Providing products and services to persons with disabilities
In this document we, us and our mean Sun Life Financial Inc., Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, and their affiliates in Canada.
1. Our commitment
We strive to provide products and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. We are committed to giving persons with disabilities the same opportunity to access our products and services and allowing them to benefit from the same services, in the same place and in a similar way as other clients.
2. Providing products and service to persons with disabilities
We are committed to excellence in serving all clients including persons with disabilities and we will carry out our functions and responsibilities in the following areas:
2.1 Communication
We will communicate with persons with disabilities in ways that take into account their disabilities. We will train those who communicate with clients on how to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disabilities.
2.2 Telephone services
We are committed to providing accessible telephone service to our clients. We will train those who communicate with our clients over the telephone to speak in plain language and to speak clearly and slowly.
We will offer to communicate with clients in an alternate format if telephone communication is not suitable to their communication needs or is not available.
2.3 Assistive devices
We are committed to serving persons with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our products and services. We will ensure there is awareness that assistive devices may be used by clients with disabilities while accessing our products and services and we will respond appropriately.
2.4 Written communication
We are committed to providing accessible communication to all of our clients.
3. Use of service animals
We are committed to welcoming persons with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the parts of our premises that are open to the public and other third parties. We will also ensure that all those that engage with the public are properly trained in how to interact with persons with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.
We note that a service animal may be easily identified through visual indicators, however if we cannot easily identify that an animal is a service animal, we may ask a person to provide documentation (template, letter or form) from a regulated health professional.
4. Support persons
We welcome persons with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person on the parts of our premises that are open to the public and other third parties. Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to enter our premises with his or her support person. At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to his or her support person while on our premises.
Helping ensure the privacy and confidentiality of our clients’ personal information is one of our priorities. If a client’s personal information will be discussed in the presence of a support person, we may require the client to provide his or her consent to having the support person present at the discussion.
5. Notice of temporary disruption
We will provide clients with notice if there is a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services usually used by persons with disabilities. This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.
Where appropriate, this notice will be placed at all public entrances, and/or on our website at www.sunlife.ca.
6. Training
Sun Life will provide training to all members of our organization. We will require outsourced service providers who deal with the public or third parties on our behalf to comply with accessibility legislation.
This training will be provided within a reasonable period of time after the member joins our organization. Training will include the following:
- The purposes and requirements of relevant accessibility legislation
- How to interact and communicate with persons with different disabilities
- How to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or support person
- What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing our products and services
- Our policies, practices and procedures relating to accessibility legislation and providing accessible client service.
Training will be provided on an ongoing basis when changes are made to these policies, practices and procedures.
7. Questions & Feedback process
To provide feedback regarding the way we provide products and services to persons with disabilities please contact our Ombudsman's Office at:
Email: ombudsman@sunlife.com.
Telephone:
416-408-8954 or 514-866-2477
Toll-free 1-877-SUNLIFE
(and asked to be transferred to the Ombudsman’s Office)
Fax: 416-595-1431
Mail:
Ombudsman
Sun Life Financial
227 King Street South
Waterloo, ON N2J 1R2
Feedback will be received and managed by the Sun Life Financial Ombudsman’s Office. Communication supports and accessible formats are available and may be arranged upon request.
If anyone has a question about this policy, or if the purpose of a policy is not understood, please contact our Ombudsman’s Office.
Sun Life will provide all documents relating to our accessible client service, including this document, in an accessible format or with communication support, on request. We will consult with the person making the request to determine the suitability of the format or communication support. We will provide the accessible format in a timely manner and, at no additional cost.
8. Modifications to this or other policies
We are committed to developing client service processes that respect and promote the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. No changes will be made to this policy before considering the impact on persons with disabilities.
Our policies are intended to promote the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity for persons with disabilities, and if they do not respect these principles we will modify or remove them.