REPORT TO COUNCIL


                SPECIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DISABILITY ISSUES

                               November 30, 1995




   RECOMMENDATION


   1.   Contracting an External Consultant
        to Review City Hiring Practices   

        In  February 1993,  City Council  approved the  creation of  a Task
   Force on Employment Equity  for Persons with Disabilities.   Its mandate
   was to develop an action plan with well-defined goals, a timeline and an
   evaluation process for achieving  representative hiring and promotion of
   persons with disabilities in the civic workforce.

        The Task  Force reported to Council  in March 1995.   At that time,
   City staff prepared an accompanying report for Council which recommended
   that several of  the Task Force recommendations not be  approved.  These
   recommendations were deferred  to allow input from  the Special Advisory
   Committee on Disability Issues.

        One of the core recommendations from the Task Force report was that
   the City contract  an external  consultant to conduct  a formal  systems
   review.   The Disability Issues Committee  discussed this recommendation
   at  their November  2, 1995  meeting and  agreed that  such a  review is
   indeed required.

        The  Assistant City  Manager and  Director of  E.E.O. attended  the
   November 2nd Committee  meeting and differences  of opinion continue  to
   exist,  particularly with the City's policy of not collecting data about
   the number  of persons with  disabilities in the  civic workforce.   The
   Committee  feels  there is  no proper  method  of evaluating  the City's
   successes  or  failures  until such  data  is  available.   An  external
   consultant  would be able to undertake an  unbiased review of the City's
   work in this area.

        The Special Advisory Committee on Disability Issues, therefore




                                                                 cont'd....







   RECOMMENDS

        THAT an  external  consultant be  contracted to  conduct an  entire
        systemic review  of the  policies  and program  aimed at  achieving
        representative hiring and promotion of persons with disabilities in
        the civic workforce in Vancouver.



                                 (sgd)  Walt Lawrence         
                                 Walt Lawrence
                                 Chair
                                 Special Advisory Committee on
                                      Disability Issues











   CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

        The Director of E.E.O. has advised me that an information report is
   coming  forward to Council  late February that provides  a review of all
   EEO programs and policies.   Several initiatives specifically related to
   hiring persons with disabilities will be outlined in the report.

        Because  Council has not had  the benefit of  this complete review,
   the  City Manager  RECOMMENDS deferring  this request  from the  Special
   Advisory  Committee  on Disability  Issues  until  Council receives  the
   information report from the Director of E.E.O.