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Issue 38 | October 2023 |
This newsletter is available in alternate formats on request. |
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Join in the Celebration of Disability Employment Awareness Month |
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Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) takes place every October. Please take the time to recognize the positive contributions people with disabilities make toward developing a more diverse and inclusive workforce for all! |
Last year, the Manitoba government committed to their continued support by proclaiming DEAM in perpetuity. The Manitoba government’s commitment to DEAM goes well beyond this month-long celebration. Programs such as the Career Gateway Program and Career Options for Students with Disabilities program help to attract the talent of persons with disabilities to join Manitoba’s Public Service. The Manitoba government also designates competitions for persons with disabilities in certain job postings.
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Follow the conversations all month-long by following the hashtags #NDEAM, #DEAM, #31DaysofDEAM #AccessibleMB.
Visit AccessibilityMB.ca to learn more about The Accessibility for Manitobans Act and your role in implementing the Accessible Employment Standard within your organization. |
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Workplace Accommodations Can Make Big Impacts |
Accessibility levels the playing field, improves productivity and makes workplaces healthier and safer for everyone. With one in four Manitobans having a visible or invisible disability, people with disabilities play a significant role in Manitoba’s workforce. |
It’s not only good business practice to talk about workplace accommodations with your employees, but it’s also a requirement under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act, falling under the Accessible Employment Standard. Since 2022, the Accessible Employment Standard required all employers to have policies in place to support employees with disabilities who may require workplace accommodations and make employees aware of their policies. |
Making a workplace accommodation is a shared responsibility between an employer and an employee. Empowering employees by having accommodation policies makes it easier for an employee to feel comfortable requesting a workplace accommodation. When employers and employees work together, they are most likely to find the right workplace accommodation. Many accommodations are low or no cost, but can still make a world of difference. |
Employers have a legal duty to accommodate employees with disabilities. The Manitoba Human Rights Code requires employers to provide disability-related workplace accommodations. An employee should always be treated with dignity, respect and their privacy about personal information and the reasons for accessibility accommodations should be kept confidential. |
For more information on the Accessible Employment Standard, visit AccessibilityMB.ca.
ManitobaHumanRights.ca is also a great resource to learn more about workplace accommodations. |
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Light It Up! For DEAM 2023 |
| The Manitoba Legislative Building joins over 240 buildings across Canada that will be lit up in purple and blue on October 19, in recognition of “Light it Up! For DEAM”.
This one-night special lighting event quickly became a national movement. It is meant to ignite conversations about disability inclusion in employment, in business and in communities. Learn more about this event and find the list of participating Manitoba buildings by visiting Light It Up! For DEAM. |
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Spotlight on Manitoba Accessibility Fund Projects |
The Manitoba Accessibility Fund is proud to spotlight these amazing projects this month – The Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) and E-Quality Communication Centre of Excellence Inc. (ECCOE). |
The Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) |
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The Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) is a member-controlled, cross-disability organization that advocates for the full inclusion of people with disabilities. Through multiple education channels and community committee work, MLPD shares the voice of people living with disabilities. We believe "Nothing should be decided About Us without Us." |
All staff and over 50 per cent of the Council (Board) are people with lived experience with a disability ensuring that what is developed and delivered truly represents those individuals most affected by and in need of accessible employment and customer service. MLPD delivers live and on-demand public education (remote) addressing the removal of barriers faced by people with disabilities as well as The Accessibility for Manitobans Act and the Accessible Employment & Customer Service Standards. MLPD has worked with the Province of Manitoba to develop and deliver information about Accessible Employment to small and medium employers in Manitoba. They have also developed online self-paced learning platforms to cover both the Accessible Customer Service Standard and the Accessible Employment Standard. |
As a Manitoba Accessibility Fund grant recipient, the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities partnered with Certified Professionals in Human Resources to develop a series of resources aimed at assisting human resource professionals to provide a more accessible workplace and to better support employees with disabilities. One of the short articles outlines a set of steps for employers to follow, from the interview process and onboarding through to promotion. Another article explains invisible disabilities, and how to provide an environment that is supportive of the disclosure of disability and accessible for people with chronic conditions. |
A set of videos provide online accessibility training tools for employees and managers on how to interact and communicate with persons with disabilities, how to recognize and respect the various supports that people with disabilities may use, and how to provide support to a person living with a disability. They also help to increase awareness of how to remedy discrimination using more familiar Canadian human rights laws such as Human Rights Codes and the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The training is self-paced so that trainees can break their training into the time segments that work for them and save their progress. Once the training is completed, trainees receive a certificate of achievement. |
The final resource is a guidebook for employees with disabilities on their rights in an employment setting. Not many guides on this topic with this degree of detail exist. It provides information and advice in a clear and direct way on questions employees may have on discrimination and accommodation in the various stages of employment and what to do if they experience discrimination. This guidebook will be made available through the MLPD website mlpd.mb.ca. |
We are very grateful for the opportunity to provide these resources and contribute to greater accessibility for employers and employees in Manitoba. We look forward to sharing our guidebook with employees and potential employees with disabilities and hearing their feedback. This guidebook will be available at MLPD’s office and various community events and through our website. Please follow us on social media to find out more information about the promotion of this guide or contact our office for a copy. |
Article provided by Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) |
E-Quality Communication Centre of Excellence Inc. (ECCOE) |
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“I don’t regard myself as disabled”, noted a Deaf Interpreter, “but Disability Employment Awareness Month does put the spotlight on removing barriers”. As a Deaf person, the barriers that I experience are related to access to information. When an employer makes information accessible to Deaf employees, everyone benefits.
With financial support from the Manitoba Accessibility Fund (MAF), ECCOE was able to support a project to develop the skills of Deaf individuals now providing translation from English content, both print and video, into American Sign Language (ASL). In keeping with one of the three Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA) objectives, this project is raising awareness about the prevention and removal of barriers by developing tools, resources, and training to support compliance with the AMA standards. Through this project, several Deaf Interpreters expanded their skillsets to include translation as well. Also, Deaf individuals not working as Deaf Interpreters were invited to learn the intricacies of translating English content into ASL. Deaf Interpreters are trained to provide in-person and virtual interpretation for Deaf individuals who require another signed language than ASL (as sign language is not the same in every country or region) or sign language with a different dialect. Deaf Interpreters work in a team with non-deaf Interpreters to provide an accurate interpretation of what is being communicated in an interpreted encounter. Some of the Deaf Translators are also Deaf Interpreters but this is not always the case. Some Deaf contractors only work as Translators, some work specifically as Interpreters, and a few work in both domains. |
As the need for online resources in English to be translated into ASL grows, so too does the need to build capacity for providing this unique service. Deaf Manitobans have noted that they appreciate accessing online content that has been translated into ASL, particularly by Deaf Interpreters who live in Manitoba. As all languages have colloquialisms and Provincial-specific dialects, so too does ASL. |
This project has raised awareness of the prevention and removal of barriers and demonstrated how Deaf people can be employed and support the Deaf Community at the same time. ECCOE continues to train Deaf individuals in translation work as awareness about access to information is supported by various organizations. |
ECCOE is a not-for-profit organization established in 1985 whose primary purpose is to promote and provide professional interpreting services of a high caliber that meet the needs of the Deaf and Deaf-Blind consumers throughout Manitoba. |
Article provided by E-Quality Communication Centre of Excellence Inc. (ECCOE) |
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Remembering Steven Estey, Disability Rights Advocate & Accessibility Champion |
The Manitoba Accessibility Office is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Steven Estey.
Steven was the keynote speaker at the 2023 Manitoba Accessibility Office’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities webinar. He was a passionate disability rights advocate, who contributed to the drafting of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
We recognize Steven’s contributions and share our sincerest condolences with his family. |
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Supporting Canadians Living with Autism |
From: Public Health Agency of Canada |
October is Autism Awareness Month, providing an opportunity for Canadians to learn more about this condition and about how we can support people living with autism, their families and their caregivers. It is estimated that 1 in 66 children and youth has been diagnosed with autism in Canada, yet Autism Spectrum Disorder is a condition that remains misunderstood by many people. |
The Government of Canada is committed to helping people with autism and their families. Visit Canada.ca to learn about these commitments and initiatives. |
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In the News: |
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Ample research shows connecting disability inclusion to broader business objectives and the company mission is vital for continued growth and success, but a new study found most companies don’t even know how many people in their workforce have a disability. |
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The new benefit plan will help Canada’s disabled, but only if its application process is straightforward, accessible and transparent. |
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Over the past several months the Hanover School Division has been placing large communication boards on Elementary and Middle School playgrounds around the region, with a variety of colorful, recognizable symbols on both sides of it. |
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Keep Your Network Informed on Accessibility Issues |
We would love to connect with you to share stories about accessibility with your network, organization or team. If you or someone on your team manages a newsletter or internal communication piece, we would like to connect with you. We have a library of articles on accessibility that are available for you to share. Please email mao@gov.mb.ca if you’re interested in connecting with us to share stories about accessibility. |
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Events: |
CPHR Manitoba's HR Conference 2023 - Working Loud & Proud: Empowering our Workforce |
Presentation: Accessible Employment Matters Presented by: The Manitoba Accessibility Office and the Accessibility Compliance Secretariat When: October 24, 2023 at 11:15 AM Where: RBC Convention Centre
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Learn more about this by visiting the conference website. |
Awareness Dates: |
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