Did you know? archives

Here you will find an archive of "Did you know?" entries that have previously been posted on the Commission's home page.

DID YOU KNOW?
January 31, 2011

Most of our day-to-day public interactions are covered by Section 4 of the Alberta Human Rights Act. Section 4 prohibits discrimination in the provision of goods, services, accommodation or facilities customarily available to the public on the basis of the grounds that are protected under the Alberta Human Rights Act.

You can find answers to many common questions about human rights in providing goods, services, accommodation or facilities on the Commission website, including the sample questions below.

See FAQs: Entertainment and hospitality for the answers to these and other common questions about the hospitality and entertainment industry:

  • Are all restaurants required to be wheelchair accessible?
  • Do hotels have to provide non-smoking rooms?
  • Do restaurants and clubs have to admit patrons with service dogs?

See FAQs: Education for the answers to these and other common questions about the provision of educational services:

  • How much support does a K-12 school have to provide a student with disabilities?
  • What duty does an educational institution have to make course material acessible?
  • What duty does the institution have to provide accommodation during the exam process?

You can access the complete list of FAQs related to human rights in providing goods, services, accommodation or facilities. The Commission website also offers FAQs related to many other topics. You can link to the complete collection of FAQs.

October 26, 2010

  • A human rights complaint must be made to the Alberta Human Rights Commission within one year after the alleged incident of discrimination. To learn about calculating the one-year period, as well as other topics related to making and resolving human rights complaints, see FAQs: Making and resolving human rights complaints.

  •  Employers and employees can find many answers to common questions regarding human rights in the workplace on the Commission website, including:

    • We are a retail business that is open to the public. Can we implement a dress code for our staff?

    • I own a small business in Alberta. We are finding that it is difficult for us to develop policies to comply with human rights law in our workplace. What resources are available to small business owners?

    • Before attending a job interview, I was asked if I had any criminal convictions. I feel that this information may be used to discriminate against me. Can I file a human rights complaint?

    • The company I work for has a policy that all employees must look neat and well groomed. I have a beard, which is a requirement of my religion. My supervisor told me that I am not allowed to have a beard. Is this discrimination?

      See FAQs: Human rights in the workplace for the answers to these and many other common work-related questions.

  • The Commission website also offers FAQs related to many other topics. You can link to the complete collection of FAQs. 

April 22, 2010

The Alberta Human Rights Commission engages in a wide range of partnership initiatives to fulfill its mandate of fostering equality and reducing discrimination. Working in local, provincial and national partnerships is central to the Commission's public education and prevention mandate. Here are a few examples of partnership initiatives:

  • The Commission shares the goal of protecting human rights and promoting fairness and access with the Human Rights Education and Multiculturalism Fund (HREMF), which provides financial assistance to various organizations as well as to the Commission for its educational programs. Read about recent projects the HREMF has funded.

  • The Commission partners with the Alberta Chambers of Commerce to offer the Alberta Human Rights Commission Diversity Leadership Award of Distinction as part of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce Alberta Business Awards of Distinction. The award recognizes organizations that embrace diversity in their workforce and encourage respect and inclusion. Read more about the award and read about the 2010 recipient of the Diversity Leadership Award.

  • The Commission supports the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CMARD), a UNESCO-led initiative calling on municipalities from across Canada to be part of a larger international coalition of cities to combat racism. There are now 35 members of CMARD, including nine members from Alberta. Read more about CMARD, and see the current list of signatory members of CMARD. 

March 4, 2010

    • March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a day recognized world-wide for encouraging commitment to building race relations. The United Nations designated this day in memory of anti-apartheid demonstrators killed in Sharpeville, South Africa in 1960. In proclaiming the day in 1966, the United Nations called on the international community to increase its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. You can read more about March 21 and events commemorating the day in northern Alberta and southern Alberta.

    • The Commission continues to work hard at promoting and supporting the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CMARD) in Alberta and nationally. Nine municipalities have joined the Alberta network of CMARD, including: Brooks, Calgary, Drayton Valley, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Innisfail, Lethbridge, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, and St. Albert. Read the List of Signatory Municipalities who have joined the Coalition.

    • The Commission's information sheet Racial profiling is intended to help Albertans understand how human rights law protects them from racial profiling that leads to discrimination. The information sheet includes a definition of racial profiling, examples and consequences of racial profiling, and suggestions on how to handle discrimination as a result of racial profiling.


    January 13, 2010

    You can read previous Did you know? entries through the link below:
    Did you know? archives 2008-2009

    Revised: December 14, 2011

     

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