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Disability - Workplace roles and responsibilities (fact sheet)

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Everyone - employers, unions, and persons with disabilities - has a shared responsibility for making the accommodation process a success. Nothing forces a person to reveal a disability. However, when an accommodation is requested, everyone involved should cooperatively share information and actively seek solutions.

It is the responsibility of persons with disabilities to:

  • inform their employers of their needs;
  • cooperate in obtaining necessary information, including medical or other expert opinions;
  • participate in discussions about solutions, and
  • work with the employer and union on an ongoing basis to manage the accommodation process.

Unions and professional associations must:

  • take an active role as partners in the accommodation process;
  • share joint responsibility with the employer to promote accommodation, and
  • support accommodation measures regardless of the collective agreement.

Employers are required to:

  • accept requests for accommodation in good faith;
  • request only information that is required to make the accommodation;
  • obtain expert advice or opinion where necessary;
  • take an active role in ensuring that possible solutions are examined;
  • maintain the confidentiality of persons with disabilities;
  • deal with accommodation requests in a timely way, and
  • bear the cost of any required medical information or documentation.

Everyone involved must treat human rights issues arising in the workplace seriously and respectfully.