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Accessibility accommodations are important elements in creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. Accommodations are changes to the workplace that address a barrier that an employee with a disability is experiencing. This may be a physical barrier in their workplace, or could be a method of communication as an example.

Workplaces are required to provide reasonable accommodation to employees who request them in accordance with the Manitoba Human Rights Code. For an employee, they can be hesitant to request a needed accommodation as they could face several barriers in accessing the accommodation or are worried about how their employer may view their performance at the workplace.

Employees have a right to a reasonable accommodation on the basis of a protected characteristic, including related to a disability. Employers can ensure that they are ready to welcome requests for reasonable accommodations with some of the following tips:

• Have a policy in place on how requests for accommodations are received and processed. This policy should be clear in who makes the decision for an accommodation request.
• Have supervisor and management staff trained on what to do when they receive an accommodation request. Supervisor and management staff should be knowledgeable of common types of accommodations are provided in the workplace.
• Have supervisor and management staff speak with their teams about the accessibility initiatives in their organization. By promoting this open dialogue about accessibility, staff will feel more comfortable in approaching their supervisor when they need a reasonable accommodation.
• Have supervisor and management staff trained on disability awareness and the variety of disabilities that an employee may experience. Often disabilities that are visible are more recognizable than invisible disabilities. By having an increased awareness of all types of disability, it will prepare your supervisor and management staff to have effective conversations about disability in the workplace.