The latest Thompson Okanagan tourism industry news from TOTA, tourism businesses, and communities.
Pride Season refers to the wide range of Pride events that take place over the summer (June to September) when LGBTQ2 communities and allies come together to spotlight the resilience, celebrate the talent, and recognize the contributions of LGBTQ2 communities.
Learn how to get involved as a business, including events, social media assets, the Rainbow Registered Business Directory, and LBGTQ2 project funding for non-profit organizations.
Read MoreNational AccessAbility Week (NAAW) is being celebrated from May 29 to June 4, with the theme: “Inclusive from the start.”
Join in to celebrate the valuable contributions and leadership of Canadians with disabilities; highlight the work of individuals, organizations and communities who are removing barriers, and reflect on our ongoing efforts to become a better, more accessible, more disability inclusive Canada.
As part of the celebration, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) and Spinal Cord Injury BC (SCI BC) will have accessibility ambassadors on the ground next week, collecting information for the AccessNow app on the main streets in Kelowna, Penticton, and Vernon.
The AccessNow app is a go-to resource for accessibility information, built on a connected platform that empowers all people to discover a world of accessible opportunities, make travel decisions, and remove barriers. The app has over 200K places rated in 35 countries, including restaurants, shops, hotels, attractions, trails, and parks.
AccessNow has a growing community of people who believe in an accessible future. Anyone is welcome to get involved through mapping, reviewing, beta testing, outreach, and storytelling.
Tourism businesses can claim their listing and let people know what to expect when visiting.
Read MoreThe Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) has prepared a toolkit to address the increasing demand for guidance on how employers can support Black employees by sustaining the ideals behind the Black Lives Matter movement.
Employers can benefit from creating an inclusive workplace by:
Becoming a workplace of choice that attracts and retains talent.
Increasing productivity and create a greater impact (e.g. produce more revenue and/or social outcomes aligned with the organization’s vision).
Attracting business and markets from previously unexplored segments of the population.
The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion has created a toolkit for developing a diversity and inclusion strategy. The purpose of a strategy document is to briefly explain the rationale or reason organizations need to invest resources in a goal or initiative, and to provide more explicit direction on how to achieve that goal.
Read MoreThe 50 – 30 Challenge is an initiative between the Government of Canada, business and diversity organizations. The program challenges Canadian organizations to increase the representation and inclusion of diverse groups within their workplace, while highlighting the benefits of giving all Canadians a seat at the table.
The 50 – 30 Challenge asks that organizations aspire to two goals:
Gender parity ("50%" women and/or non-binary people) on Canadian board(s) and/or senior management; and
Significant representation ("30%")
Organizations measure what they want to improve, so if hiring people with disabilities is a priority for you as an employer, measuring disability is a key place to start.
The Make it Count: Measuring for Disability Inclusion in Your Workplace is a practical guide for employers looking to measure the rate of disability in their workplaces.
Download a free copy of the Make it Count Guide to create a disability measurement initiative that fits the unique context of your organization!
Read MoreThere are several B.C. employment agencies that help to successfully match tourism employers with non-traditional labour pools, including people with disabilities.
Once the recruitment process is done, how can employers look beyond obligatory compliance to accommodate people with disabilities so they can do their jobs as effectively as possible?
Learn more in go2HR’s guide to Integrating People with Disabilities into the Workplace →
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