Disability Awareness Toolkit

The training content includes:-

2. Introduction
3. Legislative Hierarchy

3.1.         The Constitution

3.2.         Employment Equity Act

3.3.         Disclosure of disability status

3.4.         Definition of workplace disability

3.5.         Long-term or recurring:

3.6.         Impairment:

3.7.         Substantially limiting:

4. Obligations of Employers

4.1.         Reasonable Accommodation

4.2.         Examples of reasonable accommodation adjustments

4.3.         Unjustifiable Hardship

4.4.         Defining unjustifiable hardship

4.5.         Diversity planning

4.6.         Voluntary Self Disclosure

4.7.         Employers need to tackle the barriers

4.8.         Obligations under the LRA and EEA

4.9.         Employers' duties

4.10.       Employment Equity Plans

5. Examples of disabilities
6. Common impairments

6.1.         Visual impairments

6.2.         Hearing impairments

6.3.         Physical impairments

6.4.         Mental impairments

6.5.         Disability Etiquette

7. What obstacles do persons with disabilities face in the workplace

7.1.         Physical obstacles / accessibility

7.2.         Prejudice

8. Accommodating persons with disabilities at various stages of employment

8.1.         Advertisements

8.2.         Interviewing

8.4.         Onboarding

8.5.         Employee who has become disabled

8.6.         Promotions

8.7.         Retention

8.8.         Reasonable accommodation for specific disabilities

9. Conclusion
10. Steps for developing a strategy
11. Conducting an onsite Disability Audit
12. Annexures

12.1.      Code of Good Practice on Persons with Disabilities

12.2.      Technical Assistance Guidelines on Persons with Disabilities

12.3.      Definitions

12.4.      Disability Audit Template

12.5.      Guidelines on Dealing with Mental Impairments

Also included in the Toolkit:-

1. Suggested reasonable accommodation measures for accommodating persons with the following disabilities, including

• Bi-polar disorders
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Allergies
• Hearing and sight disabilities

2. An internal disability access audit including access standards for persons with mobility, sight and hearing disabilities.
3. Suggested reasonable accommodation policy for internal customisation.
4. All legislation pertaining to accommodating persons with disabilities in the workplace including:-

• The Employment Equity Act
• Employment Equity regulations
• Code of Good Practice on Persons with Disabilities
• Technical Assistance Guidelines on Persons with Disabilities
• STATSA data on persons living with disabilities (STATS SA Household Survey)
• Extensive employment related caselaw on disabilities in the workplace highlighting the recommended approaches to addressing disabilities in the workplace by the Labour Court as well as interpretation of "reasonable accommodation measures" and "undue hardship".

 Accommodating persons with disabilities in the workplace is increasingly a priority focus area within organisations.