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
![A graphic of two women surrounded by superimposed graphical data and screens. One wears virtual reality goggles and the other holds a laptop computer.](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_6_col_wide/public/iwh/images/Delphi%20Report.jpg?h=72c85a53&itok=z7tdIUwF)
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
![A seated woman with a clipboard in-hand speaks to a female client](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_6_col_wide/public/iwh/images/iStock-1681105205.jpg?h=62bc044e&itok=_-RX-pME)
Research Highlights
How do employment support programs impact the health of young adults with episodic disabilities?
Episodic disabilities can make it challenging for workers to find and sustain employment while managing their symptoms and work demands. An IWH study investigated the health impacts of employment support programs for young adults with episodic disabilities.
Published: April 8, 2024
![Row of diverse persons with disabilities](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_4_col_widescreen/public/iwh/images/diverse_workers_disabilities.jpg?h=70afb445&itok=SupuWZyW)
At Work article
How government funding can best support the employment of persons with disabilities
What kind of government funding best encourages employers to hire and retain persons with disabilities? A research team at the Institute for Work & Health recently explored this question.
Published: May 2022
Project report
Project report
Funding employment services to create sustainable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities
This report provides evidence-based insights for policy-makers on the design and administration of funding programs for employment services for persons with disabilities that promote gainful and, ideally, sustainable paid employment opportunities.
Published: April 2022
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
The employment quality of persons with disabilities: findings from a national survey
Persons with disabilities face persisting inequities in the labour market arising from stigma, discrimination, and other structural barriers to employment. It is widely accepted that greater integration into the labour market could serve to promote the social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities. But what happens when they are successful at integrating into the labour market? What kind of jobs do they get? In this presentation, Dr. Faraz Vahid Shahidi shares findings from a recent nationwide survey examining the employment quality of persons with disabilities in Canada. He documents the nature and extent of employment inequities experienced by persons with disabilities, as well as the consequences of these inequities for support and accommodation in the workplace.
Published: April 2022
Journal article
Journal article
Guest editorial. The benefits of inclusion: disability and work in the 21st century
Published: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, April 2022
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
Development and implementation of a framework for estimating the economic benefits of an accessible and inclusive society
Despite progress to date, persons with disabilities still face discrimination and other barriers to full participation in society. What would be the economic benefits if these barriers are removed? Understanding the magnitude of the benefits can provide invaluable information to policy-makers, disability advocates and industry leaders as they consider the rewards of efforts to improve accessibility. In this presentation, IWH Senior Scientist Dr. Emile Tompa shares a framework his research team developed for estimating the economic benefits of an accessible and inclusive society. He also shares the results of the framework when implemented for the Canadian context.
Published: February 2022
Journal article
Journal article
Development and implementation of a framework for estimating the economic benefits of an accessible and inclusive society
Published: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, January 2022
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
What the future of work looks like to young people with disabilities
What do young people with disabilities think about when they weigh their job options and consider their career goals? Given the massive changes expected in the world of work—changes brought on by the rise of automation, digital technologies, new forms of work, among others—what barriers and opportunities do young people with disabilities perceive on the horizon? In this presentation, IWH Scientist Dr. Arif Jetha shares findings from his interview-based study of young adults with disabilities. He also discusses what support they need to meet the challenges and take advantage of the potential opportunities of a changing labour market.
Published: December 2021
![People with various disabilities at the office](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_4_col_widescreen/public/iwh/images/disabilities_inclusion_wheelchair.jpg?h=9a5b3612&itok=lb1X0ims)
Research Highlights
The economic benefits of a fully accessible and inclusive Canada
If Canada were a fully accessible and inclusive society, the economic benefits would amount to about $337.7 billion in calendar year 2017. This amount is equal to about 17.6 per cent of the gross domestic product in that year.
Published: November 2021
Project
Project
Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA): A social innovation lab to increase demand-side capacity to employ persons with disabilities in Canada
This large, national project includes many research team members, collaborators and partners—all taking an innovative approach to increasing the sustainable employment of people with disabilities in Canada by building disability confidence and accommodation capacity among employers
Status: Ongoing
Journal article
Journal article
Fragmentation in the future of work: a horizon scan examining the impact of the changing nature of work on workers experiencing vulnerability
Published: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, June 2021