New accessibility standard about creating 'culture of change,' says director

For HR professionals and employers, the document is more than a set of recommendations.

“The standard provides practical guidance for proactively removing barriers in the workplace; it’s a meaningful tool to make meaningful changes,” Haan said. “Lots of times, employers are afraid of saying the wrong thing or being sued. This standard normalizes the process and empowers leaders to act.”

Applying the standard

The CAN/ASC-1.1:2024 – Employment standard provides organizations with “practical guidance for proactively removing barriers in the workplace,” Haan said. “This is about making workplaces more inclusive and giving people with disabilities the opportunities they deserve to thrive,” she said.

As with all standards, this one is not mandatory; however, it does serve as a comprehensive guide for employers in designing their accessibility policies.

 “These standards will become enforceable when either all or part of them becomes regulation,” Haan said.

Until then, the standard serves as a comprehensive guide. “It doesn’t just say, ‘Thou shalt.’ It gives practical ideas on how to uphold inclusivity, like looking at talent instead of deficits.”

But this standard is one tool in a larger toolbox, she said.

“The federal government’s involvement is significant, especially as the largest employer in Canada. By upholding the standard, they set a precedent for other employers. Some businesses have the recruitment process figured out. But the challenge lies in advancing workers with disabilities into promotions and leadership roles.”

According to the ASC, the standard addresses organizational policies, systems, leadership and focuses on key aspects of the entire employment lifecycle, including:

• recruitment
• hiring
• onboarding
• retention
• career development and promotion
• performance management
• redeployment
• compensation
• job exit

Designing the Accessibility Standard

Back in 2017, Canada was called before the UN at the Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and was challenged on policies that didn’t exist to uphold the UN CRPD. To that challenge, the government created the Accessible Canada Act, Haan said.

The development of the standard was led by ASC's technical committee, which includes a majority of members who identify as persons with disabilities or as part of equity-deserving groups.

The standard has since become a springboard for addressing employment as a priority for Canadians with disabilities, directly responding to public consultations that highlighted this need.

Haan’s confidence in the standard’s impact is supported by its supported by its reception..

“The standard received close to 100 comments,” she said. “That’s unusual for standards. People were paying attention—industry stakeholders wanting to understand expectations, and people with disabilities ensuring their voices were heard.”

The ambition behind the standard is clear: breaking down barriers and normalizing conversations about inclusivity.

“The number one goal is to create a culture of change within workplace. If you’re only looking at workers to change, that’s discrimination — the culture within workplaces must change,” she said. “It’s about integrating accessibility and disability confidence into broader diversity efforts. We need to stop talking about disability and start talking about barriers. We all have barriers; for some, they’re just different.”

Key components of employment accessibility strategy

The standard outlines key components for a successful employment accessibility strategy as well as the role and responsibility of senior management in developing, leading and promoting a culture of accessibility and inclusion.

For example, the ASC recommends an organization:

• Define and communicate the roles and responsibilities of all internal workplace parties to support an inclusive and accessible employment system.
• Provide workplace parties with resources to effectively participate in establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving the inclusive and accessible employment system. Resources include the premises, equipment, communication tools and work time.
• Promote dialogue about inclusive employment issues among workplace parties, including persons with disabilities and lived experience, external experts, service providers, and program administrators, while respecting the worker’s right to privacy.

Some ways senior management can develop lead, and promote a culture of accessibility and inclusion within the organization include:

• Continually communicating to workers the value of working together to address and innovate accessibility in the workplace and the value of ensuring equitable commitment to the Standard to benefit everyone.
• Actively engaging workers (with and without disabilities) in dialogue on all aspects of accessible employment.
• Providing anti-ableism training to reduce the impact of attitudinal barriers.
• Establishing or supporting committee(s) that promote accessibility, anti-ableism, and inclusion.
• Establishing a confidential complaint process.
• Designating neutral representatives who have defined roles, responsibilities, accountability, and authority to establish, implement, maintain and improve the organization’s confidential complaints process.
• Protecting workers from reprisals when reporting incidents of discrimination based on disability and when identifying barriers to accessibility.
• Providing opportunities for confidential worker feedback and suggestions for improvement.
• Ensuring that those with disabilities are consulted/included in the development, implementation, maintenance, and continual improvement of the organization’s inclusive and accessible employment system.