The panel heard from quite a wide spectrum. They consulted across the country with employers, all sizes of businesses from all sectors, but you can certainly put them under different themes.
There were questions along the same lines as Monika's. In addition there were questions such as what does it mean for them to integrate into the culture of the company. Will it slow the company's productivity? Where do they go if they want to hire a person with a disability? What tools do they have if they need help to assist the person, whether it's physical or whether it's coaching? There were all these spheres of questioning.
The interesting thing that came out of some of those consultations was the fact that most employers were quite willing and interested in finding out more and in being able to address it, either because of shortages in their company or their spheres of activities. Also, they saw the benefit of hiring persons with disabilities, to have them on their staff, and integrate them into the company. Those were some of the questions that came out and some of the concerns that were addressed.
They were also able to identify some good practices that some companies have come up with. Some are leaders, and there was a lot of discussion about enterprise and how leadership must come from the top. Some of the businesses, some of the private sector companies, need to have a champion at the top. Then it goes down from there.
There are lots of barriers, but also lots of good practices.