White Paper

This article provides information on the labour market participation of Canadians 25 to 64 years of age with a physical or mental disability related to seeing, hearing, mobility, flexibility, dexterity, pain, learning, development, psychological/mental disorders or memory. The factors associated with the employment participation of persons with disabilities are discussed, along with their job characteristics. In 2011, the employment rate of Canadians aged 25 to 64 with disabilities was 49%, compared with 79% for Canadians without a disability. The employment rate among persons aged 25 to 64 with a mild disability was 68%, compared with 54% of those with a moderate disability, 42% of persons with a severe disability and 26% among those with a very severe disability. The difference in employment rates between persons with disabilities and those without a disability was lower among university graduates. This difference was non-significant in the case of university graduates who had a mild or moderate disability. Approximately 1 in 2 university graduates, with or without a disability, held a professional occupation. However, graduates with a disability were less likely to hold a management position and earned less than those without a disability, especially among men. Among Canadians with a disability, 12% reported having been refused a job in the previous five years as a result of their condition. The percentage was 33% among 25- to 34-year-olds with a severe or very severe disability.

A broad consensus is emerging in Ontario and at the federal level in Canada in favour of expanding postsecondary students' access to experiential or 'work-integrated learning' (WIL) opportunities. One of the challenges in implementing this vision is navigating the complex legal status of students as they leave campus and enter workplaces in a wide range of industries and roles. This study aims to support these efforts by mapping the current legal landscape for WIL to identify both risks and opportunities for students, post-secondary institutions (PSIs) and placement hosts alike (referred to collectively in this study as 'WIL participants'). It makes recommendations to streamline, clarify and strengthen key legal frameworks and improve institutional practices in managing WIL programs and their legal implications.

A literature review which informs Skills for employment for disabled people.

One in five Canadians aged 15 years or older—about 6.2 million people—have one or more disabilities. While people with disabilities can achieve socially integrated, financially independent lives through secure, well-paid employment, they are often trapped in low-skill jobs at high risk of automation. In Canada, persons with disabilities typically earn lower wages and are more precariously employed than the average worker. Among Canadians aged 25 to 64, the rate of poverty is 40 per cent higher for persons with mild disabilities and nearly 200 per cent higher for those with more severe disabilities, than it is for Canadians without disabilities. Examining the reasons that people with disabilities are underemployed reveals difficulties finding work and, once employed, difficulties requesting and getting the support they need to advance to their careers. Social stigma, a lack of understanding, and a lack of supports at many life stages further compounds the challenges that persons with disabilities face. In the future of work, these challenges will likely be exacerbated, as jobs where persons with disabilities typically find employment are often at risk of automation – namely low-skilled, low-education jobs. And while some job categories are projected to experience growth in the years to come, such as the managerial and professional categories, persons with disabilities find themselves underrepresented in these “growth” categories. To eliminate barriers to employment for people with disabilities, employers, policymakers, healthcare workers, educators, architects, and engineers must be educated to develop “disability confidence.” Disability confident employers have the knowledge to create inclusive and accessible work environments and advocate for social change within and beyond their organizations. Beyond that, more research is needed to understand issues around disability and employment, including how automation will affect jobs, how employers can support the transition from school to work, and which accommodation practices will help educators and employers make the future world of work more equitable and inclusive. In particular, research suggests that the transition between school and work appears to be a major challenge for persons with disabilities. Educational institutions and employers could leverage this transition into an opportunity, providing persons with disabilities skills, competencies, and credentials (persons with mild disabilities are already well-educated) to connect into jobs in high growth industries experiencing a need for workers.

This report examines the labour market experiences of people with disabilities, using data from the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD). Compared with people without disabilities, those with disabilities have lower employment rates, lower levels of compensation, and weaker levels of job tenure (Government of Canada, 2010). Although a comparison of employment characteristics of people with and without disabilities based on the 2012 CSD has been published (Turcotte, 2014), the CSD data offer opportunities for further analysis of disability-specific aspects of employment. Specifically, the CSD provides information about employment barriers encountered by people with disabilities, the types of workplace accommodations needed, and whether those needs are being met, perceptions of disability-based discrimination in the work environment, and labour force discouragement among those who are not in the labour force. This report aims to provide insight to employers, and to spark further research in the area of disability and employment., Most statistics in this analysis are based on respondent self-identification and provide invaluable information from people with disabilities themselves. However, these findings represent only a piece of the complete picture. They should be interpreted together with other sources such as employers' perspectives and data from program/administrative sources. This report is divided into four sections. In section two, findings related to the high percentage of people with disabilities out of the labour force are provided, and the relationship with unemployment is discussed. Section three provides a framework for identifying working-age people with disabilities who are not working, but have the potential to work, and profiles this population. Section four discusses barriers that people with disabilities have experienced, with a focus on workplace accommodations, training, employment experience, labour force discouragement, and disability-based discrimination. Section five presents concluding remarks., Several key results emerge from the analysis: (1) many working-age people with disabilities have, at least intermittently, dropped out of the labour force; (2) in addition to people with disabilities who are currently working, an estimated 411,600 are not employed but have the potential to work - almost half of these potential workers are postsecondary graduates; (3) modified work hours are key - among employed people with disabilities; modified work hours are the most commonly stated workplace accommodation - an accommodation that has generally been met by employers; among potential workers with disabilities, modified work hours would be needed to an even greater degree; and modified or reduced hours were also the most common reason cited by employed people with disabilities for difficulty advancing in or changing jobs; and (4) people with disabilities who were not in the labour force reported inadequate training or experience to be one of the main barriers in searching for a job; many potential workers with disabilities wanted to take work-related training to increase their employability., Excerpts from publication.

This study of the need and feasibility of creating a Canadian online resource for workplace accommodation includes six distinct components, each with its own methodology, goals, and findings. Conducting these six sub-studies within the larger study has allowed us to summarize best evidence in peer-reviewed and grey literatures, highlight the voices of the various stakeholders who could benefit from the proposed online resource, examine how stakeholders' needs and perspectives intersect, and synthesize the findings to produce a holistic view of the subject. Findings are synthesized in last section (Component 7). In this executive summary we provide specific recommendations. The findings of this study suggest that there is value in developing an online searchable resource for workplace accommodations specific to the Canadian labour market. An important caveat is that such a resource should not duplicate existing services, but rather, dovetail with them. Specifically, the web resource would need to work with existing service providers (e.g., referring clients to other services if they better meet clients' needs) to minimize duplication of efforts and ensure continuing service provision. The web resource could serve as an initial point of contact for employers and other stakeholders to provide quick and easy access to information and services for accommodation and/or direct them to where they can find needed information and services. We detail the findings of a stakeholder needs assessment and an environmental scan of suppliers of workplace accommodation products and services that serve as the basis for this conclusion in Components 3 and 4. The following is a summary of needs that could be served by a Canadian website: Accommodation options, best practices and concrete examples; Accessible information on legal responsibilities, standards and compliance; Contact information of local service providers; Funding sources to support accommodations; Information on creating and maintaining inclusive workplace cultures; Opportunities for peer support and guidance; Increased public awareness of the benefits of employing people with disabilities; and Information on education and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

This article will use data collected in the 2001 and 2006 censuses of Canada to describe immigrants who used a language other than one of Canada's official languages in their work. It will explore the extent to which they rely on non-official languages at work in conjunction with: their official language ability, their age at immigration, their level of education and their place of work in Canada. It will look at which languages immigrants actually use in their jobs. The article also examines whether immigrants are more likely to use non-official languages at work within their language communities

The Reskilling Toolkit contains information, guidance, tips, and resources on how to reskill and/or upskill employees impacted by major workforce changes, such as automation. The toolkit aligns to the Human Capital Framework (HCF), which guides agencies through the four different systems of the human capital management life cycle (see Appendix A). Continuous reskilling and upskilling contributes to fostering a culture of continuous learning. By actively managing the workforce and developing agile operations, agencies better position themselves for effective and efficient achievement of their mission and goals. As technology continues to advance, digitization and automation will eliminate or lead to changes of work roles or tasks within positions. For example, some of the top labor-intensive Federal activities with automation potential are: Retrieving and Synthesizing Data; Providing some Customer Service Activities ; Performing some Administrative Activities The purpose of this Toolkit is to assist agencies with meeting their President's Management Agenda's goal œDeveloping a Workforce for the 21st Century, while adhering to the Merit System Principles. It serves as a resource for agency leaders, managers, supervisors and employees who are involved in planning, implementing, and/or receiving reskilling or upskilling efforts. The information in this toolkit is a compilation of the U. S. Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) guidance and tools, in collaboration with agency partners, such as the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

In 2018, the employment-population ratio--the proportion of the population that is employed-- was 19.1 percent among those with a disability, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In contrast, the employment-population ratio for those without a disability was 65.9 percent. The employment-population ratio for persons with a disability increased from 2017 to 2018, and the ratio for persons without a disability edged up. The unemployment rate for both persons with and without a disability declined from the previous year to 8.0 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively. The data on persons with a disability are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 households that provides statistics on employment and unemployment in the United States. The collection of data on persons with a disability is sponsored by the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy.