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People, including employers and persons with disabilities themselves, often confuse accommodation and accessibility. Here are definitions to assist you with being able to differentiate between these two terms:
Accommodation is very individualized and each individual has unique needs. Accommodation is an adaptive device or devices or additional supports an individual may need in order to be as fully productive in employment as possible. It is not stagnant, but needs to be revisited on a regular basis throughout a person’s career. It focuses on workplace modification for accessibility due to job requirements, religious restrictions and grounds prohibited by the human rights laws, as well as for an employer to fulfill its role as a good corporate citizen.
The Ontario Human Rights Code defines reasonable accommodation is to the point of undue hardship.
The Code prescribes three considerations in assessing whether an accommodation would cause undue hardship. These are:
- cost
- outside sources of funding, if any
- health and safety requirements, if any.
Accommodating someone with a disability is seldom as expensive or difficult as is sometimes imagined. Over two-thirds of job accommodations cost under $500; many cost nothing at all.
- Employers have a responsibility to provide a barrier-free workplace and equitable employment opportunities for all individuals including people with disabilities
- Workplace accommodation for employees with disabilities provides support, tools, and/or technology to help eliminate barriers to performance which are the result of the employee’s disability
- Workplace accommodation is ongoing and is provided throughout an employee’s career
- It recognizes each employee’s uniqueness and responds to individual needs
- It respects the individual’s right to privacy and confidentiality
- Employees are not required to disclose the nature of their disability
- Accommodation is not just for persons with disabilities
Accessibility is a corporate and employer and building responsibility by law (Canadian Human Rights Act) to provide barrier free workplace for the dignity of all individuals.
In Ontario we have the AODA.
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, also known as the AODA became law on June 13, 2005. The purpose of the AODA is to develop, implement and enforce mandatory accessibility standards in key areas of daily living. In so doing, it aims to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities.
Standards have been developed in customer service, information and communications, employment, transportation, and the built environment. The accessibility standards apply to both private and public sector organizations across Ontario with one or more employees. The goal of the AODA is an accessible Ontario by 2025.