Introduction to employment standards: Understanding employees with disabilities

AODA Employment Standards course: Understanding Employees with Disabilities

Course Description

PLEASE NOTE: When we present this topic in a public course, it is part of our comprehensive course that ALSO include an overview of the Accessibility for Ontarian’s with Disabilities Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code!

Recent changes (and/or updates) to legislation in Ontario requires organizations to better understand and serve people with disabilities as customers, and as employees. Timelines and requirements for compliance, including whether or not you need to report your status with the Ontario government, will vary depending on the type of organization and number of employees. So what does that mean to you? How does AODA legislation affect your organization? What sections of the AODA affect you? Which deadlines need to be met? What is the cost of complying?

This course is intended to de-mystify the AODA. It will provide a clear path to help organizations develop strategies that meet their legal requirement under the law, PLUS it will empower staff and management with practical information they can use on a daily basis.

People in the disability community are quickly educating themselves of their legal rights in their job search and as employees. This course responds to those expectations and equips organizations to meet both their legal requirements under the law and the social expectations of the general public. With a focus on the Employment Standard, participants will be equipped with the knowledge of how to recruit new employees and with information on what is required for existing employees.

This program covers topics for compliance with the law, such as:

• what is required when posting positions internal and external to your organization
• how to respond to candidates who request accommodation before they are hired
• how to prepare for interviews when a candidate identifies they have a disability
• what to do if a candidate doesn’t disclose they have a disability until he/she shows up for the interview
• how to deal with situations when the candidate is unable to complete company forms or tests
• how to develop an accommodation plan for employees who identify having a disability
• what is the cost of accommodation
• how to create an emergency plan for visitors and employees
• how does hiring a person with a disability affect your policies and procedures for training, advancement, job reviews, discipline and redeployment?

This course will address not only your “fears” of hiring a person with a disability, it will show you an opportunity to an entire workforce that has previously been untapped. A workforce that, in study upon study, has documented that it offers employees who have an exceptional level of commitment and dedication to their employer, and, one that typically uses fewer sick days than employees who do not have a disability.

What Makes This Course Unique

This course was developed by Brian Kon, one of North America’s leading experts on accessibility due to his unique connection, personally and professionally, with the disability community. Brian was part of the team who brought AODA to fruition: he not only understands the legislation, in 2005 he was selected work with the Ontario Government in writing the AODA standard on Customer Service.

For twenty years Brian traveled throughout Canada and the United States interviewing people with disabilities, their family members, care providers, health care professionals, retailers and manufacturers to learn what issues were most important to them. Plus, as a person with a disability, and with several family members who have disabilities, Brian knows first-hand the challenges faced at home, work and community.

Brian’s personal and professional background with the disability community forms the basis for all his training material, which he uses to provide the consumers’ perspective combined with a practical knowledge of an organization’s ability to comply. Brian’s real-life stories about members from the disability community helps course participants get a sense of the impact they have on the lives of people with disabilities through their action and words.

What You Will Learn

This course will provide a working understanding of how Ontario legislation impacts your organization’s legal obligations under the AODA and Ontario Human Rights Code. It will equip you with the tools you need to  open the door to a loyal workforce that has yet to be tapped. It will create an awareness of how to interact with the disability community and address your “fear” of knowing what to do or what to say to your employees and customers with disabilities.

Goals

At the end of this event, you will:

• understand the two main legislative requirements in Ontario (AODA and Ontario Human Rights Code)
• have a comprehensive knowledge of what is required as an employer during the recruitment of new employees
• learn how to communicate with employees and customers with disabilities
• be equipped to create an accommodation plan that is appropriate to your employees with disabilities
• understand your organization’s requirement to prepare an emergency plan for people with disabilities, and how to create one
• be able to make informed decisions in accommodations that meet the needs of a person with a disability and your ability to provide that accommodation
• have a better understanding of the disability community as a customer or an employee

Typical Agenda (for a half-day event)

8:30 – 8:40  Welcome

8:40 – 8:50 Introduction of legislation in Ontario relating to people with disabilities

8:50 – 9:10  Overview of the AODA and its five standards

• Standards for Customer Service
• Integrated Accessibility Standard Regulation (IASR)
  • Information and Communication Standards
  • Transportation Standards
  • Design of Public Spaces and Ontario Building Code
  • Employment Standards

9:10 – 9:40 Awareness of the disability community (part 1)

• Who is the disability community?
• what is the impact of disability on business in Ontario?
• People first terminology

9:40 – 10:15  An intimate look at the AODA Employment Standards (part 1)

• Recruitment of employees with disabilities

10:15 – 10:30  break

10:30 – 11:45 An intimate look at the AODA Employment Standards (part 2)

• Interviewing people with:
  • physical disabilities
  • vision disabilities
  • hearing disabilities
  • communication challenges
  • other groups who make up the community
• Steps to follow when hiring a person with a disability
• Accommodating an employee with a disability
  • how to create a personalized accommodation plan
  • developing a “need-to-know” strategy with employees
  • how to create an emergency plan
  • work space modification and integrating assistive technology

11:45-12:00 Wrap up

Prerequisites: None

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About the Expert Speaker

Brian Kon is a member of the disability community and a consultant with thirty years experience researching and developing products for people with disabilities. His research includes years of surveys, interviews, focus groups and product testing that involved people with disabilities, their family members, healthcare professionals, retailers, and manufacturers all across Canada and the United States. In addition, Brian has organized four international symposia on issues relating to aging, mobility,hearing and communication. With an international client base that range from not-for-profit agencies to Fortune 500 corporations and governments around the world, Brian brings his intimate knowledge of the disability community to all his clients.

Since the passing of the Accessibility for Ontarian’s with Disabilities Act, Brian has been active in supporting businesses meet their legal requirements under the law through training, accessibility audits of the built environment, and reviews of organizational policies and procedure manuals. He not only understands the legislation, in 2005 he was selected work with the Ontario Government in writing the AODA standard on Customer Service.

Who Should Attend

This course is targeted to all managers and business owners who are responsible for employee and customer relations within their organization; including

• human resource managers,
• business owners and managers,
• senior managers for not for profits,
• board of directors for not for profits,
• communication specialists, and/or
• legal representatives for organizations in Ontario.

Language:

English

Duration:

One half-day course, or keynote presentation (we also provide this course customized on-site for your organization).

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Reviewed October 20, 2015