Workplace accommodations empower employees to perform their best. Curious about how small businesses can support their employees effectively?

Marco Pasqua has been a speaker for over 30 years. In fact, he first took to the stage to present as a nine-year-old. Marco lives with Cerebral Palsy and is a designated Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) Professional with 14 years of experience running his accessibility consulting business.

Recently, Marco authored an accommodations toolkit for Hire For Talent. Small Business BC sat down with Marco to hear about his biggest takeaways for small businesses and how they can approach the accommodation process confidently.

What is a Workplace Accommodation?

“A workplace accommodation is any support or tool that can be given to a team member to help them do their job most effectively,” said Marco.

“Many accommodations are small, but they go a long way simply because there’s an opportunity to work with the individual asking for that accommodation or adjustment and tailor it to their needs, ultimately supporting the business in the long run,” he said.

Accommodations are not a burden on organizations. “It’s the opposite of a burden if implemented correctly,” said Marco. By supporting the individual with accommodations, you’re helping your business become more effective.

The Four Main Types of Workplace Accommodations

Here are the four main types of accommodations Marco lays out in his Hire For Talent tool kit:

1. Flexibility / Policy Changes

• Flexibility/policy changes can include modifying work hours, location of duties, and task completion methods to fit individual needs.
• These changes often have no cost to implement.

2. Personal Supports

• Personal supports may include job coaches, guide dogs, service animals, personal assistants, or support workers.
• These accommodations are sometimes possible to subsidize through government programs.

3. Equipment

• Examples include technical devices, alternative work materials, communication aids, and ergonomic workstations.
• There are programs to cover most costs for equipment accommodations.

4. Structural Modifications

• Examples include handrails, ramps, widened doorways, or increased accessibility to common facilities.
• These accommodations are commonly funded through grants as they can be the most expensive.

A Universal Approach to Workplace Accommodations

Marco advocates for a universal approach to workplace accommodations to all employees. “Keep in mind that there are many people with invisible disabilities who have not disclosed that they have a disability,” said Marco.

“You don’t know what internal struggles somebody may be going through, or their comfort level in opening up about what is going on and the adjustments they could receive to make their life easier.”

Often, people aren’t even aware of how to improve their productivity and comfort level with workplace accommodations. Small business owners are not expected to be experts at supporting each employee’s unique needs. That’s where third-party support can help.

“There are so many disability service organizations that have a really good approach to supporting employees and they know resources that you couldn’t even dream of that will support that individual and help them ultimately to do their job.”

“It’s really about checking in with an individual and making sure they feel comfortable,” said Marco.

Individualized Nature of Workplace Accommodations

Workplace accommodations should result from a conversation between the organization and the individual. This two-way communication leads to an individual, personalized workplace accommodation plan.

“Each and every one of us are individuals,” said Marco. “If you have the right person in the right role, you’re helping them supplement their skill sets so that your business ultimately looks better and does better. That’s important because that can only be achieved by having the individual as part of the conversation,” he said.

“Human beings are on a spectrum—in general, in terms of our skillset or abilities, our wants, our desires, and our dreams—and so you can’t successfully implement any of these changes without including that person in the dialogue or conversation.”

Cost of Workplace Accommodations

“When people think of accommodations, they’re automatically thinking of ramps and elevators because people with disabilities are often seen as just people in wheelchairs … but disability is so vast, and so are accommodations,” said Marco.

Many accommodations are affordable, with over two-thirds of job accommodations costing less than $500, according to the Retail Council of Canada. There are plenty of accommodations that are zero-cost to the business. There are disability support organizations and government-funded programs available to help address the cost of workplace accommodations.

Programs like WorkBC’s Assistive Technology Services help connect individuals with:

• Assistive devices, equipment, and technology
• Ergonomic supports
• Restorative supports
• American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting and captioning services
• Communication and hearing devices related to work
• And more

Working with a professional occupational therapist, they can develop solutions supporting employees and employers.

Undue Hardship

New business owners who don’t have experience supporting workers with accommodations may be concerned that changes will cause undue hardship to their organization.

“I would say 99% of the time that is absolutely not the case. And in fact, it’s preventable 100% of the time,” said Marco. When employers have the tools at their fingertips, they will succeed.

“Undue hardship is when an employer is put in a position where what is being asked of them is such a financial burden or a systematic burden that it will prevent them from continuing to work or even in some cases completely shuttering the doors of that business entirely,” said Marco.

It’s extremely uncommon for an employee to require an accommodation that creates undue hardship for an employer. Businesses can work with their employees to find grants and funding opportunities to support requests for accommodation.

Continue your Accessibility Journey with SBBC

Small Business BC is a non-profit resource centre for BC-based small businesses. Our Workplace Accessibility Resources page is full of tips, tools, and more to support your next stage.

This article was developed in consultation with Melissa Lyon of Accessibility & Inclusion Matter Consulting.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.