December 3 is the International Day for Persons with Disabilities
December 3 is the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, also sometimes called the International Day of Disabled Persons. This day recognizes people with visible and invisible disabilities and aims to promote the importance of inclusion in life and the workplace. The focus for 2024 is diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
This year, public-service employees can register for Stop the Stigma: Understanding Apparent and Non-Apparent Disabilities in the Workplace, which will happen on December 3rd. This event will explore the stigmas surrounding both apparent and non-apparent disabilities to highlight the importance of a public service that fosters a barrier-free and inclusive workplace for all. JLP Program officers Suzanne McFarlane (employer) and Catherine Lapierre-Ouellet (union) will host an activity during the event. Registration for the event is free for all public-service employees.
The Joint Learning Program offers several in-person workshops and virtual discussions that touch on the subject of inclusion and persons with disabilities. Mental Health in the Workplace, Respecting Differences/Anti Discrimination, and Mental Health: Let's talk! all explore the subject of disabilities, diversity, and inclusion.
Most significantly, the in-person workshop Duty to Accommodate, due to relaunch in the next few months, explores accommodating persons with disabilities in the workplace at a deeper level. This is a one-day workshop whose purpose is to develop a common understanding of what the duty to accommodate means in the federal public service. In this workshop, collaboration is essential as participants must work together to solve problems and come up with creative ideas which they can then apply in their workplace.
Employees who want to learn more about the duty to accommodate can visit the PSAC website. Managers who want to learn more about the process for accommodating employees can read Duty to Accommodate: A General Process for Managers.
All employees can find greater productivity and ease when their needs are accommodated. Accommodations mean that an employee can grow, flourish, and feel they are doing meaningful work.