Did you know that one in five Canadians is living with a disability? That’s about 6.2 million Canadians over the age of 15. And as the age of the average Canadian climbs, that number is steadily increasing.
Hearing the word “disability,” you might immediately think of paralysis or extremely life-limiting conditions. But this broad term covers an array of disabilities – physical and intellectual, permanent and temporary – affecting a broad spectrum of people, many of workforce age.
This isn’t always reflected in our workplaces.
Among working-age Canadians with severe disabilities, 26% are employed. The employment rate for non-disabled Canadians, however, is over 80%. In fact, almost 800,000 people with a disability are not currently working – and half of those have a post-secondary education. Think of the skills, talents, and experience this segment of the population represents.
Why are disabled persons so underrepresented in the workforce?
Of non-working disabled Canadians, 40% are categorized as having “work potential.” While it’s complex to tease out the reasons for underemployment of this segment, know that the odds of being employed decrease when there are multiple disabilities, or when candidates are older. Disabled Canadians face challenges to daily living, including accessing medications, finding reliable transportation, obtaining medical equipment, and navigating the process of finding and applying for a suitable role. These challenges may be compounded by workplaces that put up a daunting front, whether it be an image of youthful, active staff members; a workplace culture that emphasizes physical activities; or architectural limitations such as a lack of ramps or elevators.
Lack of employment for people with disabilities is challenging. Statistics show significantly lower income levels than those of people without disabilities, and people with severe disabilities earn about half that of those with milder disabilities. It’s a loss for this segment, but it’s also a loss for employers. Research indicates people with disabilities are more engaged and more loyal than the general workforce. This benefits everyone at an organization.
So what can employers do to remove barriers to employment?
Be open to employing this cohort.
Start by looking at your diversity, inclusion and accessibility policies. Are they inclusive? Does your organization pay attention to its diversity profile? Does it consider accessibility when renovating or investing in equipment? If your organization doesn’t have a policy, there’s never been a better time to start thinking about it. If you don’t know how to tackle this, consider sitting down with a consultant to determine what your organization needs.
Get feedback from existing employees with disabilities.
Chances are you have employees in your organization who have disabilities. Do you know who they are? Conditions are often invisible – for example, dyslexia, carpal tunnel syndrome, anxiety, or chronic pain. Sometimes employees tend to minimize these issues because they worry about repercussions. Let them know they can talk openly about their disabilities and the challenges that go with them. This is how you learn what they need to do their best work.
Provide or accommodate assistive technology.
When you give your employees what they need to work comfortably, you’re optimizing their productivity. That makes assistive technology a worthwhile investment. Ergonomic equipment is widely available, and with feedback from your employees, you can make good decisions about what to invest in. Not only will it make the work environment more inviting and comfortable; it will ensure you comply with Canada’s accessibility legislation. If you’re worried about cost, check out the Government of Canada’s Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF). You could be eligible for funding for accessibility tools or aids.
Pay attention to language.
It’s one thing to think about policy and compliance with accessibility legislation. It’s another to “walk the talk.” Part of embracing workers with disabilities is promoting conversation, and that starts with an invitation: the job post. Word your posting with a commitment to inclusion, diversity and accessibility. And when someone with a disability comes in for an interview, don’t be afraid of “the elephant in the room.” Ask them what their preferences are when discussing any needs they have. Pay attention to the language they use, and try to incorporate it.
Have an accessible web presence.
Many of us take for granted the ability to navigate the web and find exactly what we’re looking for. But for people with visual disabilities or hearing impairments, some websites are frustrating. For instance, sites that are image-heavy but don’t caption the image, sites that exhort people to “click the red button”, sites that require users to use a mouse when they may be keyboard-only users and, sites without transcripts or captions for videos. Don’t be one of these! If you’re not sure how to tell if your website is accessible, visit World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to become familiar with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
When designing any web-based materials, try to look at it through an accessibility lens. Better yet, get a consultant or someone with lived experience to look at your design.
Make it part of your organizational culture.
This is the most important point. To become a diverse, inclusive workplace, your organization needs to live and breathe diversity and inclusion. There’s a ton of reasons why!
- Guidelines are readily available:
- One in five Canadians has a disability. If you don’t reach them, you’re missing out on what they have to offer.
- It can make you more competitive. A healthy organizational culture is one that encourages employees to be most productive. More productivity means a better bottom line.
- It can protect you from litigation. Increasingly the right to accessible workspaces and web-hosted content is being recognized, and there is precedent for successful litigation in cases where accessibility is ignored.
- It’s easier and less expensive to do it from the get-go. A growing business is constantly reworking spaces and equipment to accommodate new employees. Building accessibility in from the beginning is the most cost-effective approach – no need to retrofit later.
- We’re all getting older. Our eyesight, hearing, mobility and cognition may be fine now, but sooner or later we’ll all need some assistance. Be part of the movement to broaden accessibility, and by the time you need it yourself, it will be there waiting.
- It’s the right thing to do. Accessibility is an equity issue that everyone should care about.
If you suffer from a disability or any condition – know you are not alone. With the proper support and intervention, you can overcome. You are, by law, protected and should be supported in the workplace. For more information on how to ensure you are supported at work, check out our blog To Accommodate or not to Accommodate – Hiding Disabilities in the Workplace. Contact us if you need support or further information. We’d be glad to help.
Diversation Question
What’s your organization doing about accessibility? If you have an example of how your organization/ you’ve made your workplace more accessible, drop us a line in the comments – we’d love to hear about it.
