It was June 1987 when a group of disabled forest industry workers, led by Wolfgang Zimmermann and supported by key leaders in the forest industry, unions, government and other stakeholders pulled together a production team and the financing to produce a powerful national documentary film entitled Every Twelve Seconds, so named because at the time, a disabling workplace injury occurred every 12 seconds in Canada. More information
The Federal Government released a report setting out a range of priority areas following national consultations – the report identified employment for persons with disabilities is critical and is a number one priority.
June 6 – Last week, the Federal Government released a report entitled “Creating new national accessibility legislation: What we learned from Canadians”, which set out a range of priority areas identified during the national consultations as part of the development of a Canadian Accessibility Act.
The employment for persons with disabilities was ranked as a number one priority. With approximately 1.2 million Canadians with disabilities living below the poverty line in Canada, and the extremely low hiring rate, which has remained unchanged over the last decade, economic participation is critical.
A link to the report is provided below:
Creating new national accessibility legislation: What we learned
The Federal Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, the Hon. Carla Qualtrough, has stressed that a major focus of the new Canadian Accessibility Act will be on increased economic participation, i.e. employment for persons with disabilities. With employment rates for persons with disabilities under 50% and approx. 1.2 million Canadians with disabilities in poverty and supported through Social Assistance, this priority is not difficult to understand.
However, for workplaces to be more open towards hiring persons with disabilities, they must as a critical first step, be willing to accommodate their own workers who acquire a mental health or physical impairment which places them at risk of losing their employment.
Effective, collaborative and workplace-based Return to Work programs, designed to accommodate injured and disabled workers, regardless of causation, will ultimately also support building a “Workplace Culture of Accommodation”, but this cannot happen without the key workplace partners being on the same team.
In order to support advancing this critical element of workplace collaboration, we brought together key leaders from the academic, employer, and union sectors, and designed a workshop which provides key knowledge, tools and practical experience which we hope will ultimately contribute towards reducing the socio-economic impact of disabling impairments on workers, employers and society through significantly improved Return to Work outcomes.
Negotiating Joint RTW DM Agreements Onsite Workshop July 2017
Online registration is available or please contact Student Services at: [email protected]
May 31 Date for Certification Examinations
The date has been set for the 2017 CDMP and CRTWC professional certification examinations, which will take place in Canada, the UK, and Hong Kong. For further details, please click on the link below, which will take you to the appropriate page:
CDMP Certification Examination
CRTWC Certification Examination
Or, please contact NIDMAR directly at:
Tel: 778-421-0821, ext. 210
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Joachim Breuer, NIDMAR Board member since 2008 and a member of the Board of Governors for the Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences (PCU-WHS) since its inception, was elected President of the International Social Security Association at its meeting in Panama on November 18, 2016. More Information
The Institute for Work & Health (IWH) has posted the findings of a study led by IWH Scientist Dr. Agnieszka Kosny on “The role of health-care providers in the workers’ compensation system and the return-to-work process”. The report is available for download from the IWH website: http://www.iwh.on.ca/other-reports
During the recently concluded IFDM 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, an historic signing took place between the Social Security Organization of Malaysia, SOCSO/PERKESO, and the National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR) which allows SOCSO, through a formal license agreement, to offer and administer the professional certification examinations for the designations of Certified Disability Management Professional (CDMP) and Certified Return to Work Coordinator (CRTWC) throughout a range of Southeast Asian nations currently not covered through individual license agreements. With these additional countries, this brings the number of countries now licensed to provide the professional CDMP and CRTWC designations to 26. Full story
The National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) of the Government of Belgium will host IFDM 2020.
With IFDM 2016 having successfully concluded, and IFDM 2018 scheduled for Vancouver, the following IFDM in 2020 will move to Brussels. Mr. Francois Perl, Director General of INAMI-RIZIV, of Brussels, Belgium, was extremely pleased to announce that his organization had been accepted to be the official host for IFDM 2020.
“Maintaining a continued successful employment relationship for individuals who acquire a disabling impairment is absolutely the best outcome for the individual, from every perspective,” said Mr. Perl in making the announcement. Please find further details in the IDMSC Communiqué at the following link: More information
At the conclusion of IFDM 2016, a Joint Statement on Disability Management was released entitled “Disability Management 2030: Towards an Inclusive, Barrier-Free and Sustainable Society”. This Joint Statement can be read here:
IFDM 2016 Joint-Statement on Disability Management
A bulletin is attached highlighting the successful International Forum on Disability Management, IFDM 2016, that took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November 22-24, being the first IFDM to be hosted in that global region, and also being the largest IFDM held to date. Full story
An article along with a short video can be found on The Star Online website from Malaysia entitled: “Helping the injured and sick to return to work”
http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/11/26/helping-the-injured-and-sick-to-return-to-work-international-forum-offers-sharing-of-info-on-systema/
IFDM 2018 will be held in Vancouver, Canada, hosted by the Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences (PCU-WHS).
Please follow updates for IFDM 2018 at: www.ifdm2018.com
The 2016 Alf Nachemson Memorial Lecture, hosted by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH), was entitled “A celebration of Wolfgang Zimmermann and the work of NIDMAR.”
The Alf Nachemson Memorial Lecture was established by the IWH in 2002 and while this event has in the past been more research focused, this year’s presentations centered on Disability Management and Return to Work, generating significant interest from a broad cross section of stakeholder groups involved in the Workplace Health sphere who attended from across Canada and from Germany.
Speakers at the event included:
– Andrew King, formerly the National Department Leader for Health, Safety and Environment, United Steelworkers of Canada
– Dr. Joachim Breuer, Director General of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) and Vice President of Europe Rehabilitation International
– The Honourable Wayne G. Wouters, PC, former Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet of the Government of Canada
We are very pleased to provide the following links to the IWH event proceedings.
IWH News Release – “NIDMAR executive director challenges workplace leaders to address marginalization of people with disabilities”: IWH News Release
IWH At Work Article – “Advocate and pioneer challenges all to erase stigma faced by workers with disabilities”: At Work
IWH website re Alf Nachemson Memorial Lecture:
Alf Nachemson Memorial Lecture
IWH video of the 2016 speakers on YouTube:
YouTube video
On Wednesday, October 19, 2016, a new National Cancer and Work website (https://www.cancerandwork.ca/) will go live. The website will have information for people on the cancer journey, and their healthcare professionals and employers, to help them stay at and return to work. Dr. Christine Maheu will host the Cancer and Work website launch with an open house at the Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University where live demonstrations of the cancer and work tools will be presented. Another open house will follow in Nova Scotia on October 21 at the CLARI facility, Saint Mary’s University. For more information please see the flyer, press release and fact sheet below:
Cancer and Work Press Release – English
2016 successful candidates receive CDMP and CRTWC certificates
Full story
PCU-WHS registration for credit courses and continuing education modules now available for Fall 2016. Timetables for university credit courses and continuing education are available at: PCU-WHS Fall 2016 Timetable