Summary and Feedback Forms - CAN-ASC-1.1 Standard on Employment: Public Review Draft

During their employment journey, people with disabilities can encounter many barriers to accessibility and inclusion in the work environment. The goal of this standard is to address work-related barriers caused by both individual actions and systems.

This standard envisions a work environment that is:

• accessible, 
• inclusive, 
• barrier-free, and
• free of discrimination.

Like all of Accessibility Standards Canada’s standards, this one contributes to  a Canada without barriers by 2040. It supports our mandate as well as the Accessible Canada Act. It is based on the disability community’s philosophy of “Nothing without us.” This means that people with disabilities are involved in decisions that affect them.

This is the first version of the standard, developed by Accessibility Standards Canada’s technical committee on employment. The committee includes experts with disabilities. It made sure the standard also aligns with other relevant standards, such as the CSA Z1011: Work disability management system.

The standard will facilitate accessibility and inclusion in the work environment. It defines a framework for making systemic change by providing solutions and policies for work environments. For balance, it provides approaches in accessibility and accommodation that focus on the individual.

Key requirements of the standard 

• Develop organizational systems, policies, and practices. Develop structural supports and show leadership 
  • Emphasize the need for the organization to support accessibility and the inclusion of workers with disabilities
    • Do this by creating measurable objectives and supporting policies
  • Having an inclusive and accessible employment system requires the support of key parties in the work environment 
    • Ensure these parties have clear roles and responsibilities related to accessibility and inclusion
• Engage, educate, and create a supportive culture in the work environment
  • All workers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity
    • Ensure the organization aligns with this principle in a way that is healthy and inclusive of disabilities
  • This applies to the work environment culture, leadership, communication, worker participation, training, and education 
• Create a disability management system. Accommodate the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in the work environment
  • A work disability management system addresses the accommodation needs of persons with disabilities
    • This is true whether their disability is longstanding or acquired while at the organization 
  • Develop policies, processes, and programs for disability management in the work environment
• Identify, prevent, and remove barriers encountered during recruitment, hiring, and onboarding
  • When the recruitment process is fully accessible, it enables organizations to diversify the work environment and reach qualified applicants. It also reduces the likelihood of discrimination
  • The principle of treating people equitably, without discrimination, is to be respected throughout the recruitment and hiring process. This will ensure maximum benefit to the organization. It will also provide more equitable opportunities for workers with and without disabilities
• Identify, prevent, and remove barriers encountered in worker retention, professional development, pay equity (compensation), performance management, and job separation
  • Create policies and practices that will strengthen job retention and career advancement for all workers, with a focus on workers with disabilities
  • This section also outlines responsibilities for creating an accessible work environment that will: 
    • foster the continued employment of workers; 
    • provide workers with equitable opportunities for training and promotion; and 
    • ensure workers are compensated based on merit. 
  • In addition, this section describes management’s responsibility for providing accommodations that will not create additional barriers for workers with disabilities