In 2003, an innovative cross-country initiative was launched, bringing with it an important mission. Inclusive Cities Canada was a partnership of community leaders and elected municipal politicians working together to strengthen the capacity of cities, sustain inclusive communities, and ensure a diversity of voices reflecting all of Canada. Using information gathered from various panels across Canada, proposals were then developed on how best to increase inclusivity in our country. With the rise in immigration and an ever-evolving workforce, auditing our levels of inclusiveness – whether for gender, race, aboriginals, the disabled or other groups – seems an opportune activity. In fact, that cross-country audit can serve as an example of the procedures every organization should undertake, with diversity its primary goal.
The partnership consisted of five cities across Canada: Toronto, Burlington, Vancouver, Saint John and Edmonton. Civic panels in each city were set up, co-chaired by municipal officials and community leaders reflecting the communities they served. People from each community added their voice to the discussion, and focus groups helped determine what cities were doing right and where improvements were needed. The study found a lot of similarities in thought across the country. The major barrier to inclusion, it was found, was a gap in living conditions. And, says Christa Freiler, formerly of Inclusive Cities Canada, “that fact may be more true now than it was in 2003.”
Growing importance
Perhaps so, but as gaps grow, it is becoming apparent that diverse groups are getting stronger and louder in their push for inclusion, whether in organizations, municipalities, cities or nationwide. Likewise, conducting inclusiveness audits is becoming an increasingly common activity. And it’s not hard to see why. “I see diversity, in and of itself, becoming a much bigger issue,” says Lisa Mattam, managing principal at the Mattam Group. “Before, people used to think of it as just gender or race, but now it’s become all of these different parameters and it’s only getting bigger.” Plus, the expected shortage of skilled labour in Canada in the next few years is causing organizations to look inward. If they expect to get the best and brightest when the time comes, they need to ensure their environment includes everybody.
Not surprisingly, a lot of Mattam’s work is focused on inclusiveness audits, or what she refers to as workforce analyses. “There’s nothing more real than looking at your workforce and saying, ‘here’s where we see gaps and why.’” The process gives organizations key indicators, which are essential. “At the end of the day,” she adds, “if you’re creating an environment where people can’t progress, they will go somewhere else.” And organizations want graduates to see they’re open and don’t have any systemic or inherent barriers that stop people from progressing in the company, says Mattam.
“It makes good business and common sense,” echoes Chris Hornberger, who has amassed years of experience helping employees with disabilities, immigrants, and aboriginals in their search for employment. Thanks to demographic changes, employers are looking to hire people they wouldn’t have thought to hire before. “And with such a big emphasis on immigration in this country, there’s no point in bringing them in and not giving them jobs because they won’t stay,” says Hornberger.
There are also other motives for taking inclusive steps. “In some cases it’s the law,” explains Hornberger, founding partner at Halifax Global. If you’re subject to the provisions of the federal Employment Equity Act you’re obligated to report every year. Then there’s the bottom line. “We’re a culture of immigrants and we have a huge percentage of people with disabilities. Customers will go where they see themselves reflected,” Hornberger says. Simply put: it’s smart business to be reflective of the population for whom you produce products and services.
Cities are measuring up
In fact, the desire to attract and sustain customers was the impetus for British Columbia’s Measuring Up program, a 2010 Legacies Now initiative. With the 2010 Olympics as their guide and a $2-million grant from the Province of BC, the Measuring Up Accessibility and Inclusion Fund helps communities assess their levels of accessibility and inclusiveness. So far, more than $1 million has already been distributed to 58 communities, increasing their accessible employment opportunities and improving their public spaces, recreation facilities, restaurants and shops.
But undertaking an inclusiveness audit is not always an easy process. Enter the Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC). Often hired by communities who’ve received Measuring Up funding, the nonprofit agency helps conduct research and audits as well as implement action plans to fill necessary gaps. Karen Thompson, a SPARC BC researcher, has been involved in a number of such projects, including the District of Sooke and the cities of Langley and Surrey. Every audit needs to pursue two equally important goals, she says. One is accessibility – the ability for everyone to get in the room – and two is inclusion, which goes a step further. “It’s knowing that once you are in the room, your presence, participation, and contributions are recognized,” she says.
With the help of SPARC BC, the District of Sooke recently underwent an audit, in part to maintain its status as a thriving tourist destination. But, Thompson says, its desire to preserve a small-town atmosphere for its 12,000 residents ensured an action plan that involved input from all. “Community collaboration played an important role,” she says. As did consultant Vince Miele. Working in the sector for over 30 years, Miele’s main focus has been helping meet the needs of people with mobility restrictions. But, he adds, “a lot of things we advocate for go past the disability sector; they affect a broader segment of the population.” It’s important to remember that accessible environments and services benefit everyone, offers Miele. And while he credits federal and provincial building codes for helping establish accessibility, people with disabilities are still needed to ensure actions meet code and even go above and beyond it.
For their part, Miele says organizations and communities need to look at things with a broader lens, one that goes beyond the able-bodied person. He also suggests municipalities form advisory committees representing consumers from various segments of the population, such as those with vision loss, mobility issues, mental illness, and the hearing impaired. The committees would help people like himself advocate more clearly and strongly for inclusiveness.
While working with the region of Sooke, Miele’s role was to analyze various structures from the perspective of a consumer with a disability. In conducting the audit, Miele used a formalized checklist and looked at municipal buildings, including the museum, library, and city hall, noting elements that needed improvement. A report was then compiled with recommendations, some of which were minor and inexpensive, others which may have come at a higher cost.
Diverse challenges
Evidently, the City of Langley and the region of Sooke are not alone in their inclusiveness efforts. As mentioned, the number of organizations and municipalities making it a priority is on the rise. But not everyone is on board just yet. It may not be a top concern for nonprofits yet, Mattam postulates, given that her nonprofit clients seldom ask for workforce analyses. “It takes time. It’s a very important thing but not the easiest.”
Can costs play a factor? Hiring consultants and conducting the audit do come with a price, and recommendations can also prove burdensome. But some proposals are minor and inexpensive and, while experts are helpful, standard audits are also available. Similar to surveys, organizations can just customize them to their needs. Following Employment Equity standards, they can investigate the level of inclusion of women, visible minorities, aboriginals and people with disabilities. Of course, many look beyond that, to things like sexual orientation and religion. Anyone can undertake that investigation on their own.
“I think where people need help is prepping the workforce, looking at best practices, and analyzing the data and the steps to take,” Mattam says. That said, she believes the bigger costs comes in a different form. “It’s not the cost of doing the audit itself, but the cost of saying to your human resources, ‘I’m going to dedicate your time to this versus something else.’”
Hornberger, who recently spoke at the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work conference, Employment Now: Diversity Planning for Inclusive Employment, has her own theory of what holds organizations back from moving toward inclusion. “The biggest barrier is fear,” she states matter-of-factly, recalling a study she worked on that found cultural biases and unfamiliarity with certain groups made employers reluctant to hire them. Though that study focused on employees with disabilities, Hornberger suspects the same would hold true for immigrants and other groups, though perhaps on a lesser scale in bigger cities where multiculturalism is more strongly ingrained.
Understandably then, Mattam says the need for training often comes out of the audit experience. “We tell them that before they start recruiting and changing the face of the organization, they have to create a culture that’s inclusive and welcoming to people.” Another thing to keep in mind, offers Hornberger, is the importance of working from top down. “People at the top of the organization need to feel it’s important; if they filter it down to the rest of the organization, it will happen.”
Elisa Birnbaum is a freelance journalist, producer and communications consultant living in Toronto. She is also president of Elle Communications and can be reached at: info@ellecommunications.ca.
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