Barrier-Free World
Here are some tips for hiring people with disabilities:
First of all, know why you are hiring someone. If you specifically want to hire a person
with a disability, be sure to understand why you are doing this. Is it because you
want/need to increase your diversity numbers? Is it because you are open to the best
candidate for the job, regardless of their personal abilities?
Regardless of your reason, make sure you hire the right person for the job. Do not hire
a person who cannot physically perform the functions of the job. However, there are
many options that are available that would make most jobs attainable by almost any
person with a disability. All it requires is knowledge about the individual and access to
information about technology that can help overcome physical barriers. In most cases,
the successful candidate will already have the answer.
Do not assume on behalf of the person with a disability. If you feel you have found the
right candidate, ask him or her what accommodation needs they have. You may be
surprised that accommodation is relatively easy and inexpensive. Most adaptations to
the workplace require less than $500 in accommodation to make it accessible to a
person with a disability.
One client we worked with, who came to us after the fact had a poor experience. They
hired a person because they "wanted to hire a person with a disability." However, no
one took the time to find out what the person was actually capable of and what
accommodations were required for him to be successful in the job. There were simple
ways to have made the situation work, but by the time we were called, the employee had
quit and the managers of the area were disillusioned with their plan.
If it is your goal to hire a person with a disability, work with that individual to find out
whether the tasks you want them to perform can be done. And, if there are some tasks
that would be challenging, are there ways to adapt the task, are there technologies to
make the task easier, or, would it make sense to reassign those tasks to another
individual?
Also, not every person with a disability is the same. Do not assume that one person who
uses a wheelchair will have the same requirements of another person using a
wheelchair. Some people remain in their chair throughout the day, others transfer to
office chairs and only use the chair for mobility. And, for some, short distances may be
done without the use of the wheelchair. But most importantly, do not assume that every
person who has a disability uses a wheelchair.
For more information about technology and/or sensitivity training seminars that can be
custom tailored to meet the needs of your business send us an email at
info@sterlingfrazer.com, or visit us on the web at www.sterlingfrazer.com.
| Workplace Accommodation |
| We are continuously updating this site. If you have suggestions or questions please email us at info@sterlingfrazer.com |
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| In Ontario over half (56%) of working age adults with disabilities are either unemployed or not in the labour force, compared to less than a quarter (24%) of working age adults without disabilities. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities (26%) is over five times higher than the unemployment rate for people without disabilities (5%). A breakdown of the results by gender for Ontario adults indicates that 46% of men and 38% of women with disabilities are employed, compared to 81% of men and 72% of women without disabilities. This contrasts with the higher post secondary education of women with disabilities. |