What does it mean to be inclusive in the workplace? It means that everyone is treated with respect and equality, and each person has equal rights to opportunities and resources that arise. It is important to recognize diversity in order to play to each staff member’s strengths and challenges.

As some of you may already know, October was Inclusivity Month. More specifically, the theme for the entire year of 2018 is “Accessibility Includes”, which is inspired by the proposed new Accessible Canada Act. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/accessible-people-disabilities/act-plain-language-summary.html

So, what’s the hype about accessibility? What does it mean? We celebrate Accessibility because it provides an open environment where everyone (whatever their ability) can live, work, play and share equally within their community.

What kind of community do we have without Accessibility? Without Accessibility we end up creating multiple barriers where individuals with disabilities lose out on opportunities to fully participate in and contribute to society. It is so important to provide everyone with the tools to showcase their skills, abilities, and strengths in a safe environment that does not discriminate.

In BC, Accessibility has become a major goal, and we hope to work towards an effortless inclusive community because every individual matters and deserves to be equal.

Take a look at the video below to see multiple business receive appreciation for being some of the top inclusive Employers in the Okanagan!