Disability and work
People with disabilities face substantially lower employment levels than the general working-age population. This page pulls together research and resources on policies and practices aimed at improving the labour market participation of people living with disabilities.
Featured
Research Highlights
Examining four types of job disruptions due to a health condition, and the differences expected when workplace support needs are met
Job disruptions are common among workers living with chronic physical and/or mental health conditions, an IWH study has found. The study investigated the effects of workplace supports had on four types of job disruptions.
Published: March 11, 2025
At Work article
Top-ranked strategies to support young persons with disabilities in the future of work
IWH researchers asked persons with disabilities, practitioners and subject matter experts about strategies for disability inclusion in the face of six future of work challenges. A new report details their top-ranked strategies to foster inclusion in the face of each challenge.
Published: June 7, 2024
Journal article
Journal article
The adequacy of workplace accommodation and the incidence of permanent employment separations after a disabling work injury or illness
Published: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, March 2024
Journal article
Journal article
Experiential aspects of participation in employment and mobility for adults with physical disabilities: testing cross-sectional models of contextual influences and well-being outcomes
Published: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, February 2024
At Work article
How job training can better meet the needs of persons with disabilities
Job training initiatives are an important gateway to work opportunities, especially for persons living with disabilities who face persistent barriers to employment. However, as technological advances lead to changes in the nature and availability of work, training programs need to be more responsive to the diverse needs of persons with disabilities.
Published: January 2024
Journal article
Journal article
Impact of employment and income support interventions on the health of young adults with episodic disability: findings from a systematic review
Published: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, January 2024
Project
Project
Incentives-based approaches to support stay at work/return to work: an environmental scan
This project will identify and examine the incentives for adults with disabilities that promote staying at or returning to work.
Status: Ongoing
Journal article
Journal article
Divided in a digital economy: understanding disability employment inequities stemming from the application of advanced workplace technologies
Published: SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, November 2023
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
Three scenarios of a future working world: Using strategic foresight to imagine and respond to a changing world of work for young adults living with a disability in Canada
Evolving social, technological, economic, environmental, and political forces are shaping all aspects of our working world. For young adults living with a disability who are entering and working their way up in the labour market, the changing nature of work can create both barriers and opportunities. In this presentation, Dr. Arif Jetha Jetha shares three scenarios or narratives describing the ways things might meaningfully change in the future for young adults with disabilities. He also discusses how these scenarios can be used to develop labour market policies and programs that respond to future needs and promote inclusion for young adults living with a disability.
Published: October 2023
Sharing Best Evidence
Racial and ethnic inequities in the return-to-work process
In the first systematic review on the subject, IWH examined the research literature on racial and ethnic inequities in return to work. It found strong evidence that non-white workers are less likely than white workers to return to work following an injury or illness—and moderate evidence that Black workers face pronounced barriers.
Published: July 2023
At Work article
Three future of work scenarios to help develop inclusion strategies for young people with disabilities
What do we need to do now to ensure the inclusion of young adults with disability in the future world of work? Using strategic foresight methods, an IWH team generated three future scenarios of the working world and their implications for persons with disabilities.
Published: May 2023
IWH in the media
New federal initiative aiming to increase employment rate of persons with disabilities
The Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA) initiative aims to build the capacity of employers to hire and accommodate persons with disabilities. This article profiles the initiative's mission.
Published: Benefits Canada, May 2023