People with disabilities have skills, abilities and experience that can add value in your workplace. By opening up your search for talented employees and making your workplace accessible, you create a win-win situation. You find the right person for the job. You create a place where anyone can work and be productive—and you allow employees of all abilities to compete in the marketplace.

You may have to provide workplace accommodation for some employees. Many options available to you as an employer can be low-cost or no-cost. You may have to make some changes to workstations or provide an assistive device or assistive technology, but many changes are simple.

Getting Started

Here are some things to consider as you get ready to make your workplace accessible:

Job Advertisements
Clearly state that your organization has an equal opportunity policy.

Use simple typeface that is easy and large enough to read. Provide the job ad in alternate formats such as large high contrast print, HTML and plain language.

Consider using other methods of advertising such as web-based listings and radio ads. Look beyond mainstream sources for candidates. Contact agencies that provide employment support services to people with disabilities, local agencies and campus placement offices.

Remember that people with disabilities may not have acquired formative work experience that employers seek, but they may have other valuable experience and skills that will make them productive employees.

Focus on skills, abilities, expectations, and desired outcomes. Ask for credentials only when necessary to do the job such as a degree in law or medicine.

Job Descriptions and Requirements
Separately identify what skills and experience are needed to do the job and what desirable qualities the candidate can bring to the job.

Make sure what you ask for is relevant to the job (e.g., a physical test). On application forms, ask for information that is relevant to the job. Make the application available in alternate formats.

Recruitment and Selection
Make your selection process consistent for all applicants.

This includes interviews, tests and other screening tools. By using the same criteria for everyone, you will be able to assess each person's skills and be able to make fair, informed decisions.

When you contact candidates for an interview, ask if they have any accommodation needs. They may need to use a computer to do a test, materials in large high contrast print, or a sign language interpreter.

Train front-line staff greeting job candidates on how to interact with people with disabilities.
Be clear about what you can and cannot ask during an interview.

The Ontario and Canadian human rights commissions can provide you with questions that can and cannot be asked, along with ways to phrase questions.

Ask only questions that are job-related. For example, you cannot ask about health problems. However, you may ask about the person's physical abilities if they have to move heavy objects as part of their job.

Ask how candidates will fulfill job requirements instead of asking if they can fulfill them.

Applicant Testing
Give tests that will show you if the candidate can do the job.
Make sure you give the same test and clear instructions to all candidates.
You may have to give the test verbally, or provide a computer for candidates to do the test.