accessibility

New accessibility legislation: The Accessible Canada Act

August 21, 2019 Beyond Rewards Inc Accessibility Standards, Human Resources, Human Rights, Penalties and Fines, 0

On June 21st, 2019, the Accessible Canada Act received royal assent. This new federal accessibility legislation in Canada aims to achieve the goal of a barrier-free Canada by the year 2040.

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Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act, has passed

July 4, 2019 Employer Advisor, McCarthy Tétrault LLP Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, Human Resources, 0

In the midst of National AccessAbility Week, as of May 29, 2019, Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act, has passed and is now awaiting Royal Assent.

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Countdown to Nov 1: Don’t miss MB’s due date for accessibility policies

October 3, 2018 Occasional Contributors Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Standard for Customer Service

Human resources professionals in most businesses are likely in the best position to quarterback this accessiblity policy development and training, but leaders throughout each business should collaborate in order to be able to clearly identify what barriers exist and what potential low cost/no cost strategies might best address such barriers.

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Canada aims to increase accessibility with Bill C-81

September 28, 2018 Beyond Rewards Inc Accessibility Standards, Human Resources, Standard for Employment, Standard for Information and Communications, Standard for the Built Environment, Standard for Transportation

The Accessible Canada Act is to be the first federal accessibility law in Canada to further assist those will disabilities. Canada’s goal in implementing this act is to identify, remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities to enhance full and equal participation of those with disabilities.

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Top 10 employment law developments in 2017

December 5, 2017 Doug MacLeod, MacLeod Law Firm Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Integrated Accessibility Regulation, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Standard for Customer Service, Standard for Employment, Standard for Information and Communications, Standard for the Built Environment, Standard for Transportation

In 2017, the provincial legislature and Ontario judges continued to change Ontario’s employment laws. These changes resulted in higher payroll costs and a more regulated workplace. This blog briefly identifies 10 employment law developments from the past year.

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AODA update and compliance in the digital space

July 12, 2017 Lisa Stam, Spring Law Accessibility Standards, Integrated Accessibility Regulation, Standard for Customer Service

Accessibility on the web isn’t something that necessarily comes to mind when we think about providing accessible services, but as our lives migrate more and more into the virtual space, making digital content accessible is a crucial part of building an inclusive society. The AODA drafters did not overlook this, and AODA does apply to digital content.

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The end of accommodation? Frustration of the employment contract as a last resort

May 16, 2017 Stringer LLP Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Source Deductions and Reporting, Standard for Employment, Union Relations, Wages and Compensation

One of the goals of legislation such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Human Rights Code is to promote accessibility and accommodation in various forums, including the workplace. However, when it becomes clear that, despite accommodating an employee to the point of undue hardship, a disabled employee will never again be able to return to his or her job or be accommodated in another position, what can an employer do?

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Intersectionality: Re-think your pre-think

August 31, 2016 Christopher Lytle MA CDS Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Standard for Employment

We need to take a step back and reassess our assumptions that preclude those who are marginalized. We need to get a sense of how we can think inclusively while building roads to view human diversity as more than a product of a singular association or identity. The concepts of accommodation, accessibility and inclusion that an organization uses have to be robust enough to pay respect to the fact that people are a system of identities that continuously flow and change.

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Definition of disability and the Ontario Human Rights Commission

July 29, 2016 Christopher Lytle MA CDS Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Recruiting and Hiring, Standard for Customer Service, Standard for Employment, Standard for Information and Communications, Training and Development

When creating policies that make statements about accessibility, attempts should be made to view disability as a social system instead of a schedule of impairments in order to align an organization’s forward movement with principles of Human Rights. Also, the time is long past due for an evaluation of how intersecting identities can create unique accessibility and accommodation needs.

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Accessibility is a human rights issue

April 29, 2016 Christopher Lytle MA CDS Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Integrated Accessibility Regulation, Union Relations

Accessibility is a human rights issue. When we look at how it is enacted through the Ontario Human Rights Commission, their online trainings, and their policy papers, we can plainly see that this is the case.

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Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

January 21, 2016 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Integrated Accessibility Regulation, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Standard for Employment, Standard for the Built Environment, Wages and Compensation

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with AODA January 1, 2017 compliance deadline; performance based incentives; and, the use of medical marijuana in the workplace.

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A Canadians with Disabilities Act would be great wouldn’t it?

November 27, 2015 Christopher Lytle MA CDS Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, International HR Law

Even before the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, there was real thought being put into the potential development of a Canadians with Disabilities Act. It began with the structuring of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and has found its permanence with other large scale developments such as the development of UN policy and focus on the inclusion of people with disabilities.

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January 2016 accessibility requirements need attention now

November 12, 2015 Adam Gorley Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, Human Resources, Human Rights, Integrated Accessibility Regulation, Penalties and Fines, Standard for Employment, Standard for Information and Communications

In less than eight weeks, small and large organizations in Ontario will face a new set of legal obligations under the AODA’s Employment Standard and Information and Communications Standard.

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Manitoba customer service accessibility standard

October 30, 2015 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Standard for Customer Service

The Manitoba Customer Service Accessibility Standard (CSAS) under the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA) comes into effect November 1, 2015. The CSAS requires all of Manitoba’s public, private and non-profit organizations with one or more employees that provide goods or services directly to the public or to another organization in Manitoba, to establish and implement measures, policies and practices to remove barriers to access to the goods or services it provides.

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AODA audit blitz for retail organizations

October 30, 2015 Christopher Lytle MA CDS Accessibility Standards, Integrated Accessibility Regulation, Standard for Customer Service, Standard for Employment, Standard for Information and Communications, Standard for Transportation

I am guessing that there are a few business owners who are scratching their heads with regards to new information concerning an AODA “Audit Blitz” for retail organizations. In a field pot marked with consulting companies one would figure that the use of terminology that strikes fear into the hearts of businesses is a little unnecessary. Granted, accessibility is a crucial part of the business landscape in Ontario, but scaring the bejesus out of business owners is counterproductive.

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