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Rawlco Radio Accessibility Plan

 

1.      General

Contact to receive feedback for the Rawlco Radio Accessibility Plan:

Ian Koturbash
Sr. VP Finance & Administration

Rawlco Radio
715 Saskatchewan Crescent West
Saskatoon, SK.
S7M 5V7

Office telephone: 306-934-2222
Email address: feedback@rawlco.com

 

2.      Executive Summary

We are a private radio “only” company.  We operate 7 radio stations located in Regina, Saskatoon and Calgary.  We have always stressed the importance of being the best local broadcasters we can be in all areas for the benefit of our local communities.  We always think about operating best for our local communities.

Rawlco Radio supports (in a variety of ways including monetary and radio air time) local charities and organizations that provide support to persons with accessibility challenges.  We also lead many local fundraising initiatives in our communities, supporting many of these local community organizations.

Rawlco Radio supports and believes in the principles of the Accessible Canada Act.

 

3.      Accessibility Summary

The purpose of our Accessibility Plan is to manage our ongoing processes of identifying and removing barriers to accessibility within our organization.  We support the principles established by the Accessible Canada Act and this is our plan to achieve the goals set-out in the Act.

Our plan is a local plan.  Our objectives are to achieve these goals on a local basis in our communities.

Our Accessible Committee is responsible for overseeing the activities undertaken under the Rawlco Radio Accessibility Plan.

 

4.      Areas of Accessibility

4.1           Barriers by Area

We note that the Rawlco Radio Employment Equity Plan is in place to identify accessibility issues related to employment.  However, we note that employment equity for persons with disabilities overlaps many of the Areas of Accessibility identified in this Plan.  Our Employment Equity Committee has been made aware of the Rawlco Radio Accessibility Plan and will coordinate with the Accessibility Committee on existing procedures we already have in place in our Employment Equity Plan – to identify and eliminate any barriers that are identified.  Specific areas we are addressing in Areas of Accessibility are:

a.      Our Employment Practices

  • Our Employment Equity Committee is aware of the Accessible Canada Act and our Rawlco Radio Accessibility Plan. We will continue to seek input, work to identify and eliminate employment barriers when they are identified.  Reasonable timelines will be established for eliminating when barriers are identified.  We have eliminated or addressed a number of employment barriers that have been identified under our Employment Equity Plan and we will continue to consider strategies to continue to do that.

b.      Our Built Environment

  • In addition to the work already being done under our Employment Equity Plan, our Accessibility Committee will also seek external input on our built environment from our listeners and our clients. Our Accessibility Committee will make recommendations to management for changes when barriers are identified and suggest changes that can be made to eliminate the barriers.  Reasonable timelines will be established for eliminating any barriers identified.

c.       Our Communication and Information Technologies

  • We are conscious of this in our Employment Equity Plan. Our Accessibility Committee will seek external input on our Communication and Information Technologies from our listeners and our clients.  This will include a review of our websites for AA conformance in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines established by the World Wide Web Consortium.  Our goal is to identify barriers and make recommendations to management on how to eliminate the barriers.  Reasonable timelines will be established for eliminating when barriers are identified.

d.      Our Processes to Procure Goods, Services and Facilities

  • Our Accessibility Committee will seek internal and external input on our procurement process from our suppliers, listeners and our clients. Our goal is to identify barriers and make recommendations to management on how to eliminate the barriers. Reasonable timelines will be established for eliminating when barriers are identified.

e.      Our Design and Delivery of our Programs and Advertising Services

  • Our Accessibility Committee will seek internal and external input on how we design and deliver our radio programs and our advertising services with regards to accessibility. Our goal is to identify barriers and make recommendations to management on how to eliminate the barriers.  Reasonable timelines will be established for eliminating when barriers are identified.

f.        Our Transportation Considerations

  • Our Accessibility Committee will seek internal and external input on any transportation issues with regards to accessibility. Our goal is to identify barriers and make recommendations to management on how to eliminate the barriers.  Reasonable timelines will be established for eliminating when barriers are identified.

4.2           Licence Conditions Under Part II or the Broadcasting Act

  • We note that all Rawlco Radio stations are members of the Canadian Standards Broadcast Council. Adhering to established codes is an important ongoing role that broadcasters play in eliminating barriers that may be present in radio broadcasts.
  • We agree with the Commission’s expectation that we should reflect the cultural diversity of Canada in our programming and employment practices. This is important to creating an atmosphere of acceptance with Accessibility matters.
  • In accordance with Implementation of an employment equity policy, Public Notice CRTC 1992-59, 1 September 1992, we note the Commission encourages us to consider employment equity issues in our hiring practices and in all other aspects of its management of human resources.

4.3           Provisions of any order made under subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act

  • At this time, there are no provisions of any order made under subsection 9(4) that we are aware affect our Accessibility Plan.

4.4           Provisions of any order made under subsection 10(1) of the Broadcasting Act.

  • At this time, there are no provisions of any order made under subsection 10(1) that we are aware affect our Accessibility Plan.

 

5.      Consultations

Through the work of our Employment Equity Committee, we have regular ongoing consultations with our entire staff about identifications of barriers to employment of persons with disabilities.  This is an ongoing process and will continue into the future.  Our Accessibility Committee will have discussions with our Employment Equity Committee.  The feedback and input we get from ongoing consultations play a key role in the ongoing organic growth of both our Employment Equity Plan and our Accessibility Plan.

In our weekly reporting process, we encourage employees to discuss any employment equity issues they identify, we will engage them on accessibility issues as well.

Our Accessibility Plan will be posted on our corporate website www.rawlco.com.  It will be accessible from the home page.  We will invite feedback on our plan and ask for input on identifying barriers.

We will consider other methods of seeking input on our plan from our listeners, our clients and members of our community, including charitable organizations that we support.

 

6.     Feedback

We will seek feedback on an ongoing basis from our staff, listeners, clients, members
of the public and from community partners in our communities.

We will seek feedback from and share ideas with other broadcasters whom we have
good working relationships.

As noted in section 5, we have had feedback from employees on accessibility issues for
some time through our employment equity plan and we will continue to seek that
feedback.

 

7.      Budget and Resources

Budget and resources will be made available as required for the work of our Accessibility Committee – working to identify and eliminate barriers.

Our radio stations will continue to provide radio promotional support to many local organizations and events that work to overcome accessibility challenges.

We will continue to make donations to community charity organizations that support persons with accessibility challenges.

 

8.      Training

We have hosted a number of company-wide staff training sessions related to employment equity issues including mental health awareness and employment barriers that persons in equity categories face.

We view staff awareness and a positive company culture related to these matters as very important.  We will do training from time to time when we see opportunities to train.

This will include in-person sessions and on-line sessions (via zoom for example) on important topics – based on needs identified by our Accessibility Committee.