Guidelines for Assessing Persons with Disabilities

Questions and Answers

1) Who is the target audience for the Guidelines for Assessing Persons with Disabilities?

The Guidelines are to be applied in the context of the federal public service. Managers and human resources advisors engaged in a competitive process should refer to the Guidelines when assessing a person with a disability.

Also, because they are posted on the Internet, the Guidelines are available as a reference to all public servants and the public at large, including persons with disabilities.

2) Why revise and update the Guidelines for Assessing Persons with Disabilities?

The last version of the Guidelines was updated and published in 1994. Its content was limited to basic test administration procedures related to the accommodation of persons with disabilities during the assessment process. The updated version provides much more information on the general principles and procedures. A section on legal background has been added in response to frequently asked questions, along with several new sections on specific types of disabilities.

3) Who benefits from the remodelling of the Guidelines?

The human resources community and managers, who are dealing with an increasing number of cases related to the assessment of persons with disabilities, will draw a tremendous amount of information from this new document. It answers a variety of questions regarding accommodations, conducting the assessment, etc., on a wide range of disabilities.

4) How are the new Guidelines useful?

The Guidelines outline the general principles which will help determine accommodations for persons with disabilities, taking into account the nature of the disability, the qualifications being assessed and the type of assessment method being used. They describe the roles of various parties involved in determining accommodations; outline the standards for documentation, when necessary, relative to the provision of appropriate accommodations; and detail recommended procedures for applying accommodations to ensure a fair assessment process. In some cases, since determining appropriate accommodations is done on a case-by-case basis, you may have to consult with a Personnel Psychology Centre expert.

5) Do the new Guidelines provide information on accommodations for specific disabilities?

Chapter V of the Guidelines is dedicated entirely to issues applicable to candidates in eight different categories of disability:

• blind or partially sighted,
• deaf or hard of hearing,
• mobility disabilities,
• learning disabilities,
• attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder,
• psychiatric disabilities,
• chronic illnesses,
• temporary conditions and environmental sensitivities.

The chapter proposes a range of specific accommodations for various assessment methods (written tests, interactive exercises, selection interviews, etc).