Accessibility Plan 2026-2029
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. GENERAL
A. Application
B. Principles of the ACA
C. Fastblue Canada Overview
D. Fastblue Canada Accessibility Statement
II. CONSULTATIONS
A. Consultation Details
B. What We Heard: Key Findings & Recommendations
III. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
IV. THE PROCUREMENT OF GOODS, SERVICES, AND FACILITIES
V. THE DESIGN AND DELIVERY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
VI. COMMUNCATION, OTHER THAN ICT (INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES)
VII. CONDITIONS UNDER SECTION 24 OR 24.1 OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT AND PROVISIONS OF ANY REGULATIONS MADE UNDER THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT
VIII. EMPLOYMENT
IX. THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
A. Workspace & Common Areas
X. TRANSPORTATION
I. GENERAL
A. Application
- This Accessibility Plan follows the rules of the Accessible Canada Act (ACA). This Accessibility Plan applies to Fastblue Communications, Inc. (Fastblue).
- Fastblue has a process for receiving and responding to feedback, including feedback on how services are delivered to persons with disabilities.
- Our Accessibility Plan and a description of our accessibility feedback process are available in different formats if you need them: print, large print, braille, audio format, electronic format, or other agreed-upon formats.
- You can provide accessibility feedback (including feedback on this plan) or request an alternate format of our Accessibility Plan or description of our feedback process by (i) e-mail to accessibility@fastblue.com; (ii) phone at 949 743 2524; (iii) mail at 16882 Bolsa Chica Street Suite 106, Huntington Beach, California 92649; (iv) Fill out our online accessibility feedback form.
- The person responsible for receiving accessibility feedback at Fastblue is Andrew Vuncanon, Compliance and Human Resource Officer.
- Feedback can be provided anonymously.
- Other than anonymous feedback, Fastblue will acknowledge receipt of feedback by email.
- Fastblue will ensure that personal information of the person providing feedback is kept private unless they say it is okay to share it.
B. Principles of the ACA
- In preparing this Accessibility Plan, we have taken into account the principles set out at section 6 of the ACA, reproduced below:
This Act is to be carried out in recognition of, and in accordance with, the following principles:
- all persons must be treated with dignity regardless of their disabilities;
- all persons must have the same opportunity to make themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have regardless of their disabilities;
- all persons must have barrier-free access to full and equal participation in society, regardless of their disabilities;
- all persons must have meaningful options and be free to make their own choices, with support if they desire, regardless of their disabilities;
- laws, policies, programs, services, and structures must consider the disabilities of persons, the different ways that persons interact with their environments and the multiple and intersecting forms of marginalization and discrimination faced by persons;
- persons with disabilities must be involved in the development and design of laws, policies, programs, services, structures; and
- the development and revision of accessibility standards and the making of regulations must be done with the objective of achieving the highest level of accessibility for persons with disabilties.
C. Fastblue Canada Overview
- Fastblue streamlines global network deployment,sourcing, and management for businesses. Fastblue acts as a single provider for high-speed, secure and managed network services (SD-WAN, SASE) utilizing group purchasing power. Fastblue does not serve retail consumers and is a business to business provider only. Fastblue does not provide mobile services or residential internet access. More information about the nature of Fastblue’s business is available at https://www.fastblue.com.
- Enterprise customers often require a complex and specialized suite of services and negotiate specific terms and packages to tailor their contractual arrangements to their specific needs. Beyond our overarching commitment to accessibility, discussed below, our enterprise solutions may be custom designed to address the specific accessibility needs identified by our enterprise customers, as agreed upon.
D. Fastblue Canada Accessibility Statement
- Fastblue adopts the company’s Accessibility Statement to the extent applicable to its enterprise services, as reproduced below.
Fastblue Canada Accessibility Statement
Increasing access.
We want to make sure that every customer has the chance to get the very most from their Fastblue digital experience. Accessing the products and services we offer online should be an easy, rewarding, and satisfying experience. That is why we are committed to making our digital space accessible for customers of all abilities.
Optimizing your experience.
To optimize the digital experience for all our customers, we strive to meet the online accessibility standards recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in its Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. We take a number of steps to attempt to meet or exceed those standards:
We utilize various assistive technology across desktop, tablets, mobile devices, and in-store to test against the WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility guidelines.
We work with our Advocates for Disability, Accessibility, Neurodiversity, and Caregiver Empowerment (ADVANCE) resource group, as well as industry partners, to remain informed about accessibility issues and to improve user experiences.
We have a diverse and inclusive team of accessibility professionals who are continuously working to make each customer’s digital experience the best it can be.
Our Accessibility Planning Committee is intentionally composed of a diverse cross-section of our workforce to ensure that our strategies are informed by a wide range of lived experiences. This includes:
- Sensory Diversity: Active representation from employees with hearing impairments to guide our auditory and communication standards.
- Intergenerational Wisdom: Contributions from employees in their late 70s, ensuring our plan addresses age-related accessibility and the needs of a multi-generational workforce.
- Cultural Representation: Participation from minority and equity-deserving groups to ensure our plan is culturally inclusive and addresses barriers specific to diverse communities.
We recognize that a disability is not just a medical condition, but a functional limitation created by an inaccessible environment. Our team members are not 'subjects of study' but expert consultants whose lived experience is the primary driver of our barrier-removal strategy.
Improving constantly.
Our commitment to accessibility doesn’t stop. We continue to assess and reassess our content to create a more accessible user experience across our digital spaces.
II. CONSULTATIONS
- Based on feedback received, Fastblue will work directly with its enterprise customers to identify accessibility barriers experienced by the enterprise customers’ users based on their types of disabilities.
In alignment with the 'Nothing Without Us' principle of the Accessible Canada Act, we engaged in external consultations to identify barriers and validate our accessibility strategies. Specifically, we collaborated with the Braille Institute of Anaheim/Orange County to identify and ensure our digital and physical environments meet the functional needs of individuals with vision loss.
A. Consultation Details
- Consultant: Occupational Therapist (OT), Braille Institute (Anaheim/Orange County Center)
- Focus Area: Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) & Physical Wayfinding
- Methodology: Professional consultation regarding adaptive technology, screen reader compatibility, and visual ergonomics.
B. What We Heard: Key Findings & Recommendations
"Through direct dialogue with an Occupational Therapist specializing in vision rehabilitation, we identified several critical areas for improvement within our digital and physical infrastructure. The expert feedback emphasized that compliance requires more than just high-level adjustments; it requires fine-tuned usability features, including:"
- Screen Reader Optimization: Ensuring all digital platforms and documents are structured logically for seamless interpretation by industry-standard screen readers (e.g., JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver).
- Enlarged Interface Capabilities: Implementation of 'enlarge apps' and high-magnification settings that maintain layout integrity when scaled for low-vision users.
- Visual Ergonomics: Prioritizing high-contrast color palettes and adjustable font sizes to reduce eye strain and make content easier to read.
- Tactile and Auditory Cues: Incorporating non-visual wayfinding tools, such as braille signage and audible floor announcements, to support independent navigation.
III. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
- Fastblue endeavors to keep pace with technology advancements to identify accessibility barriers found in its websites and in the services provided to enterprise customers.
- As noted in our Accessibility Statement, we strive to meet the WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility guidelines for our websites.
IV. THE PROCUREMENT OF GOODS, SERVICES, AND FACILITIES
- Fastblue endeavors to ensure its procurement practices address accessibility procurement barriers, expectations and requirements for services provided to enterprise customers. We strive to ensure that the goods and services we procure meet the accessibility needs identified by our enterprise customers.
V. THE DESIGN AND DELIVERY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
- Fastblue aims to improve the accessibility of services to address any barriers that our enterprise customers’ users may face.
VI. COMMUNICATION, OTHER THAN ICT (INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES)
- Fastblue aims to improve documents and materials that promote its services in a way that meets the accessibility needs of enterprise customers.
VII. CONDITIONS UNDER SECTION 24 OR 24.1 OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT AND PROVISIONS OF ANY REGULATIONS MADE UNDER THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT
- As required by section 51(1) of the ACA, outlined below are:
(a) Section 51(1)(b) requirements: the conditions of service applicable to Fastblue pursuant to section 24.1 of the Telecommunications Act that relate to the identification and removal of barriers and the prevention of new barriers; and
(b) Section 51(1)(c) requirements: the relevant provisions of any regulations made under the Telecommunications Act that relate to the identification and removal of barriers and the prevention of new barriers.
- Although Fastblue is not a Wireless Service Provider, or a local exchange carrier, Fastblue seeks to provide an accessible customer experience that meets or exceeds the requirements and expectations set in Broadcasting and Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC2009-430, Accessibility of telecommunications and broadcasting services and Telecom and Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2022-28, When and how communications service providers must provide paper bills. To this end, Fastblue:
(a) strives to make customer service functions that are available solely over our websites accessible;
(b) works with our call center provider on accessibility, accommodations and plans for training customer service representatives to handle questions from persons with disabilities and familiarizing customer servicere presentatives with accessible Services;
(c) provides bills, bill inserts, and information setting out the rates, terms and conditions in alternative accessible formats, including braille and large print, on request, to enterprise customers who self-identify as people with a visual disability; and
(d) upon request, Fastblue will provide paper bills at no charge to enterprise customers who self-identify as a person with a disability.
- As noted above, upon request, Fastblue will also make available accessibility plans, progress reports, and descriptions of feedback processes published under the ACA in print, large print, audio format, electronic format that is compatible with adaptive technology that is intended to assist enterprise customers who self-identify as persons with disabilities, or any other format that the enterprise customer and Fastblue agree upon. Fastblue will ensure that accessibility plans, progress reports, and descriptions of feedback processes published under the ACA are published in a way that meets the applicable WCAG guidelines.
VIII. EMPLOYMENT
Fastblue does not have employees in Canada; all Fastblue employees work from the United States.
IX. THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Fastblue does not have corporate offices, retail stores, or any other physical presence in Canada.
Our Huntington Beach office is located on the ground floor of a two-story professional office building. The building management team provides dedicated ADA-compliant parking spaces featuring the required 8-foot access aisles for van accessibility.
Our San Clemente office is located on the second floor of a two-story professional office building. The second floor offices are accessible by an elevator. The building management team provides dedicated ADA-compliant parking spaces featuring the required 8-foot access aisles for van accessibility.
A. Workspace & Common Areas
There is enough room for wheelchair users to move around freely. Our accessible workstations are designed with appropriate knee and toe clearance and adjustable heights to accommodate diverse physical needs. All restroom facilities have grab bars.
X. TRANSPORTATION
Fastblue does not provide transportation services.
