Piloting Accessibility Diversity Assessment Tool: Supporting Employees with Disabilities in SMEs

The Issue

The prevalence of disability in Canada continues to increase. As of 2022, 27% of Canadians aged 15 years and older (nearly 8 million people) had one or more disabilities – up from 22% in 2017. Youth, women, and seniors have higher disability rates.

For example, women are more likely than men to have a disability (35% vs 24%) and Indigenous Peoples and racialized people also have higher rates of disability. 

At the same time, Canada is experiencing an aging population combined with decreased birth rates and longer life expectancy, which has placed a greater emphasis on increased labour productivity and labour force participation by equity-deserving groups. Many government programs and organizational policies are intended to support persons with disabilities in the labour market. In spite of these efforts, persons with disabilities continue to face persistent disparities in employment and economic outcomes. For example, in 2022, the unemployment rate remained higher among persons with disabilities than those without disabilities (7.6% vs. 4.6%). Barriers also persist across the employment lifecycle, such as discrimination, ableism, fears of disclosing disability status, and misconceptions about the cost of accommodations. 

Various tools, playbooks, and self-assessments on EDI, accessibility, and disability inclusion exist.  However, many tools target larger organizations and are built on assumptions that organizations have the resources to develop and implement policies, or do not offer clear, actionable steps to guide operational changes. SMEs, which comprise over 99% of employer businesses in Canada, are thus left behind. To address this gap, the pilot Accessibility DAT Add-on was developed to provide an easy-to-use application and offer tailored and actionable recommendations to advance EDI, accessibility, and disability inclusion for SMEs.

What We Investigated

This research explores the prevalence and employment barriers for persons with disabilities, as well as the role of SMEs in creating accessible and inclusive spaces for persons with disabilities. It was guided by the following research questions:

• What employment barriers prevent persons with disabilities from fully and meaningfully participating in the labour market?
• What challenges do SMEs face when developing, implementing, and monitoring EDI, accessibility, and disability inclusion strategies?
• What EDI, accessibility, and disability inclusion assessment tools and resources are available to support Canadian SMEs and larger organizations?
• How does the pilot Accessibility DAT add-on help SMEs improve EDI and accessibility strategies?
• What promising practices can help organizations advance EDI, accessibility, and disability inclusion in Canada?

The report leveraged the latest data from industry reports, scholarly articles, Statistics Canada, and publicly available EDI, accessibility, and disability inclusion assessment tools to provide a snapshot of the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in the labour market and the strategic challenges organizations face when adopting EDI, accessibility, and disability inclusion efforts. It also introduces the pilot Accessibility DAT Add-on and industry best practices as a solution to help SMEs understand their current EDI, accessibility, and disability inclusion and carve a way forward.

What We’re Learning

Accessibility and disability inclusion require tailored approaches, and no one-size-fits-all solutions exist. Disabilities vary from visible to invisible, and experiences differ across age, gender, race, and immigration status. For example, the prevalence of disability among youth is increasing, rising from 13% in 2017 to 20.1% in 2022, and disability rates differ across equity-deserving groups, for instance, 29.8% of non-immigrants reported a disability compared to 21.5% of recent immigrants in 2022). 

SMEs are well-positioned to be key contributors to fostering accessibility and disability inclusion in the workplace, particularly  compared to larger organizations, as they typically have smaller teams, utilize accessible contracting processes, and offer a more personalized approach. However, research shows obstacles and misconceptions about accessibility and disability inclusion in the workplace. For example, SMEs are often concerned about the perceived costs of implementing workplace accommodations, but research shows that workplace accommodations, such as flexible work arrangements, are generally low-cost. 

The most valuable tools to help SMEs advance accessibility and disability inclusion are practical resources for creating inclusive and accessible workplaces, as well as fostering meaningful connections with community organizations. However, a desk review of tools, playbooks, and consulting services revealed that tools serve various purposes and target different audiences. These findings reinforce the need for a practical solution to help SMEs advance accessibility and disability inclusion, and the pilot Accessibility DAT add-on bridges this gap by providing SMEs with a practical tool to assess their organizational strategies. 

Results from preliminary consultations with organizations on the usability of the pilot Accessibility DAT Add-on revealed that the tool was easy to understand and navigate, and also uncovered the challenges organizations faced in advancing accessibility. For example, 90% reported that the add-on helped uncover gaps and challenges that their organizations were facing in advancing accessibility. We also found several promising practices to help guide organizations – for example, the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work’s comprehensive toolkit and a Seat at the Table, a project that encourages organizations to appoint people with disabilities to their Boards, which can be used to help SMEs advance their accessibility and disability inclusion efforts.

Why It Matters

Research consistently shows that organizations that adopt EDI, accessibility, and disability inclusion strategies benefit from increased revenue, profit, and productivity, as well as decreased turnover and increased market share. Despite this, persons with disabilities remain an untapped talent pool in Canada, experiencing disparities in labour market participation, unemployment, and underemployment. Although there are efforts to support persons with disabilities, tools and playbooks vary considerably. Practical resources and tools can help SMEs in advancing their efforts to create an accessible and inclusive workspace. 

The pilot Accessibility DAT Add-on is an example of a practical and easy-to-use tool that allows SMEs to evaluate and advance EDI, accessibility, and disability inclusion, as well as identify successes and areas for improvement, and receive customized recommendations and best practices. These policies, programs, and initiatives not only help address inequities within organizations but also drive change, build accessible and disability-inclusive environments, and promote inclusive organizational cultures.

State of Skills:
Quality of Work

Improving quality of work, through better wages and benefits, social environments, security, safety, and inclusion, alongside skills and professional development is one part of a larger strategy to address these labour shortages.

Read Thematic Report

What’s Next

The Diversity Institute aims to further improve the functionality and usability of the pilot Accessibility DAT Add-on and expand industry-specific best practices available to organizations. As the next step, the DI intends to develop additional use cases, including those for municipalities and nonprofits. In 2026, the Truth and Reconciliation Add-on will be introduced to help SMEs not only address inequities for Indigenous Peoples within organizations but also support inclusive organizational practices.