Three Simple Ways to Make Your Hiring Accessible to Persons with Disabilities

A disability can affect someone’s body or mind, be mild or severe, happen at any stage of life, be long or short term but even taking into account employment barriers, the majority of persons with disabilities are skilled and able to actively work.

In a recent CBC interview, David Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, explored the notion that “people with disabilities are more productive and therefore are better employees”. He spoke from his own experience as a person with a disability, describing how his limited employment options pushed him to be more engaged in his field of journalism.

In Ontario, , the Accessibility Standard for Employment, part of the Accessibility for Ontarians With Disabilities Act, requires employers to build accessibility into their entire employment life cycle, from hiring to career development.

Three Simple Ways to Make Your Hiring Accessible Today

When it comes to hiring, small changes to your recruitment process can enable your organization to attract persons with disabilities alongside other applicants.

Start by making sure your recruitment process sends a clear message that you welcome people with disabilities to work with you. Here are three practical ways to do that:

1) Include a note in all job ads something like “We welcome applications from persons with disabilities. Let us know how we can accommodate you to participate in the recruitment process.”

2) When you call and/or email someone for an interview offer accommodation. You can say something like “We’re excited to get to know you in this interview. Is there anything we can do to accommodate you to participate?”

3) Say it again when you offer the job “we offer ongoing accommodation”. Once again, employees are the experts in what they need, and ensuring they are welcome and comfortable will mean that they are present, equipped, and engaged for the work. It’s likely the law in your jurisdiction it is in ours and data show that the vast majority of accommodations fall in the (very accessible) range of $1 to $500 per employee.

With these simple changes, you’re on your way to attracting a larger talent pool with much to offer your organization.

If you are interested in learning more about Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) or how to make accessibility a natural part of your business through the application of Corporate Social Responsibility, please contact Sandra Broekhof @ 416-579-1035 or sandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca or visit www.accessibilitycompliance.ca