You may need to tell your employer about how your disability is affecting your ability to perform job-related tasks. When you choose to disclose your disability to your employer, you will trigger their legal duty to accommodate you up to the point of undue hardship. If you are aware of the accommodations that you will require, you should inform your employer of these, in writing.
It is important to keep in mind that the duty to accommodate is a collaborative process that requires co-operation from employees. Employees must, for example, provide all necessary information about their restrictions, and must consider accommodation solutions proposed by the employer.
CNIB or Vision Loss Rehabilitation may be able to assist with the accommodation process. There are resources to help. The CNIB has guidelines that can be provided to the employer, such as the Clear Print Guideline and the Creating an Accessible Workplace Guideline. Both can be found on CNIB’s website.
It may also be helpful to apply for the Nova Scotia Workplace Support Program which provides funding for accommodation. The program provides two types of funding:
- Workplace Attendant Support
- A workplace attendant is a paid assistant who provides task-related assistance to an individual’s job requirements.
- Nova Scotia stipulates that the applicant considers first if there are technical devices that could help make the job more accessible
- Technical Aids and Assistive Devices
- Funding for technical aids and assistive devices is to be used to help with the purchase of technical aids or assistive devices that are required to perform a task.
If you disclose a disability and ask for accommodation, the employer is entitled to ask for medical information if there is an accommodation issue. The employer may ask for information regarding:
- The existence of a disability; and,
- The specific accommodation it requires.
If you do not cooperate with providing the required information, an employer may not need to accommodate the employee.