As Canadians, we continuously strive for a barrier-free society, built on equity and fairness.
While steps have been taken toward this admirable goal, more can still be done.
The Milton Chamber is proud to be partnered with the Ontario Chamber in the Discover Ability Network (DAN). DAN provides tools and supports to help businesses become more inclusive employers, and hire and retain talent from the persons with disabilities labour pool.
Through the “A Seat at the Table” initiative, we also encourage the inclusion of people with disabilities on Canadian corporate boards.
It is estimated that approximately 6.2 million Canadians live with some form of disability, and while many companies have begun to ensure diverse hiring practices, there is a glaring lack of representation at the corporate-board level.
“A Seat at the Table” has set out to rectify this inequity through two key campaigns.
The first is an awareness campaign, focusing on shining a light on the lack of diversity at the top levels of Canadian businesses. The goal of media campaigns is to build on Canadians’ central values of fairness and equal opportunity. If Canadians become aware of the inequity, they will be driven to action, causing an increase in equitable enlistment practices.
The second key campaign is creating a candidate recruitment service. This service’s purpose is to match corporate board recruiters with qualified corporate-board candidates with disabilities.
This free tool, the first of its kind in Canada, provides an easy way for both groups to reach out and form networks, in the hopes of creating opportunities for people with disabilities, as well as providing qualified candidates for businesses.
It’s a proactive way to help Canadian corporate boards become more inclusive and therefore more robust and nuanced in their viewpoints.
Canada is a country that prides itself on its values of equity and inclusion. These values are held central by “A Seat at the Table.”
This organization not only preaches this message of equity and inclusion, but actively makes a difference in the fabric of Canadian business boards — helping our country reach an admirable goal one board member at a time.
Scott McCammon is the president and CEO of the Milton Chamber of Commerce.
