Feedback Process

General

Atlas Van Lines published our first Accessibility Plan last year. The plan describes the goals we are committed to achieving during the 3-year period from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2027. This report provides an overview of the progress we made in the first year of our plan. Our goals and progress are grouped by the 7 areas covered by the Accessible Canada Act. We are proud of the progress we have made, and continue to be committed to fulfilling all 35 of our goals.

Contact Information and Feedback Process

Atlas Van Lines welcomes feedback, including feedback submitted anonymously. Our employees, moving agents and members of the public are invited to provide feedback about this plan and about accessibility at Atlas more generally. We are committed to reviewing the feedback and taking steps to address identified barriers.

You can ask for this report in an alternate format, submit feedback about accessibility at Atlas Van Lines, or comment on this report by contacting:

Director, Client Care and Accessibility Officer

Email: accessibility@atlasvanlines.ca

Phone: 1-833-842-5665

Mail:  485 North Service Road East Oakville, ON L6H 1A5

You can also submit feedback on our social media channels:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Progress on Goals

This report covers the progress we have made on our accessibility goals between June 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025.

1. Built Environment

1. By June 2025, we will lower the height of items in the office that are hanging on walls, including fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and towel dispensers.

Status: Completed August 2024.

1. By December 2025, we will address barriers located at the front entrance of our building. This includes repairing the crumbling concrete on the lip of the front entrance, lowering the height of the intercom system button, and smoothing the walkway.
2. Status: We are ahead of schedule on this task, which will be completed by August 2025.
3. By June 2026, we will build a gender-neutral, accessible washroom on the first floor of our building.

Status: Completed March 2025. Not only did Atlas add an accessible, gender-neutral bathroom, but we also built a new accessible boardroom on the first floor and updated all door handles to be accessibility-friendly. These improvements reflect our ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.

1. By June 2026, we will create a plan for addressing other barriers in our built environment.

Status: Upcoming.

2. Employment

1. Goal: By November 2024, we will provide relevant staff with training around accessibility and disability issues. The training will focus on providing customer service to people with disabilities.

Status: Completed December 2024.

1. Goal: By January 2025, we will write a workplace accommodation policy. We will hold a staff information meeting about the policy and any related procedures.

Status: In progress. Due to limited human resources, this goal has been delayed. We have updated the timeline.

Revised timeline: December 2025.

1. Goal: By March 2025, we will train Atlas human resources staff and managers on the duty to accommodate and best practices in staff accommodations. This will include supporting employees with mental health conditions.

Status: In progress. Resource availability affected the original schedule for this goal, so we have updated the timeline. Human resources will meet with the Employee Assistance Program to get this work started.

Revised timeline: December 2025.

1. By June 2025, all our human resources staff and hiring managers will receive training in best practices in inclusive recruitment and hiring. This includes specific training in writing inclusive job descriptions and job postings.

Status: In progress. This goal was also impacted by human resource constraints, which delayed our timeline.

Revised timeline: March 2026.

1. By June 2025, we will consult with the recruiting agencies Atlas uses. We will explore how they may make their recruitment practices more accessible to people with disabilities.

Status: In progress. As with other goals in the Employment section, limited human resource availability means we are revising our timeline to meet this goal.

Revised timeline: September 2025.

1. By June 2025, we will revise our Risk Recognition and Awareness Policies to reflect how people with disabilities will be assisted in office emergencies, such as a fire.

Status: In progress. To account for our current resource limitations, we realistically pushed back our timeline to a period that is more achievable. Relevant staff are attending a webinar on this topic to start preparing for revising the policy.

Revised timeline: December 2025.

1. By June 2025, we will implement a check-in or other centralized system for staff to indicate when they are working at the office.

Revised timeline: December 2025.

1. By September 2025, we will make all employee-facing policies available in MS Word or in an accessible format. All policies will be in a centralized digital location.

Status: In progress and on track. Staff who can meet this goal have been identified.

3. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

1. By December 2024, AtlasVanLines.ca will have WordPress plugins installed that will increase the accessibility of the website.

Status: Completed June 2024. We installed AccessiBe on our website which allows visitors to click an icon that will customize the site to their needs. Atlas uses AccessiBe as a second layer of assurance regarding the accessibility of our main website, AtlasVanLines.ca. It doesn’t replace manual oversight of the site. Importantly, Atlas is planning a full website refresh in 2026, with accessibility as a core priority.

1. By February 2025, we will conduct website user testing with people with disabilities to check improvements and identify any further accessibility barriers on AtlasVanLines.ca.

Status: In progress. We will be ensuring that our marketing agency or a consulting agency will conduct user testing on the site.

Revised timeline: September 2025.

1. By June 2025, AtlasVanLines.ca will meet the WCAG 2.2 A standard.

Status: In progress. We have implemented a number of important updates, including reorganizing the heading structures, improving the colour contrast, applying descriptive alt text and title attributes to meaningful images, and “skip to main content” links to make keyboard navigation faster. The website refresh in 2026 will ensure we go beyond WCAG 2.2 A standard.

Revised timeline: December 2025.

1. Every year, Atlas staff will review or audit the websites to maintain their accessibility.

Status: Ongoing. Our marketing agency conducts an annual review of our websites to help ensure accessibility is maintained and up to date. This process supports Atlas staff in identifying and addressing any necessary updates to meet accessibility standards each year. To do this, our marketing team conducts regular manual reviews of website templates and content and incorporates user feedback.

1. By June 2025, we will consult with our parent company, Atlas World Group around future plans to increase the accessibility of the AtlasNet website.

Status: In progress. We have a meeting planned to review and discuss the accessibility of AtlasNet in more detail. As part of this discussion, we’ll outline current capabilities, identify potential areas for improvement, and determine next steps for enhancing accessibility.

1. By June 2025, we will train IT and communications staff in digital accessibility, as it applies to their jobs.

Status: In progress. We are currently arranging for this training to take place.

Revised timeline: December 2025.

1. By March 2026, we will be closing the inventory app for our drivers. We will write accessibility criteria for the app that we will then use during the process of procuring software for a new app alternative.

Status: Upcoming.

1. By June 2026, AtlasVanLines.ca will meet the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.

Status: Upcoming. The website refresh in 2026 will ensure we meet the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.

1. By June 2026, we will have advocated to our parent company, Atlas World Group, our parent company that is responsible for online claims forms, to simplify the online claim filing process. This includes making the online forms more intuitive and accessible.

Status: Upcoming. Staff are working with our parent company, Atlas World Group on the software we use for customers to file claims.

4. Communications, Other Than ICT

1. By June 2026, Atlas Canada will work with our parent company, Atlas World Group, our parent company, to explore options to make all of Atlas’ brand and communications standards and style guides accessible. We will also explore creating photos that include people with disabilities for the website and other communications assets.

Status: Upcoming. We’ve already begun adding more inclusive images to our website, including photos that reflect greater diversity. We’ll continue to adopt this approach and expand representation as we make ongoing updates to our site and other communication materials.

1. By June 2026, we will train communications and relevant IT staff on accessible communications, accessible websites, accessible social media, and digital accessibility.

Status: Upcoming.

1. By June 2026, we will develop an internal set of guidelines for accessible social media practices. This will include guidance on camel case hashtags, use of alt text for images, best practices for video captions.

Status: Upcoming. We have not yet developed internal guidelines for accessible social media practices, but we will be exploring how to approach this and create guidelines by the deadline.

1. By December 2026, we will implement a Teletypewriter line that can be used by deaf stakeholders.

Status: Upcoming. Discussions have already started with Rogers.

1. By January 2027, we will post digital versions of paper brochures on AtlasVanLines.ca, our main customer-facing website.

Status: Upcoming. We’ve already begun posting digital versions of our brochures on AtlasVanLines.ca and will continue to evolve these materials to ensure they are accessible. An example can be found here: www.atlasvanlines.ca/resources/#moving-tips-section.

5. Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities

1. By June 2025, we will create a checklist that can be used to consider the accessibility of any given good or service being procured.

Status: Done.

6. Design and Delivery of Goods and Services

1. By June 2025, we will train local agents at regional meetings about provincial requirements for accessible customer service, and how to provide it.

Status: Done. We commissioned a customer service training video to be created that would speak directly to our local agents. We delivered it at our spring 2025 regional meetings. These meetings are attended by representatives of all the local moving companies we contract with, called agents.

1. By June 2026, we will develop advice and/or policies regarding accessible customer service that Atlas agents are expected to comply with.

Status: Upcoming.

1. By June 2026, we will explore the possibility of creating accessible (i.e. not PDF) digital forms to be made available to Atlas agents for their customers

Status: Upcoming. We are currently exploring how we can create accessible digital forms for Atlas agents and their customers on our internal agent website, which is still under development.

1. By January 2027, we will engage our parent company, Atlas World Group about creating an accessible alternative to the ways Atlas agents and staff use the AtlasNet website for handling paperwork.

Status: Upcoming.

7. Transportation

1. By December 2025, we will engage Oakville Transit in a discussion about the possibility of modifying the bus route to increase safety and accessibility for Atlas staff who use public transit.

Status: Done. We have made contact with Oakville Transit, who advised us about specialized transit service options. Oakville Transit has features that help make riding transit more accessible for people of all abilities. This includes Oakville Transit’s specialized, accessible, door-to-door service called care-A-van.

Consultations

In preparing this report, we asked consulting firm Left Turn Right Turn (LTRT) to help us assemble a group of people with disabilities we could consult on our report. On May 22, 2025, 9 members of LTRT’s Accessibility Advisory Group (AAG) gathered virtually to provide feedback on this report. Members of the AAG come from across Canada, and have a variety of disabilities.

We also asked for feedback on the progress we have made on our accessibility plan, what they felt was missing from the draft report, and what they liked about it. Several members of the AAG indicated they felt it was easy to read because of the plain language used and the simple layout and formatting. Users confirmed the report worked on a Braille display. Members also had suggestions that helped us make improvements to the report before publishing it. They flagged issues with dates, numbering, and internal inconsistencies. They pressed for more detail and for some terms to be more clearly defined. We incorporated this feedback into the published version. Overall, members were particularly pleased with the advances we have made in the built environment, and provided feedback on other areas that were priorities for them as people with disabilities.

Feedback

Atlas has not received any feedback on our accessibility or our accessibility plan up to now. We welcome feedback from customers, stakeholders and the public.