Module 3: The Duty to Accommodate, Part 1

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[music] Announcer: This video includes a combination of re-enactments, interviews and real-life footage.

[music] Announcer: Many scenarios, reflections, comments and recommendations are presented by actors

[music] Announcer: representing employers,

[music] Announcer: people with disabilities,

[music] Announcer: and agency representatives.

[music] Announcer: Wherever this material has been re-enacted, it is drawn from the experiences of real people

[music] Announcer: in real situations revealed in focus groups organized by the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work.

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Narrator: Not long ago, when people mentioned the word "accommodations," it was assumed that they were referring to a place they lived or stayed.

A house, an apartment, or a hotel room.

The word now applies to adaptations that accommodate people with disabilities.

They may be simple or complex.

They may be expensive or inexpensive or no cost at all. And they may be provided by employers from all sectors.

Large corporations, heavy industry, light industry and small businesses in cities and towns.

Accommodations: what are they?

When are they required?

How does an employer decide what to do?

Male PWD with hidden disability: Disability accommodations and the ability to do the work are often confused.

For a person with a disability, accommodations and being able to perform up to your optimal potential are intertwined.

In my case, I wasn't able to complete my notes fast enough unless I could use some sort of audio format.

They basically said that they didn't have dictaphones or tape recorders, and as a result, I couldn't keep my notes in audio format.

And, then they implied that my skill level wasn't up to par.

So my argument was, "I know the work. I can do it, but I'm at a real disadvantage."

And I talked to them about solving the problem by taking notes in audio format.

It's an accommodation that's often provided to vision-impaired individuals.

But it can also be good for people with dexterity problems or some people with dyslexia.

It took 3 times as long as it should have for me to prove that I could do the job.

And I did it very well.

Eventually, they admitted that they had failed to accommodate me.

It's just that sometimes you have to go through extra work to prove yourself, and things get confused.

PWD who is blind: I'm vision-impaired and I'm not ashamed of that. That's just life.

In an employment situation, I may need this equipment to get the job done, or do it a different way.

And I make no apologies for that.

I'm not going to pretend to do it the (quote) "regular" way.

There's more than one way to get the job done.

Narrator: [man reading a book in the library]

Often in the workplace, co-workers and managers should be more aware of accommodations. including soft and hard accommodations.

The definition of soft accommodations includes flexible work hours.

The definition of hard accommodations includes such things as adaptive technology, attendant care services and interpreter services.

One of the first questions that comes to mind for many employers is cost.

What should I do?

How expensive will it be?

How am I going to pay for it?

Female Employer #2: Sarah, I need you to work some overtime for me tonight. Is that all right?

Female PWD with hidden disability: That depends on what you need me to do.

Narrator: Sometimes, accommodations are perceived as a privilege, especially for people who have hidden disabilities.

Female PWD with hidden disability: I am sure if I had have been physically disabled in some way, they would have been much more accepting of the fact that I couldn't do certain things. I look like I am able to do things, therefore, you are expected to be able to do them.

It is like I am making it up to try and get out of doing the work.

Narrator: [Male employer discusses accommodations with a wheelchair user]

Many employers may automatically assume that accommodations are going to be costly.

But many of them don't have to cost anything at all.

Sometimes they just require consultation, teamwork and creative thinking.

Female Agency Rep.: For example, I had a young lady with a number of duties.

She knew her duties, she sat, and then didn't move on.

The employer didn't know what to do. He would instruct her to move on to the next task.

She would then go do the second one, and if he wasn't there, she wouldn't move on.

He called me. I said: "We just need for her to have a schedule."

"Doing dishes, now that's number 1. Sweeping the floor, that's number 2, and so on."

"We should put it at her tray, and she'll be able to see what she needs to do."

The employer didn't recognize that she needed to have something in front of her so that she would know: "What should I do next?" because she couldn't retain that information.

The employer felt like he was picking on her.

But once we put a schedule in place, it is working perfectly.

It's just those small things.

Narrator: [office worker, typing]

In another situation, an office worker had acquired a disability, which was deteriorating. They were dealing with the acceptance of their disability as well as trying to figure out how to manoeuvre in the workplace.

Male Employer: They had become very touchy.

So we went from someone who could walk on their own, to being in a wheelchair soon. And it's tricky.

One particular situation we got into was around coffee time.

We had to speak to the individual and say: "It's really not safe for you to go and get your coffee, because you're only using one crutch."

Because she needed a hand for the coffee.

And it didn't go over well, at first.

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End Part 1 of Module 3: The Duty to Accommodate