In our last article, we discussed how organizational leaders can learn about discrimination on the basis of disability. Leaders can consult with people who have lived experience of disability to better understand the forms of discrimination, barriers, and stigma they face. This knowledge can help managers, supervisors, and other decision-makers develop policies and plans to reduce discrimination. In this article, we explore educating workers about discrimination and accessibility.
Educating Workers about Discrimination and Accessibility
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), Ontario workplaces must create and implement harassment policies. Moreover, workplaces must update these policies every year. These policies should clearly state that the workplace does not condone harassment on the basis of disability. In addition, employers should train their workers on the contents of their harassment policies. For example, workers should know how to follow the workplace procedure for making a harassment complaint. Furthermore, workers should know that if they make a complaint of harassment, they will not experience reprisal.
Similarly, under the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR), all workers and volunteers must receive AODA training. In this training, workers should learn about the requirements of the current AODA standards. Likewise, this training should also teach workers about how the Ontario Human Rights Code (the Code) applies to people with disabilities. In other words, workers should know about how the Code forbids discrimination on the basis of disability. Similarly, workers should know that the Code gives people with disabilities the right to accommodation in:
- Employment, including:
- Housing
- Services
Workers should also know about specific policies and plans their employer has in place to accommodate workers, tenants, or clients with disabilities. Finally, workers’ AODA and human rights training should be updated regularly.
Learning More about People with Disabilities
Workers, like organizational leaders, may lack personal experience with disability. Therefore, workers may sometimes discriminate without meaning to because they do not know that they are creating barriers. Similarly, workers may stigmatize people with disabilities because they lack basic knowledge and believe stereotypes. As a result, organizational leaders can reduce the likelihood of discrimination by making their AODA training as thorough as possible. For instance, workers can learn about best practices when interacting with colleagues or customers who use:
- Assistive devices
- Communication devices
- Accessible formats
- Communication supports
- Service animals
- Support persons
On the other hand, workers should also know best practices for interacting with people whose disabilities are invisible.
Likewise, workers should know about the different types of barriers that colleagues or customers with disabilities may face, including:
- Attitudinal barriers
- Organizational barriers
- Technology barriers
- Information or communication barriers
- Physical or architectural barriers
All workers, including organizational leaders, should learn as much as they can about the barriers people experience and the accommodations they use. In this way, people have the knowledge to start removing the barriers and improving the accommodations. Workers will be less likely to discriminate or act on ableist beliefs if they have accurate knowledge about the daily lives of real people who have disabilities.