Intro to Workplace Accessibility

Introduction

Accessible workplaces are important for everyone. As an introduction, I will share a little about myself so that you can get an idea of the lens I use to approach accessibility work. I will also identify learning outcomes related to defining disability, understanding functional impacts, requesting accommodations, universal design, social location (privilege/marginalization), and microaggressions. Work through the videos at your own pace and take time to reflect on the discussion questions either on your own or with your classmate/colleagues.

Defining Disability

This module explores different perspectives on disability, examples of medical conditions recognized as a disability, and an opportunity to reflect on your own perception of disability as it applies to disclosure. The way you define and experience disability may influence how you feel about disclosing. 

The term disability comes from a medical perspective and is often used by employers and service providers to approve things like wage subsidies or workplace accommodations.  So, if people require supports or services, it’s also important to know the common term that our society uses to describe some health conditions that affect the way we work and learn.

It’s important to note that people with health conditions that impact the way they participate in daily activities may not refer to themselves as having a disability.  They may use other terms to describe their condition such as injury, chronic pain, mental health difficulties, or diverse abilities. The ways in which we define ourselves and relate to our environments are fundamental to our self-determination and identity.  So, I’d like to acknowledge the importance of maintaining our sense of self. 

Accommodations

In this module, we will discuss the meaning of functional impacts, types of accommodations, universal design, and how to request accommodations using a strength-based approach.

To access accommodations, a measure of disclosure is required but it can be difficult to know how and what to disclose. In this lesson, we will address what to consider when faced with a decision to disclose such as reasons you might need to disclose, risk of disclosure, and how these considerations may influence your decision to share information about your disability.

Ultimately, it would be ideal if workplaces were universally accessible for people who work and learn in different ways. Some examples of how employers can implement simple, inexpensive universal design concepts will be provided in this video.

Legal Rights

This module will cover legal rights to accommodations under the Human Rights Code. Employers have a duty to reasonably accommodate persons with disabilities so that they can meet the expectations of the job. Having a disability does not mean a person is not qualified for the job and persons with disabilities should have equitable access to employment opportunities.

It’s important to not that an employer may ask for medical documentation that explains how they can best support on the job. However, they should not disclose this information to anyone else without your permission or store it in a place that is easily accessed by others.

You will see in this video that there are only a few instances when an employer can choose not to hire or terminate the employment of a person with a disability.

Social Location

Understanding our social location (intersections of privilege and marginalization) can give us perspective on the ways we interact with others. Our upbringing, values, and lived experiences tend to influence how we see the world and can impact our communication with persons with disabilities and other marginalized populations. Mindful communication is an important aspect of minimizing stigma, stereotypes, and discrimination that can lead to harmful interactions in the workplace.

This module addresses the concepts of intersectionality, privilege, marginalization, and microaggressions – terms that have been deemed “buzzwords” and perhaps lost authentic meaning due to overuse. In this video, we will look at what these terms really mean and how they apply to you socially, personally, and professionally.

Video: What is Privilege

Conclusion

We will conclude with a summary of the material and an invitation to watch Dylan Salviati’s success story. Dylan was a TRU coop student with Autism who was faced with a decision to disclose his disability to an employer. He wanted to share this experience to encourage other students in similar situations. Click the link below this video to see Dylan’s story.

Success Story: Dylan Salviati