Making the right match: Sheridan’s accessibility toolkits support job seekers with disabilities and employers looking for talent

Sheridan is marking National Accessibility Week with the launch of new resources to support job seekers living with disabilities, and organizations looking to recruit talent with inclusion at the forefront during a critical moment in Canada’s pandemic recovery.

Two toolkits have been developed to empower students, alumni and employers:

• A toolkit tailored for employers helps them understand the barriers, outline the business case for inclusive recruitment, and contains practical, actionable tips for how they can make accommodations.
• A toolkit tailored for students, alumni and other job seekers living with disabilities who are seeking co-op, field placements, or full-time employment to help them understand their rights.

“Including workers with disabilities in real jobs for real pay isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good for business,” said Mark Wafer, Sheridan alumnus and accessibility, diversity, equity and inclusion advocate, whose work is featured in the toolkits. “Employers who actively include employees with disabilities in all aspects of their business operations enjoy clear competitive advantages like greater employee retention, innovation, and productivity.”

Both toolkits are available to the public and are available in accessible formats or with communication supports.

Developed jointly by Sheridan’s Accessible Learning and Career-Integrated Learning teams, the toolkits are a significant milestone in Sheridan’s journey of supporting students and alumni of all abilities to secure successful placements and jobs and build on existing resources including the Work-Integrated Learning Accommodation Guidelines.

Job seekers with disabilities have traditionally faced barriers in obtaining and successfully participating in employment and work-integrated learning, including incorrect assumptions about their ability to meet job requirements, and lack of on-site coaching and supports.

“We are proud to make these toolkits available to our students, alumni, and the broader community to help employers tap into a pool of hidden talent and support job seekers with disabilities advance their careers,” said Janice Fennell, Manager of Accessible Learning at Sheridan. “As an institute of higher learning, we are committed to helping every member of our community reach their full potential – and that includes having access to rich, inclusive work-integrated learning experiences.”

The toolkits represent Sheridan’s latest effort to integrate equity, diversity, and inclusion into all aspects of its operations, and model accessibility best practices on campus and in the virtual environment. On May 19, Sheridan partnered with the Sheridan Student Union to collate and share a comprehensive list of digital accessibility resources in honour of Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

Sheridan offers courses for staff and faculty on topics related to digital inclusion, such as creating accessible word documents, accessible PowerPoint presentations, captioning and writing in plain language, and more. These resources are a part of Sheridan’s commitment to removing communication barriers to ensure the full inclusion of Sheridan community members.

Read more about Accessibility at Sheridan and our Accessibility Policy.