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Boxhub's Accessibility Statement

Last Updated: Dec. 31, 2023

Statement of Commitment

At Boxhub, we believe diversity and representation are crucial to creating an exciting product and a fantastic customer and employee experience. We are committed to ensuring accessibility for all employees, customers, and candidates by removing and preventing any barriers they may face when interacting with us, per the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).


To maintain our commitment, Boxhub has developed a multi-year accessibility plan that will be reviewed and updated at least once every five years to track progress toward full accessibility compliance.

Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

Overview

Boxhub's Multi-Year Accessibility Plan under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) outlines the organization’s vision to provide all customers, employees, and candidates with a barrier-free environment that supports the dignity of each individual. This accessibility plan outlines measures that Boxhub will take to identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities, including our employees and those who use our products and services. It will also detail our strategy to ensure compliance with accessibility legislation.

Message from Boxhub's CEO

As we navigate the dynamic landscape of our industry, we remain committed to the principles of inclusivity and accessibility. I want to emphasize the importance of these values in our company and share some insights into our ongoing efforts to foster a workplace that is accessible to all.


Accessibility is not merely a legal requirement; it should be a key focus in every organization. It is about ensuring that every member of our community, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, can fully participate in all aspects of our organization. At Boxhub, our commitment aligns not only with legal obligations, such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) but also with our core values as a company.


In our ongoing journey towards accessibility, we are actively assessing and removing barriers for our customers within our organization and externally. Some proactive initiatives have included auditing our website and customer communications, providing AODA training for all employees and providing policies & procedures for accommodations.


I encourage each of you to embrace the spirit of accessibility in your daily work and welcome your input on how we can create a more accessible future for everyone. By being mindful of the diverse needs of our colleagues and clients, we contribute to a culture that values and celebrates differences. Together, we can build a workplace that is not only legally compliant but also a model of inclusivity and accessibility.


~ Maxmillian Birner (CEO)

Introduction

At Boxhub, we’re on a mission to make shipping container trade easy and efficient for everyone. We believe greater access to retired shipping containers can help people live smarter, entrepreneurs create quicker, and businesses grow faster. By extending the life of shipping containers and reducing the carbon-heavy practice of empty repositioning, our vision is to build a more sustainable world — one container at a time.


In 2005, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was enacted. This legislation was designed to establish accessible standards to ensure that all Ontarians, including those with disabilities, had fair and equitable access to goods and services. Since then, all organizations in Ontario have been required to develop and review their policies, procedures and processes to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities.


The Integrated Accessibility Standard Regulation (IASR) was put into effect on July 1, 2016. It requires all organizations in Ontario to adhere to six (6) accessibility standards to comply with AODA. These standards are related to General, Information & Communications, Customer Service, Transportation, Employment, and the Design of Public Spaces.

Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

Boxhub strives to meet the needs of its employees and customers with disabilities and is working hard to remove and prevent barriers to accessibility. Boxhub is committed to fulfilling our requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. This accessibility plan outlines the steps to meet those requirements and improve opportunities for people with disabilities.

The primary goal of this plan is to provide a strategic roadmap to guide our accessibility strategy over the next five years. Additionally, this plan will outline past accessibility achievements and detail how we plan to address our ongoing AODA & IASR obligations.

This plan is available publicly online and in alternative formats.

Section 1. Past Achievements to Remove and Prevent Barriers

Customer Service

All products and services provided by Boxhub will follow the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity. In accordance with the IASR, Boxhub has become compliant with the customer service standard. Past initiatives to support customer service accessibility include:

• Developed and established an accessible customer service policy; the guidelines developed in line with the AODA Customer Service standard include principles and protocols with respect to the following: Use of assistive devices, service animals, support persons, notice of temporary disruptions in Service, providing feedback and complaints.

• All Boxhub employees are required to take accessible customer service training as part of their onboarding. Existing employees have taken the training, which is at 100% completion, with records and certificates of training being kept.

• All Boxhub employees are required to read and acknowledge the Boxhub customer service policy, which is recorded in our HR system.

• Providing multiple formats for customers to communicate with us, including email, phone, written communication, website form submission and social media channels.

• Established an accessible process for receiving and responding to customer feedback.

Information and Communications

All information and communications materials and services Boxhub provides shall follow the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity. Past initiatives to support information and communications accessibility include:

• Developed and established an Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) Information and Communications Policy, which outlines and provides guidelines and procedures regarding; general requirements, feedback process, accessible formats and communication supports and exceptions.

• All Boxhub employees are required to take accessible information and communications training as part of their onboarding. Existing employees have taken the training, which is at 100% completion, with records and certificates of training being kept.

• All Boxhub employees are required to read and acknowledge the Boxhub information and communications policy, which is recorded in our HR system.

• Developed processes to ensure information can be made accessible to people with disabilities upon request, ensuring we consult the person making the request.

• Conducted a thorough accessibility audit of our website to understand gaps in WCAG 2.0 compliance and created a plan to address inaccessibility and barriers.

• Deployed updates to the website to address some WCAG 2.0 compliancy to bring us to compliance in certain areas, which includes:
1.1.1 Non-Text Content
1.3.1 Info and Relationship
1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence
1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics
1.4.1 Use of Colour
1.4.4 Resize Text
1.4.8 Visual Presentation
2.1.1 Keyboard
2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap
2.1.3 Keyboard (No Exception)
2.2.4 Interruptions
2.2.5 Re-authenticating
2.4.1 Bypass Blocks
2.4.2 Page Titled
2.4.3 Focus Order
2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)
2.4.5 Multiple Ways
2.4.6 Heading and Labels
2.4.8 Location
2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only)
3.1.1 Language of Page
3.1.2 Language of Parts
3.1.4 Abbreviations
3.1.5 Reading Level
3.1.6 Pronunciation
3.2.1 On Focus
3.2.2 On Input
3.2.4 Consistent Identification
3.2.5 Change of Request
3.3.1 Error Identification
3.3.4 Error Prevention
3.3.5 Help
3.3.6 Error Prevention (All)

Employment

Boxhub is committed to equitable, inclusive and accessible practices regarding our employees and recruitment process. We recognize that removing barriers across the employment lifecycle will enable us to attract and retain diverse teams and enable employees to reach their full potential.


Past initiatives to support employment accessibility include:


Developed and established an accessible employment policy that outlines the procedures we’ve developed around training requirements, recruitment, accessible formats and communication supports, workplace emergency response, performance management, and career development.


All Boxhub employees are required to take IASR and the Ontario Human Rights Code training as part of their onboarding. Existing employees have taken the training, which is at 100% completion, with records and certificates of training being kept.


All Boxhub employees are required to read and acknowledge the Boxhub employment policy to understand the procedures and support available to them.


We’ve ensured we notify our employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities in our recruitment process by specifying on job postings, alongside creating an accommodations email address to manage requests. All postings include the statement:

Boxhub’s Commitment to Accessibility

Boxhub is committed to developing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and work environment. Please inform us if you require any accommodation, and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs. For any accessibility-related assistance, requests for information in accessible alternative formats, or to report any accessibility problems, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at accessibility@boxhub.com


• We have created an optional field in our application forms to understand what accommodations applicants might need so we can provide an equitable process.


• If an applicant who has been selected for a job requests an accommodation, we will work with the applicant to provide or arrange a suitable accommodation taking into account the applicant's accessibility needs due to their disability. We will also notify job applicants who are selected for an interview and/or testing that accommodations are available upon request. We have established processes to consult with any applicant who requests an accommodation, taking into account their unique abilities.


• When offers of employment are made, we notify the successful applicants of the policy for accommodating employees with disabilities.


• Produced and informed employees of forms for reasonable accommodation requests and Alternate Format Requests.


• We work with impacted employees to create individualized return-to-work and accommodation plans. These plans will account for accessibility needs and recognize the need for accommodation.


• We relocated to a fully accessible office space, including step-free access, and accessible washrooms with sufficient turning space to accommodate assistive devices.

Section 2. Strategies and Actions

Customer Service

Boxhub is committed to providing accessible customer service to people with disabilities. This means we will provide goods, services and facilities to people with disabilities with the same high quality and timeliness as others. We have the following actions planned to enhance our commitment to the ISAR.


• Implementing real-time web chat for customers to have an additional way of communicating with us.


• Providing audio and video versions of our blog articles.


• Training will be provided on an ongoing basis, and re-training should there be any updates to policies and/or processes.

Information and Communications

Boxhub is committed to making our information and communications accessible to people with disabilities. We have the following actions planned to enhance our commitment.


• Bringing our website into full compliance and achieving WCAG 2.0 Level AA, utilizing the audit we conducted to focus on essential accessibility components.


• Implementing labelling and alt text on our website to allow for the use of assistive devices, such as screen readers.


• Making our customer feedback process easy to find and publicly available through our website, providing multiple format options.


• Developing guidelines and best practices for creating accessible documents.

Employment

Boxhub is committed to fair and accessible employment practices. We have the following actions planned to enhance our commitment to remove barriers across the employee lifecycle in terms of both attraction and retention.


Ensuring the recruitment application job portal meets WCAG 2.0 standards.

Providing a module in our recruitment training to address best interviewing practices for those who need accommodation and how we can create a more equitable experience.


Providing reliable closed captioning in any L&D and video-based meetings.

Boxhub's Accessibility Policy

If you’re a customer of Boxhub or a candidate looking to provide feedback or request alternative communication formats, please contact accessibility@boxhub.com


For more information on this accessibility plan or to request standard and accessible formats of this document, please contact:


Emma Hunt (Head of People & Culture) | emma.hunt@boxhub.com