What is the duty to accommodate?

Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission.

The “duty to accommodate” is the legal obligation that employers, unions, land participation in services, housing or the workplace.

There is no set formula for accommodating people with disabilities. The best ways to accommodate a disability depend on what works best for the individual with the disability. Many accommodations can be made easily, and implement next-best measures that would not result in undue hardship. Such measures should be taken only until more ideal solutions can be put in place or phased in.

The employer may have to add or modify roles, processes, rules, policies and multifaceted.

Some examples of accommodations include:

• Increased flexibility in work hours or break times;
• Providing reading materials in alternative formats including digitized text, Braille or large print;
• Providing sign language interpreters or real time captioning for persons who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing so they can participate in meetings;
• Installing automatic entry doors and
• Depending on the circumstances, job restructuring, retraining or assignment to an alternative position.

For more information on accommodations, visit www.ohrc.on.ca or www.mentalhealthworks.ca.