News & Press: News

How to Support Employees with Disabilities Throughout Their Career

May 8, 2023  

Provided by the Manitoba League of Person with Disabilities, writer Kenzie Love

 

An estimated one in five Canadians have a disability. Supporting employees with disabilities isn’t optional — it’s a matter of necessity for a successful workplace. It starts by making the hiring process as inclusive as possible, but like all employees, employees with disabilities need support throughout their career. Many employees with disabilities are not supported to live up to their potential and bring their best selves to work.

 

Supporting employees with disabilities is not overly complicated. In most cases, it’s quite simple. Here are some steps employers can take to ensure employees with disabilities get what they need at every stage of their journey.

 

Interviewing

Making your workplace accessible to employees with disabilities should start from the beginning, starting with the ad for the job that you’re seeking applications for. Before posting the position, carefully consider all the qualifications to determine which ones are essential and which can be omitted. For example, if it’s not critical that an employee have a driver’s license or be able to lift heavy boxes, consider omitting include these criteria. Make sure that the interview location is accessible by public transit and in an accessible building. There may be some accommodations you haven’t considered, be sure to include in the ad that additional accommodations can be arranged as needed, and be open to providing those supports where possible. Usually the employee can provide direction about what their needs will be.

 

Onboarding

Actively recruiting candidates with disabilities will help you attract a broader pool of early talent and build a more diverse team. While you can’t force an employee to disclose their disability, if they do so, be prepared to respond as needed. Make sure that any accommodations they may need are in place from the start, that other employees are aware of any accommodations the employee may need, and that all the critical information they need to start and continue in the job is available in an accessible format.

 

Promotion

Employees with disabilities are just as capable of performing their duties as those without, and thus should have the same opportunities for promotion available to them as all employees, and have the same opportunities for training and development. While accommodations to this end are generally simple and inexpensive, it’s important to recognize they will exist and change throughout an employee’s career and are not a one-time occurrence.

 

As the needs of employees with disabilities may change over the course of their career, it is important that they feel comfortable having candid conversations with supervisors and coworkers about areas where they need support. This should not look that different from the process for all employees. Providing employees with disabilities with annual opportunity to review questions with their supervisor such as “what would you like to accomplish over the next five years?” will allow you to better support them in their professional development.

 

Support for Employees with Acquired Disabilities

Canada has an aging workforce, and with this comes the reality of employees acquiring disabilities as they age. Employees who acquire a disability during the course of their career may need to have their duties modified, so be open to “job carving” that will allow them to make the best use of their skills, perhaps by reassigning some to other employees and taking on new tasks.

 

For more information on how to support employees with disabilities throughout their career, please contact the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities.


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CPHR Manitoba is located on Treaty 1 territory, the home and traditional lands of the Annishinabe (Ojibwe), Ininew (Cree), Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples, and in the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. Our clean drinking water comes from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation in Treaty 3 territory.