Unclassified Nothing Without Us Presentation to the National Joint Council 2019 1
{Unclassified} Purpose Three objectives for today: 1. Provide an overview of the Accessible Canada Act 2. Highlight activities flowing from Nothing Without Us: An Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada 3. What we can do now 2
{Unclassified} Who does what? The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, supported by Employment and Social Development Canada, is responsible for the Accessible Canada Act Deputy Heads of Government of Canada departments and agencies are responsible for meeting the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act The President of the Treasury Board, given the board’s responsibilities for people management and general administrative policy, is responsible for enabling departments and agencies to lead by example in accessibility 3
{Unclassified} Why does accessibility matter? • Accessibility is about creating communities, workplaces and services that enable everyone to participate fully without barriers. • One in five Canadians or 6.2 million people reported living with a disability in 2017 • This figure is set to rise to one in four over the next two decades, fueled by aging • Labour force outcomes for these individuals are significantly worse than for the general population • In the federal public service, despite employment equity legislation and policies: Departures of persons with disabilities outpace recruitment Significantly higher reported rates of workplace stress, harassment and discrimination compared to colleagues without disabilities Lower rates of promotions and career development opportunities 4
{Unclassified} Legislative Overview The Accessible Canada Act, proclaimed in July 2019, provides the Government of Canada authority to adopt new accessibility standards and regulations aimed at creating a barrier-free Canada for persons with disabilities The Act establishes new machinery… The legislation applies to all sectors in the federal jurisdiction… Telecommunications The Chief Banking Accessibility Transportation Officer The Federal organizations Accessibility Commissioner And specific duties are assigned to all entities within these sectors Develop and publish annual accessibility plans • in consultation with persons with disabilities The Canadian Establish a feedback process Accessibility Publish progress reports Standards Development The first accessibility plans are expected to be required in 2021-22 Organization (conditional on regulations being passed) 5
{Unclassified} The Accessible Canada Act - Regulations As the Act is framework legislation, regulations will be developed to set out requirements. Regulations will mean: Regulations in three stages: • Organizations are required to improve 1. Technical regulations on reporting accessibility; requirements* (accessibility plans, feedback • The Accessibility Commissioner and process, progress reports) and Administrative other regulators have rules to enforce; Monetary Penalties; • Individuals can bring forward an 2. Initial regulations in priority areas (prior to the accessibility complaint where a person Canadian Accessibility Standards is adversely impacted or harmed. Development Organization); 3. On-going regulations (based on standards recommended by the Canadian Accessibility Standards Development Organization). 6
{Unclassified} Office of Public Service Accessibility The Government committed in June 2018 to develop a Strategy for the federal public service to meet or exceed new accessibility obligations. Treasury Board Secretariat The Office of Public Service Accessibility (Established August 2018) Develop and Launch and Provide expert advice, leadership Implement a Public manage the and coordination support to federal Service Accessibility Centralized departments and agencies as they Strategy and Enabling prepare to implement the Act Implementation Plan Workplace Fund 7
{Unclassified} Nothing Without Us: An Accessibility Strategy for the Federal Public Service Released in May 2019, the Strategy’s vision is to be the most accessible and inclusive public service in the world. Actions in the Strategy focus on five key areas of work… Improving recruitment, Enhancing the Making information Equipping public servants Building an retention and accessibility of and communications to design and deliver accessibility promotion of persons the built technology usable by accessible programs and confident public with disabilities environment all services for Canadians service Implementation of these actions is divided into work that all departments and agencies should undertake to ensure readiness for the Act and work that lead departments will do on behalf of the entire public service – enterprise actions Development of the Strategy applied the “nothing without us” principle and involved persons with disabilities and other stakeholders • Work with the Persons with Disabilities Champions and Chairs Committee of the federal public service • Extensive consultations on iterations of the Strategy • Face-to-face regional town halls and sessions with the heads and members of functional communities ( i.e., communications, human resources, managers) and bargaining agents • Engagement also included experts from other governments and outside of government – within Canada and internationally 8
{Unclassified} Key Activities Accessibility Hub An online resource providing guidance, tools, tips and best practices for departments and agencies Centralized Enabling Workplace Fund $10 million over five years investing in practices and innovations to remove workplace barriers Work underway on several projects: o Government of Canada Workplace Accessibility Passport o centralized library of adaptive technology o baseline study of employees and managers on work place accommodation Strategy Implementation Ongoing collaboration with stakeholders Plus work on measurement and reporting tools Development of an international network of countries interested in advancing accessibility in their public service Support the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer and the Public Service Commission in moving forward with commitment to hire 5,000 employees with disabilities between 2020 and 2025. Outreach and engagement with employees with disabilities, functional communities, bargaining agents, departmental leadership and outside stakeholders 9
W hy a GC W orkplace Accessibility Passport? According to 2017 and 2018 Public Service Employee Surveys, public servants with disabilities face obstacles in obtaining what they need to perform at their best in the workplace: ► Uncertainty regarding payment for adaptive equipment ► Ownership of the equipment - does it follow the employee or stay with the department/agency? ► Perceptions of harassment or discrimination when having to jump through hoops to justify the purchase of adaptive equipment or access to support measures ► The need to re-negotiate any supports when changing managers, positions or organizations
Guiding Principles I nclusion Workplace policies, rules, practices, and operations should contribute to creating a workplace that is free of barriers and values differences. Respect Employees are treated with dignity and respect. Decisions related to adaptive devices and support measures should aim to build on employee strengths and abilities, eliminate systemic barriers, and mitigate any functional limitations with respect to the work to be performed. Early action Every employee is entitled to request and receive support from their manager and organization at the earliest opportunity. Privacy and confidentiality Employees have a right to privacy. The employer has a responsibility to only request information about how the employee interacts with the work environment. Good communication Good communication between the employee and their manager helps avoid misunderstandings that can have an impact on the employee’s performance and the work environment. Other stakeholders may need to be called upon to provide expertise, support, or to address barriers encountered by employees or managers. All parties commit to communicate effectively and regularly and respect the employees’ right to privacy and confidentiality.
W hat is the GC W orkplace Accessibility Passport? A tool for public service employees to: ► Support conversations between the employee and their manager about optimal workplace conditions and any necessary adjustments, including adaptive equipment or measures ► R ecord conversations and measures agreed ► Docum ent consultations or assessments ► Passport Objectives: ► Rem ove barriers in the procurement of any adaptive tools resulting in fewer delays ► Avoid having to renegotiate tools or support measures when changing departments, joining a new team or getting a new manager ► Equip managers with information on how to address potential workplace barriers and create the optimal conditions for everyone to succeed
{Unclassified} Inclusion is everyone’s responsibility Imagine a workplace where In which they feel included, Governments, legislation, every employee has empowered and valued policies, and standards can everything they need to set the right conditions, but achieve their fullest potential ultimately, it’s about small and large improvements each of us can make 13
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