Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA): Transition to work and career development
NOW RECRUITING
A study is now underway to better understand the transition into paid employment for young adults with episodic disabilities. Episodic disabilities stem from long-term health conditions that are characterized by periods of relatively good health interrupted by periods of poor health. Examples include arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, colitis, HIV, and mental health conditions.
The team is now recruiting study participants. Individuals are eligible if they:
- live with an episodic disability
- are 18-35 years old
- have been in school within the last five years
- are now working or looking for work
- speak fluent English and
- live in Canada.
Participants will be asked to take part in three interviews over the duration of 24 months.
Participants will be asked about their experiences entering the workforce, their perceptions of employment quality and career success, and the role of supports and employers during this school-to-work transition.
To indicate interest in taking part in this study, or to find out more about it, please contact the study coordinator, Meghan Crouch, at mcrouch@iwh.on.ca.
Reasons for the study
Persons with disabilities encounter barriers as they transition into work and advance within their careers. Disability scholarship and practice has increasingly focused on the school-to-work transition. Specifically, existing research tends to focus on the experience of obtaining entry-level positions and the barriers and facilitators to early stages of employment. Far less research exists on understanding the determinants to job quality (e.g., secure employment that meets career aspirations, offers competitive wages and provides opportunities for career growth) and the career success of persons with disabilities. We will conduct rapid reviews to identify and synthesize innovative school-to-work transition programs/practices/interventions that emphasize access to high-quality jobs and career success. We will also conduct a longitudinal qualitative study, interviewing young adults with episodic disabilities to examine their experiences and the role of supports and employers during the school-to-work transition and early working years.
Objectives of the study
- Examine and synthesize interventions and practices that support the transition into jobs with higher quality among persons living with disabilities.
- Examine and synthesize interventions and practices that support the career success of persons with disabilities.
- Utilize findings from rapid reviews to develop demand-side initiatives that are relevant to the school-to-work transition for persons living with disabilities.
- Understand the experiences of young adults with episodic disabilities as they join the workforce, their perceptions of employment quality and career success and the role of supports and employers during the school-to-work transition and early working years.
Target audience
Canadian work disability policy system stakeholders, including injured worker/ disability community representatives, employers, policy-makers, disability program administrators, educators and service providers
Related scientific publications
- Jetha A, Hossain S, Navaratnerajah L, Samosh D, McCarthy S, Bowman LR. Promoting job quality and career advancement among persons with disabilities during critical career transitions: a scoping review of published evidence. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2025 epub ahead of print. doi:10.1007/s10926-025-10335-x. (Open access)
Project status
Ongoing
Research team
Collaborators and partners
- Jazz Aviation
- Holland Bloorview
- National Educational Association for Disabled Students
- Youth Employment Services
Funded by
MLITSD, New Frontiers in Research Fund (a Tri-Council initiative among CIHR, SSHRC and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council)