Pelmorex Accessibility Progress Report 2023-2024

June 1, 2024

General

1.1. Provide feedback request an alternative format or contact us

1.2. Accessibility Summary

1.3. Introduction

Areas of Accessibility - Progress Report

2.1. Employment

2.2. The Built Environment

2.3. Information and Communication Technologies

2.4. Communication, Other than ICT

2.5. The Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities

2.6. The design and delivery of programs and services (Website and Apps)

2.7. Transportation

2.8. Licence Conditions and Requirements Under the Broadcasting Act

1. General

1.1 Provide feedback request an alternative format or contact us

Pelmorex’s Director, Regulatory, Government and Affiliate Relations is responsible for receiving feedback on accessibility barriers and helping to ensure such barriers can be addressed.

If you have a disability or impairment and are experiencing difficulty accessing or enjoying our services as a result, you can contact us by mail, phone or email as indicated below.

Mail:

Attn: Accessibility Coordinator
Pelmorex Corp.
2655 Bristol Circle
Oakville, ON L6H 7W1

Telephone:

905-829-1159 extension # 1329

Email:

accessibility@pelmorex.com

If you include your name in your email, name and phone number in a voicemail, or a return address or other contact information with a posted letter we will acknowledge that we have received your feedback. Any personal information that you provide will only be used to address the issue for which you contacted us and once the issue is resolved your personal information will be deleted.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, simply do not include your name in your email, phone number in a voicemail or any contact information in a posted letter and we will not contact you. All personal information will be kept confidential unless you authorize us to share it with others.

1.2 Accessibility Summary

We are pleased to introduce Pelmorex’s Accessibility Progress Report for the 2023/24 year, which updates our progress on removing any barriers that may prevent:

our current or future employees from maximizing their potential; our customers from fully enjoying and benefiting from our weather and entertainment services; and our visitors and partners from being fully accommodated when visiting our facility or engaging with our business.

Pelmorex is building on a strong foundation of addressing existing barriers and to establishing an accessibility-first process for all new initiatives. We are proud of our historical commitment to accessibility and accommodation, but recognize that, as with everything, there is always opportunity to improve and strive for excellence.

1.3 Introduction

Pelmorex Corp., founded in 1989, is an international weather information, and data management company. Pelmorex owns and operates the weather brands The Weather Network, MétéoMédia, Eltiempo.es, Clima, and Otempo.pt. It also operates Canada’s National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System, part of Alert Ready. Through constant innovation and entrepreneurship, Pelmorex has grown to reach consumers around the globe, has become one of the world’s largest weather information providers and has broken new ground in providing data solutions and insights to businesses. Through harnessing the value of weather, Pelmorex is driven to make the world smarter and safer for consumers and businesses.

Pelmorex reaches more than 60 million people per month, worldwide, with its critical weather and warnings services on television, Web and apps, and is committed to ensuring everyone can access and enjoy our services equitably. In 2020, Pelmorex renewed and strengthened its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by forming what would eventually become its IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Awareness and Solidarity) Community. This initiative is led by a full-time IDEAS Operations lead, a core 13-member committee, and five pillar teams, and has spearheaded internal and external initiatives aimed at providing a space where all employees can bring their full selves to the workplace. Among the training initiatives, we have undertaken to provide our Talent Acquisition team and Hiring Managers with bias training to better understand and overcome biases as they pertain to outreach, recruitment, interviewing and assessing candidates. This accessibility plan will also be fully integrated into the future work of our IDEAS Community.

2. Areas of Accessibility - Progress Report

This section describes the progress made on removing barriers identified in our Accessibility Plan in the six areas of accessibility defined in the Accessible Canada Act, and Pelmorex’s requirements as a broadcasting licensee.

Accessibility Committee

Pelmorex’s Accessibility Committee, which induces senior level representatives from key departments, met quarterly throughout the past year to discuss and coordinate progress on our Accessibility Plan.

2.1 Employment

Identifying and removing employment-related barriers and ensuring that all current and future employees have the same opportunities, regardless of their disabilities, is a critical component of integrating accessibility into all aspects of Pelmorex’s business.

Accessibility Plan Action Step	Action Taken
Review and update policies, procedures, practices related to accessibility and accommodation and communicate to all employees.	Launched Accessibility resource portal and communicated its launch to staff.
Identify options for employee accessibility and accommodation training that: embeds a broad understanding of persons with disabilities for all staff; is tailored to address the ways accessibility practices affect all of Pelmorex’s internal and external stakeholders; identifies the benefits of creating a fully accessible and inclusive workplace; and that includes a schedule for updates that keeps accessibility and accommodation top of mind.	Still assessing training options.

2.2 The Built Environment

An accessible built environment is essential to ensure equitable access to and use of Pelmorex’s facilities. Ultimately, everyone should be able to fully perform their intended activities and functions without facing barriers within our facilities.

Accessibility Plan Action Step	Action Taken
Establish and communicate, internally and to visitors, human processes for accommodating facility users where the existing built environment does not provide full accommodation.	To be completed. Will be added to our roadmap in FY25.
Address all non-fixed barriers and communicate proper accessible procedures to employees.	Completed.
Add/improve wayfinding inside and outside of the Pelmorex offices where needed.	Wayfinding improvements have been postponed due to significant changes to the layout of the office.
Other actions that were not in the Accessibility Plan for this year.	Accessible parking spaces have been upgraded to Oak design standards. Outdoor picnic area moved to a more accessible space. Pipes below sinks in washrooms have all been protected. Quotes have been obtained for additional improvements to stairs and washrooms.

2.3 Information and Communication Technologies

Pelmorex’s IT department is responsible for sourcing for, and providing to, Pelmorex staff the ICT products and services they need, including those that are required to accommodate a disability. As such, it is an important piece of ensuring overall accessibility at Pelmorex.

Accessibility Plan Action Step	Action Taken
Develop or acquire – and keep up to date – a catalogue of accessibility functions and assistive technology and promote it to staff.	Completed.
Identify and train an internal point of contact for support in working with Accessibility, Accommodation, and Adaptive Computer Technology.	Completed - confirmed that our IT equipment vendor provides this service as needed.

2.4 Communication, Other than ICT

Pelmorex’s Communications team is responsible for internal (staff) and external (customers, viewers, Web and app users) communications and therefore plays an important supporting role in promoting accessibility and accommodation.

Accessibility Plan Action Step	Action Taken
Identify training specific to communicating with people with disabilities.	To be included in training once identified in the “Employment” area of accessibility.
Working with the IDEAS Community, develop and launch an initiative to embed accessibility and accommodation into everyday life at Pelmorex.	Initial stages of planning. We are revisiting how we embed our entire IDEAS initiatives, which includes accessibility into the day to day life of employees and guests at Pelmorex.
Working with the Accessibility Committee, communicate all new resources and initiatives to Pelmorex staff once available.	Launch of new Internal Accessibility Resource Portal communicated to staff.

2.5 The Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities

The goods, services and facilities procured by the organization can have a significant and direct impact on the current level of accessibility and accommodation within Pelmorex.

Accessibility Plan Action Step	Action Taken
Investigate and discuss approaches to accessibility procurement budgets.	Pelmorex has determined it will continue assessing, prioritizing and funding accessibility investments on a case-by-case basis, as opposed to setting a fixed annual accessibility budget.
Develop a procurement checklist to ensure accessibility is considered for all acquired goods and services.	Working to identify the best approach to a procurement checklist as our procurement practices are limited and conducted at the departmental level.

2.6 The design and delivery of programs and services (Website and Apps)

The reliance on our services for important, and often critical, weather information presents Pelmorex a significant opportunity to reduce barriers in Canada.

Accessibility Plan Action Step	Action Taken
Continue to address website usability barriers through the ongoing website update. Address any additional barriers identified by the OPC audit.	Designs of the new website pages are based on accessibility requirements for various accessibility needs, including screen readers and keyboard-only use. The rollout of new pages is still ongoing, to be completed by the end of this fiscal year (August). Further enhancements will be prioritized following an accessibility audit planned for next fiscal year.
Develop a user guide for accessing the closed captioning on digital videos for all digital properties across all operating systems and browsers. Make available and share with the Communications team.	A review revealed this was a technical issue, and not related to accessing the closed captioning on digital videos. The technical issue has been corrected and we are no longer receiving complaints.
Research and identify options for a complete accessibility audit and scan of the underlying software of Pelmorex digital properties.	Vendor selection for the accessibility has started, initial reviews to be completed in early May. Budget for an accessibility audit is included for next fiscal.
Examine options for increasing the accessibility, particularly font size, of on screen text on Pelmorex apps.	Apps to be included in the planned accessibility audit to take place next fiscal.

2.7 Transportation

Pelmorex does not offer transportation services and therefore has nothing to report for this area of accessibility.

2.8 Licence Conditions and Requirements Under the Broadcasting Act

As a broadcast licensee Pelmorex, via The Weather Network and MétéoMédia discretionary services, is subject to and complies with a variety of conditions of licence and other requirements, expectations and encouragements aimed at removing barriers and ensuring our television services are accessible.

Accessibility Plan Action Step	Action Taken
Identify options for training on-air hosts on how to speak in a way that is descriptive and understandable for all viewers. Implement the training for all on-air hosts and develop a schedule for training updates.	CNIB’s Access Labs was engaged to provide Audio Description training for all of Pelmorex’s editorial staff, including writers and on-air presenters, in June 2024. Future training will be delivered as needed.
Promote to viewers their role in communicating to us or their TV provider if any of our accessibility services (e.g. SAP channel or captioning) are not functioning properly.	A new promo was produced to air on The Weather Network and MétéoMedia multiple times per hour to inform viewers “To provide feedback on our regional audio description weather reports, or to report any barriers to enjoying our services, email us at accessibility@pelmorex.com.”