Community Living Ontario

Hoping to meet with Onley about mayoral challenge
Friday August 6, 2010 -- Natalie Hamilton

The Ontario Disability Employment Network (the network) is assembling a how-to toolkit aimed at helping agencies approach their municipalities about opportunities to include people who have a disability in the workforce.

The action is one of the next steps the network is taking that complements a campaign promoting inclusive workplaces. The organization recently released a report card highlighting municipalities in the province that hire, or express interest in hiring, people who have a disability. The survey identified the need for a broader commitment towards creating inclusive workplaces.

“We hope this update will stimulate more interest,” Joe Dale, executive director of the Network, tells Community Living Leaders.

“The report card isn’t the conclusion of the campaign it’s really about how it’s progressing to date,” says Dale about the employment awareness initiative.

The survey followed a challenge issued to municipalities earlier this year by the network and Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley.

Bradley personally issued “a dare” to other municipal politicians and staff to help build inclusive workplaces like Sarnia has done.

So far, Sarnia, London, Amherstburg, Essex, Leamington, Tecumseh and Markham are the “bright spots” in Ontario.

Dale says the network is also working on a way to put the report card results online so people can update their successes with their municipalities along the way and see how others are progressing.

The organization is also hopeful Lieutenant-Governor David Onley will meet with Bradley in the near future to discuss the mayoral challenge and community responses.

Meanwhile, the toolkit will offer a variety of pointers aimed at helping agency staff get “a commitment for action” from their municipalities where possibilities for hiring exist.

“The hardest thing in any community is changing attitudes and creating a culture in the community that embraces diversity and inclusion of all its citizens,” Dale says.

Municipal politicians “have an opportunity to be leaders in the community. Over time, they can influence culture,” he adds.

Sarnia is a good example. Read more by clicking this link.

Respondents from 32 Ontario municipalities were represented in the survey. Check it out by clicking here.

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