Many separate accessibility standards development processes exist in Canada. Ontario, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia all have laws that mandate creation of provincial accessibility standards. In addition, the Accessible Canada Act mandates accessibility standards that apply to organizations under federal jurisdiction. However, the government of Canada intends to coordinate federal and provincial accessibility laws. Moreover, the third review of the AODA recommends that the Ontario government should support this aim by aligning its accessibility law, the AODA, with the laws of other provinces and the country. If the governments work together to make these laws more similar, AODA standards may change to align with laws in other places across the country. In this article, we will explore accessible employment standards in Ontario and Manitoba.
Accessible Employment Standards in Ontario and Manitoba
The Employment Standards under the AODA and the Accessible Employment Standard under the Accessibility for Manitobans Act both require service providers to make their employment practices accessible for workers with disabilities. Moreover, both standards require many of the same processes and practices to ensure accessibility. For instance, both standards require employers in the public and private sectors to:
- Make the hiring process accessible
- Provide accessible workplace information to workers with disabilities
- create individualized workplace emergency response plans for all workers with disabilities
- Make workplace performance management, career advancement, and redeployment processes accessible
- Have processes in place to create:
- Individual accommodation plans for workers who disclose disabilities
- Return to work plans for workers who have been absent due to disability
Differences Between Standards
However, there are many important differences between the standards for accessible employment in Ontario and Manitoba. Moreover, both of these standards may change over time to improve accessibility or to better align with:
- Each other
- Future accessibility standards in other provinces
- The Accessible Canada Act
Our next series of articles will explore differences between Ontario’s and Manitoba’s mandates for accessible employment.