Disability and accessibility: Canadians see significant room for improvement in communities where they live

The vast majority of Canadians want their communities to be fully accessible for people with disabilities, and believe their country should be a leader on this front. But they also see massive gaps between this ideal, and the reality people with mobility challenges face where they live. They also recognize barriers to employment and education facing people with disabilities, but one-in-two say œit’s understandable if businesses feel it’s risky to hire employees with these challenges. And while most Canadians have experienced some exposure to people with physical disabilities in their day-to-day lives, they also vastly under-estimate the pervasiveness disability in this country. These are among the findings of a new national survey canvassing disability and accessibility issues conducted by the Angus Reid Institute, in partnership with the Rick Hansen Foundation.