In 1995, the Canadian Government passed the Employment Equity Act under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. This important piece of legislation recognized the challenges faced by four designated groups in the Canadian workplace, and put forth a plan to address them. The Employment Equity Act “requires special measures and the accommodation of differences” for women, visible minorities, Aboriginals, and people with disabilities (Employment Equity Act, 1995). This was an important issue for Canadians at the time, as systematic discrimination limited the career opportunities available to many of these designated groups. 21 years later, it is evident that this regulation has helped significantly in addressing the wage gap and injecting diversity in the
…show more content…
According to the Barnett, Nicol & Walker (2012), “Disability is the most common ground involved in reasonable accommodation cases across Canada. In 2010, 44% of all complaints accepted by the Canadian Human Rights Commission were related to disability.” Clearly, employers are receiving a disproportionate number of claims regarding physical accessibility in the workplace. Layla Thérèse, a Canadian with cerebral palsy, told TVO (2016), “In my cover letters I clearly state that I have a disability, that I use a wheelchair, and I would ask, ‘Are you wheelchair accessible?’ Nine times out of 10 the answer was, ‘We had no idea you needed that. No, we’re not. We’re sorry. Best of luck in your search.’” This is just one of many Canadians who cannot find an employer willing to accommodate a disability. In fact, according to Statistics Canada (2012), 12.3 percent of disabled Canadians not in the labour force said that they were unable to find a job due to accessibility issues. Despite the prevalence of these issues, they are often resolved relatively easily after a complaint has been made, and often result in minimal costs; the three most common accommodations required by people disabilities are modified hours, modified duties, and a specialized chair (StatsCan, 2012). However, the unfortunate reality is that many businesses wait until a complain has been filed against them to address the issue. As a result, those who complain are accommodated, and those who do not continue to look elsewhere for work. Ultimately, while accessibility issues are often easy to resolve, they still prevent many Canadians from entering the
According to the Barnett, Nicol & Walker (2012), “Disability is the most common ground involved in reasonable accommodation cases across Canada. In 2010, 44% of all complaints accepted by the Canadian Human Rights Commission were related to disability.” Clearly, employers are receiving a disproportionate number of claims regarding physical accessibility in the workplace. Layla Thérèse, a Canadian with cerebral palsy, told TVO (2016), “In my cover letters I clearly state that I have a disability, that I use a wheelchair, and I would ask, ‘Are you wheelchair accessible?’ Nine times out of 10 the answer was, ‘We had no idea you needed that. No, we’re not. We’re sorry. Best of luck in your search.’” This is just one of many Canadians who cannot find an employer willing to accommodate a disability. In fact, according to Statistics Canada (2012), 12.3 percent of disabled Canadians not in the labour force said that they were unable to find a job due to accessibility issues. Despite the prevalence of these issues, they are often resolved relatively easily after a complaint has been made, and often result in minimal costs; the three most common accommodations required by people disabilities are modified hours, modified duties, and a specialized chair (StatsCan, 2012). However, the unfortunate reality is that many businesses wait until a complain has been filed against them to address the issue. As a result, those who complain are accommodated, and those who do not continue to look elsewhere for work. Ultimately, while accessibility issues are often easy to resolve, they still prevent many Canadians from entering the