Introduction

To build the Alpine Helicopters Inc. (‘Alpine’) Accessibility Plan, we looked at eight important areas of our business and how we could make them more accessible. These areas are:

  1. Organization-Wide Initiatives
  2. The Built Environment (CTA and ACR Regulations)
  3. Employment
  4. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) (CTA and ACR Regulations)
  5. Communication, Other Than ICT
  6. The Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities
  7. The Design and Delivery of Programs and Services
  8. Transportation (for passengers)

Compliance Regulations

Alpine Helicopters has chosen to publish one Accessibility Plan that is in compliance with both:

1. Accessible Canada Act (ACA), Section 60, and;

2. Accessible Canada Regulations (ACR).

Alpine recognizes its requirement to notify both the CTA within 48 hours of the publication of these documents and the Accessibility Commissioner of the publication of its accessibility plan and feedback process description.

Alpine Helicopters Accessibility Plan

In the next three years, Alpine will enhance accessibility across its operations by implementing comprehensive initiatives, including improving the accessibility of its built environments, ensuring its digital platforms meet accessibility standards, integrating accessibility into procurement and service delivery, providing tailored training for staff to better serve customers with disabilities, and establishing clear processes for gathering and addressing accessibility feedback, all while fostering an inclusive culture for both employees and passengers.

Feedback

We are open to feedback on our plan and about accessibility at Alpine. You can give us your feedback using one of the following methods:

Option 1: Mail: Alpine Helicopters Inc.
1295 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, B.C.
V1Z 1G4

Option 2: Email: HR@Alpinehelicopters.com

Option 3: Online Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/D9LP3jUXx44cVgd7

Statement of Commitment

Alpine is dedicated to ensuring accessibility for everyone—our customers, employees, partners, and members of the public, including those with disabilities. We understand that true diversity in our organization is impossible without accessibility.That’s why we are fully committed to enhancing accessibility throughout our business.

We recognize that people with disabilities are the true experts in their experiences and in accessibility itself. To foster a culture of inclusion, we are eager to build relationships and consult with individuals with disabilities, learning directly from their insights. This collaboration will be vital as we work to achieve the goals set out in our accessibility plan.

Furthermore, we are committed to removing barriers whenever we encounter them, even if they fall outside this plan. This initiative marks a significant step forward for Alpine, but it’s just the beginning. We pledge to keep accessibility at the forefront of everything we do.

Description of Alpine Helicopters Inc

Alpine has a strong history in aviation with its roots going back to 1961.Alpine is a privately-owned, Western Canadian based, helicopter operator with locations in Kelowna, B.C. (head office) and satellite bases located in Golden, B.C., Canmore, A.B., Calgary, A.B., Kananaskis, A.B., Grimshaw/Peace River, A.B., and High Level, A.B.

Alpine provides non-scheduled helicopter services across four main specialty areas related to mountain flying and long-line lifting applications: heli-skiing, mountain rescue, forest fire suppression, and sightseeing. Other operations can include: aerial applications, power and pipeline maintenance, transportation and supply services in remote locations, and other aerial utility applications.

Contact Information and Feedback Process

Alpine welcomes feedback from our employees, customers, and members of the public about our Accessibility plan and accessibility in general at Alpine.

What feedback can I provide?
● You can provide feedback about Alpine’s Accessibility plan.
● You can provide feedback about barriers encountered when dealing with Alpine.
● Feedback can be provided anonymously. You will receive an acknowledgment of receipt unless you submitted the feedback anonymously.

How will my feedback be used?
● Your feedback will be shared with and considered by the team(s) responsible for accessibility at Alpine.
● Your feedback may be actioned during the length of the current plan or considered for a future plan.
● Your feedback and how it was considered will be included in our progress reports.
● Your feedback will be retained for a period of 7 years.

How can I provide feedback?
● Mail, email, and online form.

Alternative Formats

You can request alternative formats of the Alpine Accessibility Plan or the description of our feedback process.
To request this plan or the feedback process in an alternative format, please contact:

● Mail
● Email
● Online feedback form

We will respond to requests for other formats as soon as we can. For each alternative format, Alpine will provide a copy within a certain number of days:

● Print: available within 15 days of the initial request.
● Large print (increased font size): available within 15 days of the initial request.
● Braille (a system of raised dots that people who are blind or who have low vision can read with their fingers): available within 45 days of the initial request.
● Audio (a recording of someone reading the text out loud): available within 45 days of the initial request.

Definitions

The following definitions apply throughout this plan:

● Disability: Any impairment, or difference in physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, or communication ability. Disabilities can be permanent, temporary, or can change over time.
● Barrier: Anything that might hinder people with disabilities from full and equal participation. Barriers can be architectural, technological, and attitudinal, based on information or communications, or can be the result of a policy or procedure.
● Accessibility: The design of products, devices, services, environments, technologies, policies, and rules in a way that allows all people, including people with a variety of disabilities, to access them.

AREAS DESCRIBED UNDER SECTION 5 OF THE ACA

In the preparation of this plan, the Human Resources Manager visited with each Base Manager to conduct an accessibility review of each base.
The review was shared with the Safety Management System (SMS) and Health and Safety Committees as well, compared, and aligned with the goals and initiatives of Alpine’s 2023-2025 Employment Equity Plan.
Finally, we also reached out to employees, including employees with disabilities, to ask for their feedback and experiences on accessibility at Alpine.

Recently, Alpine has made changes to improve accessibility, including improving the accessibility of our corporate website and updating some of our physical sites to have greater accessibility.
We want accessibility to become a priority across the company.
We have included goals in this plan that will help increase awareness about disability and accessibility at Alpine, as well as help us develop relationships with stakeholders with disabilities.

Organizational Wide Accessibility Goals:

● [Initiative #1]: By March 2025, Alpine will establish and implement an internal checklist that requires all project leaders overseeing infrastructure changes or new developments to evaluate and integrate accessibility needs at the planning stage.

● [Initiative #2]: By March 2025, Alpine’s SMS monthly meeting agendas will include an “Accessibility” timeframe, dedicated to reviewing accessibility feedback gathered through the new feedback tool.
This process will include establishing a clear mechanism for collecting, reviewing, and addressing accessibility-related feedback, ensuring that any identified issues are tracked, discussed, and resolved in a timely and effective manner.
The feedback will be used to drive continuous improvement in creating an inclusive and accessible environment across all areas of our operations.

● [Initiative #3]: By March 2025, Alpine’s SMS monthly meeting agendas will include an “Accessibility Initiatives” discussion item, dedicated to reviewing the progress of each outlined initiative.

Alpine recognizes that accessibility of the built environment has a significant impact on whether people with disabilities can access a space and if they can use a space in the same way as those who do not have disabilities.

Passenger Transport (CTA Regulations):
All physical spaces that passengers have access to would be connected with passenger transport.
Alpine has one of seven bases located in Canmore and Stony Nakoda, Alberta, that are devoted to tourism.

Built Environment – Passenger Transport Accessibility Goals:

● [Initiative #4]: By June 2025, Alpine will undertake a review of each base to ensure people with all accessibility needs will have the ability to independently enter and leave the buildings.

● [Initiative #5]: By June 2025, Alpine will ensure the bathroom spaces in the Canmore Tourism Building are in compliance with accessibility regulations.

● [Initiative #6]: By December 2025, Alpine will undertake a review of each base to identify the proper emergency evacuation signage, alarm system, etc., and complete an outcome report that identifies Alpine’s areas to be in compliance.

● [Initiative #7]: By June 2026, Alpine will ensure the bathroom spaces in the Stoney Nakoda Tourism Building are in compliance with accessibility regulations.

Non-Passenger Transport (ACR Regulations):
In addition to the Tourism bases in Canmore and Stoney Nakoda, Alpine has five other bases across BC and Alberta where passengers do not have access.
While our buildings were built to meet building code requirements, some of our older buildings were built at a time when accessibility was not a priority in building codes.
Other buildings could be improved. This means that barriers exist across our physical spaces.

We have taken steps to address some accessibility barriers.
We have made modifications to ensure that older Alpine buildings are more accessible.
However, some barriers remain.

Built Environment – Non-Passenger Accessibility Goals:

● [Initiative #8]: By September 2025, Alpine will ensure designated accessible parking spaces, on all bases, for individuals with accessibility needs that are clearly visible.

● [Initiative #9]: By September 2025, Alpine will ensure step-free access (ramps) to all base entrances and exits.

● [Initiative #10]: By September 2025, Alpine will review emergency evacuation plans to take into account employees or visitors with accessibility needs who may need support in evacuating the building.
This will include base-specific emergency evacuation processes that will be included in the emergency response plan, as well as training needed for Fire Wardens.

● [Initiative #11]: By December 2025, Alpine will draft an accessibility audit checklist and complete a review against each base to determine a baseline of accessibility initiatives going forward.

Alpine Helicopters is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all employees are treated with respect and dignity.
Alpine employs approximately 160 people across its various work sites.
By making Alpine’s infrastructure more accessible, we can better support current and future employees with accessibility needs.

Alpine is committed to further improving its accommodations policy, section 200 of the Employee Handbook.
This will also ensure there is continuous discussion about accessibility initiatives, especially as things evolve within the organization.
We recognize our employees with disabilities must be included in all current and future accessibility planning.
Consulting with them is a priority.

Employment Accessibility Goals:

● [Initiative #12]: By December 2025, Alpine will expand its onboarding process to include training on accessibility awareness to foster an inclusive workplace where all people who work with Alpine and/or access services are treated with respect and dignity.

Alpine recognizes that ICT have to do with computers, software, the internet, and how these are used to communicate with employees and the public.
Alpine uses many different technologies and digital tools.
These tools are used to manage internal processes, as well as to help us provide our services to customers.
This includes Alpine’s public website, its internal human resources (HR) management system (Dayforce), its Flight Operations and Hazard Reporting system (CIRRO), and its document management system (Laserfiche) for employees to access information relevant to their jobs, as well as social media platforms.
Overall, many of Alpine’s digital products and tools are commercial off-the-shelf (e.g. Microsoft 365 suite, Teams, Outlook, Telus Business Connect).
Some of these tools can be adjusted for accessibility.

Passenger Transport (CTA Regulations):
Alpine is committed to ensuring that all information related to flights, bookings, schedules, and services is accessible to people with disabilities, including making the public website and customer communication channels compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1).

ICT Passenger Accessibility Goals:
● [Initiative #13]: By March 2025, Alpine will conduct accessibility audits to identify potential opportunities for Alpine’s public website and online booking system to meet WCAG 2.1 standards, including screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and video captioning.

Non-Passenger Transport (ACR Regulations):
Alpine is committed to ensuring that its internal systems (Laserfiche, Dayforce, and CIRRO) are fully accessible, allowing employees with disabilities to easily access HR information, apply for accommodations, track work hours, and navigate job-related details through interfaces that support screen readers, offer alternative text for images, and provide voice-enabled navigation.
Similarly, Alpine’s internal communication tools, such as Microsoft 365, Teams, and Outlook, will be optimized for accessibility, with features like text-to-speech, speech-to-text, real-time meeting captions, and adjustable text sizes and colors for improved readability.
All training materials and software-related documentation will be made accessible, offering alternative formats such as transcripts, video captioning, and screen reader-friendly documents.
Additionally, digital tools used for workplace collaboration, like Telus Bizz Connect, will be made accessible to employees with visual, auditory, or mobility impairments, with built-in options for customization and compatibility with assistive technology.

ICT Non-Passenger Accessibility Goals:
● [Initiative #14]: By June 2025, Alpine will review both the onboarding process as well as the accommodations policy to ensure they support people who need to communicate and/or make requests with regards to accessibility needs in the workplace.

Alpine Helicopters engages with a diverse group of stakeholders, including pilots, passengers, and partners in the aviation and tourism sectors, through multiple communication channels.
Our primary focus is on sharing information that ensures the safety of our operations.
This includes updates on flight planning, weather conditions, and our various services.
The public can easily contact us via phone, email, or mail for any questions or assistance.

Communication Accessibility Goals:
● [Initiative #15]: By December 2025, Alpine will make important information, such as safety notices, accessible to everyone by providing it in various formats (for example, verbally and in writing) to ensure alternate methods of learning the material are available.

Alpine frequently procures external applications and goods to enhance our operations and services.
This process, known as “procurement,” involves acquiring products and services that support ongoing maintenance and operations.
Historically, accessibility has not been systematically integrated into our procurement practices.

Procurement Accessibility Goal:
● [Initiative #16]: By March 2025, Alpine will create a new position titled Procurement Manager, who will oversee purchasing parts, managing shipping and receiving, and leading efforts in our stores department.
● [Initiative #17]: By June 2025, Alpine will review our procurement policies and related documents to incorporate accessibility considerations into the procurement process.
This role will ensure that accessibility is a key factor in all procurement decisions, helping us better serve all our stakeholders.

Alpine is committed to delivering safe and dependable air transportation services to our customers.
We operate through a network of bases and support facilities countrywide. Our services encompass passenger transport, flight operations, and aerial support, all tailored to meet the varied needs of our clients.
Additionally, Alpine is focused on improving accessibility to better serve employees and customers with disabilities.

Design and Delivery of Program and Service Accessibility Goals:
● No current initiatives.

Alpine continues to support individuals with varying accessibility needs, including those with physical limitations, such as wheelchair users who participated in heli-skiing (featured in a Netflix film titled “Full Circle”), and groups of individuals who are visually impaired participating in heli-skiing (including the Braille Mountain Initiative), supported by Alpine’s Golden, BC base operations.

Transportation Accessibility Goals:
● [Initiative #18]: By June 2025, Alpine will review existing accessibility training in consultation with Pilots, AMEs, Ground Crew, and Guest Service Agents to identify opportunities for improvement.
● [Initiative #19]: By June 2025, Alpine will publish an internal standard operating procedure for guests who require accessible transportation services.
● [Initiative #20]: By December 2025, Alpine will invite an individual with accessibility needs to experience a helicopter tour and request feedback on how their experience could be further improved and enhanced.
● [Initiative #21]: By December 2025, Alpine will promote awareness to the public of both its accessible tourism and commitment to accessibility by creating a short video that will be posted on the website to showcase positive experiences of guests with accessibility needs experiencing a tour flight.

CONSULTATIONS

Consultation Overview

Alpine is dedicated to valuing the insights of individuals with disabilities. To maintain this commitment, we will engage with people who have disabilities throughout the implementation of this plan. Additionally, we will involve individuals with disabilities in the development of other significant projects at Alpine. The subsequent sections of this plan outline how we consulted with people with disabilities during its preparation. We understand that ongoing consultations are essential, and we are committed to building trusting relationships with individuals with disabilities to facilitate effective collaboration moving forward. For this plan, we collected feedback from individuals with disabilities through surveys directed at both employees and stakeholders.

Consultations with Persons with Disabilities

To get the insight of persons with disabilities, Alpine utilized the disclosed information collected from
the Employment Equity Survey and contacted those who disclosed disabilities, or, who are close to
someone with a disability. These individuals provided direct information and feedback on accessibility
barriers they have noticed while working at, or closely with, Alpine. The most common feedback
received from employees relates to accessibility barriers in the built environment of Alpine’s physical
spaces

CONCLUSIONS

Ensuring that all areas of our operations are inclusive for people with disabilities is a top priority for
Alpine. While we recognize that we are in the early stages of our accessibility journey, we are committed
to making progress. We will continuously review our practices to identify and remove any barriers to
accessibility. Understanding that this is an ongoing effort, we are dedicated to consulting with
individuals with disabilities and building a strong culture of accessibility across the company.