While the city of St. Albert hasn’t shied away from hiring people with disabilities in the past, two new specific positions will be created in 2017.
Human resources director Michelle Bonnici said she expects to fill the two positions, funded through the inclusive hiring program fund, by the end of this year.
“Later on in the year we’ll probably see that. We need to prepare the organization first before we go down that road,” she said.
Efforts to make those preparations have been ongoing since council first approved an inclusive hiring policy in September 2014, and administration subsequently developed a strategy to put the inclusive hiring philosophy into action.
Those preparations have included developing administrative policies, developing guidelines about how accommodations can be made to remove barriers to employment, and implementing an overall strategy.
Council has earmarked money in two programs to support these initiatives. A facility accessibility assessment is ongoing to determine what physical changes can be made at city facilities to remove barriers, at a cost of $40,000. An inclusive hiring fund, with a total of $150,000 over three years, will support the various components of the strategy.
“Obviously a lot of the funding goes towards the positions themselves, but a lot of that, too, goes toward the education components and preparing the organization so we’re in a position to support the success of these positions,” Bonnici said.
She said the education component, including sessions on understanding disabilities and understanding mental health, has been well received by city staff.
“A lot of internal staff feel they want to have the tools to be able to make this a success,” she said. “We’re planning to do a lot more of that than we have.”
The strategy also addresses the need for more unpaid internships for work experience for students, as well as paid summer work opportunities.
Bonnici said while there has not previously been a policy or strategy specific to inclusive hiring, it’s not as if the city has avoided hiring people with disabilities but this policy has helped promote more inclusion.
“Since the policy came into place, I think we’ve had some additional individuals come in, but it’s all based on self-disclosure,” she said.
Several staff members have self-disclosed some type of disability, while there may be others on staff who have not disclosed – not all disabilities manifest themselves physically.
Several agencies that work with people with disabilities have been involved in the development of this policy, such as Inclusion Alberta, Gateway Association and Chrysalis. Further consultation with agencies, both local and otherwise, is planned to ensure the strategy is able to best support the hiring initiatives.
Bonnici provided an update on the strategy and its implementation to council at the Feb. 27 meeting. It was well received by council members as it has been by staff, garnering unanimous approval.
Coun. Tim Osborne said he appreciates that this policy stands in contrast to the perception of St. Albert some might have based on negative comments made at subdivision and development appeal board hearings about people with disabilities.
“This is timely,” he said. “I think it shows this city is committed to embracing those with disabilities.”
Coun. Sheena Hughes said the thoroughness of the plan and its implementation is testament to the fact the city isn’t just paying lip service to this issue.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said he understands it’s not always easy work to do, and that its value isn’t always quantifiable in terms of costs and benefits, which is why it’s so significant for council to support it.
“The value of this work is fundamentally important,” he said.
