Goals

1) Employers will accommodate persons with disabilities. This accommodation can include the following.

1. For persons with communication disabilities, accommodation can include the use of sign language interpretation, telewriter (TTY), braille, audio tapes, computer diskettes, or other methods of communicating.
2. For persons with mobility disabilities, accommodation can include providing accessibility to buildings and facilities, and modifying washrooms.
3. For persons with intellectual disabilities, accommodation can include job coaching or individualized on-the-job training.

2) The long-term goal of employment equity plans will be to achieve representation of persons with disabilities that matches the representation of persons with moderate to severe disabilities in the working age population, currently 9.7 percent. In order to reach this goal within a reasonable time period, employers who have not yet achieved the long-term goal will be asked to set interim hiring goals that are higher than 9.7 percent for persons with moderate to severe disabilities.

3) The hiring, promotion or transferring of persons with disabilities into occupations will be based on the availability of qualified or qualifiable candidates.
(Adopted April 8, 1998)

Calendar Note

June 21-23, 1999 This year's Employment Equity Conference, "The Journey Towards Diversity -- Equity in Our Workplaces," will be held at the Sands Hotel, Regina, starting on the evening of June 21 and running until June 23. The Commission's monitoring of employment equity plans will occur on the afternoon of June 23.

Public Crowns Reviewed

In 1998, the Commission monitored Crown corporations and Treasury Board corporations. After meeting with employer representatives, examining equity surveys and reviewing the annual reports of these employers, Commission staff met with representatives of community organizations. Staff explained the monitoring process, summarized statistics, summarized positive measures taken by public crown corporations, and asked for input from community groups.
Community representatives were asked three questions.

1. What would you like to ask organizations with employment equity plans?
2. What do you see as the major barriers to achieving equality?
3. What would you like to be the focus of employment equity employers?

The Commission used input from these meetings to develop questions for round table discussions at the employment equity seminar held on June 17, 1998.

Two themes emerged from the round table discussions.

1. There is a need for greater participation in employment equity by senior management of sponsor organizations (employers).
2. There is a need for sponsor organizations to develop closer affiliations with designated group organizations.

Upcoming Monitoring
In 1999, the Commission's monitoring process will be similar to the process introduced in 1998. The employers monitored this year will be: Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, City of Regina, City of Saskatoon, City of Prince Albert, Government of Saskatchewan, Northern Lights School Division No. 113, Regina Police Service, Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission, Regina School Division No. 4, and Northlands College.