Accessibility is not that complicated!

Accessibility is a major concern for both employers and workers with disabilities. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides for an accommodation obligation to prevent people who are able to work from being unfairly excluded when working conditions could be adapted. The employer therefore has an obligation to accommodate the employee's workstation or tasks to enable them to perform their work, as long as it does not cause them undue hardship.

We often think of workers in wheelchairs or on quadricycles who require considerable space planning (access ramps, toilet blocks, elevators, etc.)... the Quebec government therefore plans several subsidies and tax measures to ease the financial burden and promote accessibility of workplaces. Please note that since July 2023, all new constructions comply with the latest standards for accessibility of buildings for people with reduced mobility.

The Work Integration Contract (CIT) covers expenses for the accessibility of a workplace or the adaptation of a workstation.

• Wage subsidy of up to 80% for the first year and 75% in the event of renewal

• Grant for all efforts made to make places accessible

• Grant for the purchase or allocation of an adapted workstation

• Grant for the assessment of employee capacities and limitations

• Grant for interpretation for people with hearing impairments

• Salary compensation for absence related to medical treatment

• Grant for hiring an escort

It should not be forgotten that disabilities can be of several types (motor, organic, visual, auditory, neurological and language) and that 80% of them are not apparent, and do not require significant technical changes.

In fact, reorganizing the workstation is only necessary in 15% of hires . It can be simple and inexpensive: a lifting table, an adapted screen, a Braille keyboard, an ergonomic seat or specific software. It is also a great opportunity to improve working conditions for all your employees! What's more, with the development of digital technology and remote working, the issue of accessibility is changing considerably and making it easier for companies to employ people with disabilities.

Inclusive recruitment

As with any recruitment, the company must first define its needs in terms of skills, qualifications and work organization. (full-time, part-time, location, etc.). Write inclusive job descriptions based on essential qualifications rather than a long list of criteria. Hiring a person with a disability meets the same needs as a traditional recruitment. The employability potential remains the same: a good accounting clerk, a committed manager, a conscientious receptionist or a thoughtful analyst is, regardless of whether he or she has a disability or not. The right profile depends on skills and motivation.

That said, it is true that managing people with disabilities requires that the human resources of inclusive companies implement a strategy for managing the productive potential of each individual. It may be necessary to adapt the initial training and set up specific methods for transmitting instructions, which will be enough to bring them up to speed. It is essential to be flexible, you will benefit from it!

Professional integration and adapted company

Integration may take a little longer, but more often than not, organizational adjustments are lighter than you might think and are based on simple common sense: adjusted schedules or specific breaks, an office in a separate room rather than an open space, flexible leave, possibly a rational reorganization of the distribution of tasks to ensure good integration into the team and fruitful cooperation. The goal is to be able to offer a work environment that allows the disabled employee to fully implement his or her skills. It is important that human resources and management adapt inclusive performance management , with the same standards and requirements for disabled employees and others.

Create a positive and welcoming environment! Raise awareness among your teams and eliminate prejudices. Integrating a person with a disability into your workplace is a factor of progress, both for the company's performance and for social responsibility issues, the promotion of diversity and the employer brand. What's more, the presence of people with disabilities inspires pride in working for an inclusive employer, encourages mutual aid and solidarity, and inspires self-improvement and innovation.

Quebec offers several assistance and support programs for businesses, notably through the Regroupement des organismes spécialisé pour l'emploi des personnes handicapées ( ROSEPH ), SPHERE Quebec and several others specialized organizations for the employment of people with disabilities. To learn more about the programs and measures available, visit the website of the Office for People with Disabilities .