COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY AT COWBELL BREWING CO.

Cowbell Brewing Co. is committed to providing accessible Guest services to our site. Cowbell Brewing is a destination craft brewery, restaurant and event venue where accessibility has been carefully considered, discreetly integrated, with attention to detail in every aspect of the facility. With the support and guidance of local community members who have experienced life with a disability, Cowbell created a beautiful facility while thoughtfully embedding their vision.

ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES AT COWBELL BREWING CO. IN BLYTH

Everyone is welcome at Cowbell. Our brewery is a place for Guests to enjoy special times with their friends, families, and colleagues. With guidance from members in our community who live with a disability, we created an accessible craft brewery that allows Guests to enjoy the entire experience from the moment they arrive.

  • Accessible parking spaces
  • Hard landscaping for ease of mobility
  • Wide entrance with heated walkways to provide safe, clear pathways
  • Automated doors
  • Contrasting colours and bandings
  • Accommodated service counter at reception
  • Tactile elevator symbols
  • Tactile warning strips at entrance, on the edges of exit stairs, and prominent areas
  • Two universal washrooms, one with an adult size change table
  • Accessible restaurant and patio
  • Accommodated seating arrangements available upon request (e.g., wider pathways for wheelchairs or sighted guide for persons with vision loss)
  • Certified service dogs welcome at the brewery. A certificate from a registered health professional may be requested.
  • Accommodated guided tours available upon request. Please pre-register and state if an attendant is required.
  • Self-Guided Tour scripts available upon request in 10 languages: Arabic, Bengali, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian

More information is available regarding our policies and procedures. All documentation can be made available in alternative formats upon request by contacting Cowbell Brewing Co. by phone at 1-844-523-4724 or by email at hello@cowbellbrewing.com.

ACCESSIBILITY PROCEDURES IN PLACE AT COWBELL BREWING CO.

  • Use of Assistive Devices by the General Public
  • Use of Service Animals by the General Public
  • Use of Support Persons by the General Public
  • Notification of Disruption of Service
  • Monitoring and Feedback on Accessible Customer Service

TRAINING PROVIDED TO EMPLOYEES OF COWBELL BREWING CO.

All employees that interact with the public or has input into policy related to service delivery, including volunteers, contractors and agents will receive training in:

  • The purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
  • How to interact with people with various disabilities
  • How to interact with people who use the assistance of a service animal or support person
  • How to use assistive devices available on the premises
  • What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing service
  • Training is provided to all new employees as part of their orientation after hiring

ACCESSIBILITY PLANNING COMMITTEE

Cowbell’s AODA Committee meets regularly to develop and review the Annual Accessibility Plan for the upcoming year. This group involves membership from all departments, a Huron County Accessibility Advisory Committee representative, and members of the public with disabilities. It also seeks input from community agencies as needed. Each year this working group monitors progress with addressing identified barriers to accessibility as well as identifying new barriers and setting priorities to address them in the coming year. This Working Group reminds staff about roles in implementing the plan.

The five working groups that make up this committee are:

  1. Design of Public Spaces
  2. Customer Service
  3. Information and Technology
  4. Employment
  5. Transportation

ANNUAL ACCESSIBILITY PLAN FOR THE COWBELL BREWING CO.

If you would like a copy in an alternative format, please call 1-844-523-4724 or email hello@cowbellbrewing.com. Click here to download and view the Cowbell Brewing Co. 2017-2021 AODA Plan (coming soon).

PROCESS FOR GIVING FEEDBACK ON ACCESSIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE

We welcome comments and input from the public that will assist us with our Annual Accessibility Plan. Feedback can be provided through any of a variety of methods including telephone, e-mail and written submissions. Regardless of the feedback method, the name and contact information of the person submitting the feedback must be included.

Feedback regarding the way the Cowbell Brewing Co. provides services to people with disabilities can be made by:

  1. Telephone: 1-844-523-4724
  2. E-mail: hello@cowbellbrewing.com
  3. Completing “Have a Question For Us?” on the Home page: Select this link

A response to your feedback will be provided by direct response to you.

ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT PLAN (AODA)

The purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 is to benefit all Ontarians by achieving accessibility for people with disabilities. This will be done by developing, implementing and enforcing accessibility standards concerning goods, services, accommodation, facilities, buildings and employment. Improvements will be phased in, in stages of 5 years or less, moving towards an accessible Ontario by 2025 years. Standards will address the full range of disabilities including physical, sensory, hearing, mental health, developmental and learning. That is, both visible and invisible disabilities will be included. This legislation covers both the public and private sectors. The Cowbell Brewing Co. plan is in its first year. Its Accessibility Working Group will focus on communication and outreach, bringing stakeholders into the process.

DISABILITIES COVERED BY THE AODA ACT

  • Vision Loss
  • Hearing Loss
  • Deaf-Blind
  • Physical Disabilities
  • Mental Health Disabilities
  • Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Speech or Language Impairments

CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARD

Approved in July 2007, the Accessible Customer Service Standard requires all public sector and organizations, business or non-profit with 50 or more employees to:

  • Document accessible customer service policies, procedures and practices and make it publicly available
  • Provide staff training
  • Provide a feedback method
  • Facilitate alternative communication methods
  • Provide notification of service disruptions

All policies and/or procedures must be consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, inclusion and equal opportunity. Cowbell Brewing Co. is committed to providing accessible customer service that is easily understood, and easy to find, enter or obtain.