf will consider how a Customer’s disability may affect the way that he or she expresses, receives, or processes communications and, where possible, they will ask the Customer how to best communicate with him or her.

Assistive Devices

Assistive devices that may be used by Customers with disabilities will be welcome on Sanofi premises open to the public or other third parties, including but not limited to canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, oxygen tanks, screen readers, listening devices, speech amplification devices, magnification devices, note-taking devices, and communication boards. Sanofi will ensure that employees, consultants, contractors, and any other individuals providing goods, services, or facilities on Sanofi’s behalf are familiar with such assistive devices.

In the event that an assistive device is excluded by law from the premises (e.g. oxygen tanks near open flames), Sanofi will provide the applicable Customer with an alternative method of obtaining, using, or benefitting from its goods, services, or facilities.

Access for Service Animals and Support Persons

Customers who are accompanied by a service animal are permitted to enter the premises, except where such service animals are excluded by law. In the event that a service animal is excluded by law from the premises, Sanofi will provide the applicable Customer with an alternative method of obtaining, using or benefitting from its goods, services, or facilities.

Sanofi welcomes persons who support individuals with disabilities to accompany them onto Sanofi’s premises that are open to the public or other third parties. Sanofi will ensure that Customers who so require have access to their support persons while on the premises.

Sanofi will seek the consent of the Customer before confidential information is discussed in front of the support person. In situations where either a support person is present and confidential information may need to be discussed, or access to an area is restricted, appropriate arrangements shall be made (such as a designated meeting room, in light of restricted site access issues).

Sanofi will require a support person to accompany a Customer when on the premises when it determines that such an arrangement is necessary to protect the Customer’s health and safety or that of others on the premises.

Notice of Temporary Disruption

Notices regarding the temporary disruption of facilities or services offered by Sanofi to Customers with disabilities (e.g. automatic doors, elevators, washroom facilities, on-site transportation vehicle) will be posted and/or provided in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in services.

Notices will be provided as appropriate on one or of the following ways telephone message, website, at the entrance to its premises, and by the disrupted service or facility at a reasonable time in advance of the disruption and during the disruption. If the disruption is unexpected, the notices will be provided as soon as the disruption becomes known to Sanofi.

Information regarding the reason for and anticipated length of time of the disruption, as well as alternate methods to access the facilities or services shall also be made available.

Feedback Process

Sanofi has established a process for receiving and responding to feedback about:

  • The manner in which it provides goods, services, or facilities to persons with disabilities; and
  • Whether the feedback process itself is accessible to persons with disabilities.

If you have any questions or concerns, or other feedback please send an email to CAINTERNET@sanofi.com or write 2905 Place Louis-R.-Renaud, Laval, QC H7V 0A3, Canada attention Communications.

Upon request, Sanofi will provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for receiving and responding to feedback, and Sanofi will consult with the person making the request in determining the suitability of an accessible format or communication support.

All feedback will be addressed in accordance with the terms and principles of this Policy. A Sanofi contact person will review any feedback received and will provide a response within a reasonable time.

Upon receipt of feedback, Sanofi will review the feedback internally and will determine what improvements it can make to its provisions of goods and services to persons with disabilities in order to address the feedback. The AODA Contact Person at Sanofi will, if requested by the person providing the feedback, respond to the feedback, within a timely manner. A response will be provided in the format requested, which can include by email, telephone, or in writing. The response will contain an acknowledgement of the receipt of the person’s feedback, advise of any actions, if any, taken by Sanofi to address the feedback, and outline any further action(s) to be taken by Sanofi, if any. Where appropriate, feedback will be taken into consideration as part of the ongoing review of the Sanofi AODA Customer Service Policy and AODA Customer Service Procedures documents.

Employment Standards

Sanofi accommodates all employees’ disabilities in all facets of employment to the point of undue hardship.

Sanofi notifies employees and the public about the availability of accommodations for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment process. If a selected applicant requests accommodation, Sanofi provides accommodation in a manner that addresses the applicant’s accessibility needs. If selected for the position, Sanofi notifies the individual of its policies for accommodation in its workplace.

Sanofi has a written process for developing Individual Accommodation Plans for employees with disabilities, which includes:

  • The employee’s participation in the development of the individual accommodation plan;
  • Assessment on an individual basis;
  • Timelines for providing accommodation; and
  • Individual emergency response plans, if applicable.

Sanofi takes into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities when conducting performance management, providing career development and advancement, and when employees are redeployed.

Sanofi has a documented return to work process for employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and who require disability-related accommodations. This process includes the employee’s participation in the development of the individual accommodation plan in conjunction with our standard return to work process.

Further particulars of these and other employment accommodation matters are located in Sanofi’s Multi-Year Accessibility Plan.

Training

Training on the AODA will be provided to employees, those who are involved in developing customer service policies and procedures.

An online module has been used to train all required persons. Follow up questions or feedback may be addressed to the Human Resources department. The training involves:

  • An overview of the AODA and the Integrated Accessibility Standards;
  • An over view of the Ontario Human Rights Code as it pertains to persons with disabilities;
  • How to interact, communicate, and assist people with disabilities, and in particular, people with assistive devices and those who require the assistance of a guide dog, service animal, or support person;
  • How to use equipment or devices available on Sanofi’s premises or otherwise provided that may help with the provision of goods, services, or facilities to a person with a disability and
  • What to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty accessing Sanofi’s goods, services, or facilities.

Sanofi ensures that all new personnel are trained as soon as practicable as part of the onboarding process. Training will also be provided on an ongoing basis whenever Sanofi’s policies change with respect to Customer service accessibility for individuals with disabilities.

Sanofi will keep a record of all training provided, documenting who was trained and when.

Multi-year Accessibility Plan

As required by the Integrated Accessibility Standards, Sanofi has established, implemented and commits to maintain by updating, as required, a Multi-Year Accessibility Plan outlining our strategies to remove barriers within our organization and to increase accessibility for persons with disabilities. The Plan contains Sanofi’s existing and new initiatives to achieve the goals of the Integrated Standards. The Plan has been posted on the Sanofi website and upon request, a copy will be provided in an accessible format.

Additional Resources

Definitions

Disability :

  • any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness;
  • a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability;
  • a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language;
  • a mental disorder; or
  • an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

Service Animal: an animal is a service animal for a person with a disability,

  • if it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to the person’s disability; or
  • if the person provides a letter from a physician, nurse, or other prescribed individual confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability.

Support Person: another person who accompanies the person with a disability in order to assist with communication, mobility, personal care, medical needs or access to goods, services, or facilities.

Assistive Device: a technical aid, communication device or other instrument that is used to maintain or improve the functional abilities of people with disabilities.

Sanofi Group in Canada (sometimes referred to as “Sanofi”) means:

  • Sanofi Pasteur Limited
  • Sanofi-Aventis Canada Inc.
  • Sanofi Consumer Health Inc.

Customer: Refers to individuals who receive and/or use goods, services, or facilities from Sanofi (e.g., patients, doctors, pharmacists, members of government).

Policy Review

This Policy will be reviewed by Sanofi at least every five years, and more frequently should legislative changes or changes to the workplace necessitate further review.