Some Work Barriers People with Disabilities still Face

While Ontario has made great strides in equal opportunity employment, companies might still be inadvertently discriminating against disabled individuals.

Many firms continue to engage in practices that shut out individuals with disabilities, often right from the application process, according to experts. And, observers note, disabled people’s marginalization in the labour market is compounded by the fact that Canada’s public system for disability benefits is essentially a confusing patchwork of programs.

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One reason for the high unemployment rate among people with disabilities are employer practices which essentially exclude them from the workforce—and many of these practices happen as early as the application process, experts note.

The interview process can also be a barrier for disabled individuals. Phone screening, for instance, is an issue for people with conditions such as cerebral palsy. Yet another barrier are the assumptions that many employers have about the skills of disabled people, their absence rates and the insurance costs they would pay if they hire those individuals. But many of these assumptions are erroneous—and often, the accommodations an employer has to make are not onerous or costly at all.

Instead, companies should focus on creating an “accepting environment,” .  That involves educating not only managers but also co-workers about the experience of disability, she added, explaining that a disabled individual often spends more time with co-workers rather than a manager.

Observers point out that disabled people actually bring a lot of positive traits to the table. Some of the main ones are loyalty and diligence, since they’re willing to go the extra mile in order to keep their jobs, given that finding work is hard for them.

Patchwork of policies

Another major reason why Canada’s disabled community is largely on the margins of the labour market is the country’s incoherent set of disability support programs, according to experts. Unlike some other advanced nations, Canada has no uniform, national disability policy. What it has is a number of policies that vary across provinces and territories.

Currently, Canada has seven programs that offer benefits to disabled individuals. Examples of federal programs include the Canada Pension Plan—which in addition to retirement income also provides income in the event of disability—and the Registered Disability Savings Plan, a long-term savings program delivered by the Canada Revenue Agency. The provinces also offer disability benefits. Provincial workers’ compensation agencies administer benefits, too.  All of these seven programs operate separately from each other, without any coordination. Each has a different definition of disability, eligibility criteria and generosity of benefits. Some are for work-related injuries; others are not.

Navigating this kind of complex system often causes people to fall through the cracks, according to observers.

What can you do to put these programs together?

If you are interested in learning more about Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) or how to make accessibility a natural part of your business through the application of Corporate Social Responsibility, please contact Sandra Broekhof @ 416-579-1035 or sandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca or visit www.accessibilitycompliance.ca