The Conference Board of Canada has partnered with the Ontario government’s EnAbling Change Program to develop resources to help employers tap into a vibrant and underutilized labour pool—people with disabilities. This toolkit provides practical advice to employers of all sizes about simple changes they can implement to make their workplaces more inclusive for people with disabilities and suggestions on complying with the Employment Standard as set out under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It includes resources such as checklists, tips and techniques, links to other resources, case studies (business profiles), and tips for small businesses to help employers implement accessible employment strategies and practices.

The toolkit is organized around the stages of employment. After exploring the context for the Employment Standard, it starts with advertising and application considerations for candidates with disabilities. It then moves on to the hiring process and, finally, career development and advancement considerations. Each section contains information about the specific related requirements, as well as tips, advice, checklists, and sample templates to help employers review and revise organizational policies and procedures.

Chapter 1—Introduction

• Purpose of the Toolkit
• How to Use the Toolkit

Chapter 2—A Focus on Accessibility: Creating an Inclusive Workplace for Employees With Disabilities

• A Statistical Portrait
• What Is an Inclusive Work Environment for Employees With Disabilities?
• The Business Case for Creating an Inclusive Workplace for Employees With Disabilities
• How to Create an Inclusive Work Environment for Employees With Disabilities
• How the Accessibility Standard for Employment Can Help

Chapter 3—Recruitment and Selection

• Tapping Into the Talent
• Tips and Good Practices for Letting Prospective Applicants Know About Accommodations
• Tips and Good Practices for Interviewing and Assessment

Chapter 4—The Accommodation Process

• Duty to Accommodate
• Considerations for Developing a Written Accommodation Process
• Tips and Good Practices for Providing Workplace Emergency Response Information

Chapter 5—The Return to Work Process

• Considerations for Developing a Successful Return to Work Process
• Tips and Good Practices for Return to Work Processes

Chapter 6—Retention

• Tips and Good Practices for Managing Performance
• Tips and Good Practices for Career Development and Advancement

Appendix A—Tools and Templates

Appendix A.1: Accessible Interviewing Checklist

Appendix A.2: Sample Interview Script Guidelines

Appendix A.3: Sample Notification to Successful Applicants

Appendix A.4: Sample Functional Capacity Assessment Form

Appendix A.5: Sample Written Accommodation Process

Appendix A.6: Sample Individual Accommodation Plan

Appendix A.7: Examples of Job Accommodations

Appendix A.8: Sample Worksheet—Identification of Potential Barriers During an Emergency Response

Appendix A.9: Sample Individualized Employee Emergency Response Information Form

Appendix A.10: Sample Job Task Analysis Form

Appendix A.11: Sample Return to Work Process

Appendix A.12: Sample Return to Work Plan Form

Appendix B—Selected Resources

• Employment
• Accommodation
• Return to Work

Appendix C—List of Interviewees

• Employers Interviewed
• Key Informants Interviewed

Appendix D—Respondent Profile

Appendix E—Bibliography