Accessibility in the workplace
Career Services values diversity in academic and workplace settings and strives toward reasonable accommodation for students who experience disabilities. As a result, this general information on accessibility in the workplace has been created to support employers who hire a work experience student.
Disability - The definition is quite broad, and includes both physical and mental disabilities. For a full list, refer to Duty to accomodate students with disabilities, an interpretive bulletin by the Alberta Human Rights Commission.
Accommodation - Accommodation means making changes to certain rules, standards, policies, workplace cultures and physical environments to ensure they do not have a negative effect on a person because of the person's mental or physical disability, religion, gender or any other protected ground. It will depend on the nature of the disability; examples of accommodation may involve flexibility in a work schedule, adjustments to work spaces, or assistance through technology.
Duty to Accommodate - Employers have the duty to take reasonable steps to accommodate up to the point of undue hardship.
Disclosure - A person who experiences a disability is not required to disclose the condition unless accommodation is required to do their job.
Employer action steps and available resources - If you suspect your work experience student faces a disability-related condition that creates a barrier, contact the student's Work Experience or Co-operative Education Coordinator to discuss the issues you have been noticing, and for a plan to communicate the issues to the student. The Coordinator can also direct you to the resources available on campus and in the community.
For complete details about the information above, visit the following links:
Alberta Human Rights Commission
Interpretive Bulletin - Duty to Accommodate
Alberta Government - ALIS
Career Services
Mount Royal University
Phone: 403.440.6307
Fax: 403.440.6655
studentjobs@mtroyal.ca