Increasing Economic Integration for Canadians With Disabilities

Shortly before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, Statistics Canada reported that 20% of people in Canada aged 25 to 54 (the so-called prime working age population) live with a disability and that among this group, an estimated 645,000 individuals could be working but were not. 

“20% of people in Canada aged 25 to 54 (the so-called prime working age population) live with a disability and that among this group, an estimated 645,000 individuals could be working but were not.”

Government public health responses to COVID-19 led to a pandemic recession, which hit the Canadian economy. The economic recession and subsequent recovery and rise in inflation have especially affected persons with disabilities, along with other social groups. Unemployment rates for persons with disabilities remain comparatively high. 

Today, we will discuss the integration and success of people with disabilities and Deaf people in the future economy of Canada. We will use the ideas of social inclusion, economic security, human rights and social justice to suggest that success is a diverse set of quality of life experiences.  

A Cautionary Note: Talking About the Issues Faced By Canadians With Disabilities

Before outlining a vision for the future, we feel the need to express a cautionary note about inadvertently defining human self-worth or social status solely in terms of holding gainful employment in the mainstream labour force.  

We believe it is necessary to make this point because dominant cultural beliefs and material necessities place such great importance on getting a job, moving up the ladder, and having a career. 

The future economy, like the present economy, will undoubtedly create various kinds of economic opportunities and upward mobility. History tells us that it will also generate various forms of economic insecurity and deep poverty and that people within the intersectional cross-disability sphere and Deaf communities are disproportionately at risk of these adverse outcomes. 

Even in times of low unemployment and tight labour markets, which is what we have today, the Canadian economy is unable to provide enough good jobs with good pay at good working conditions for everyone who seeks them. 

“Too often, people with disabilities are unemployed or underemployed, as well as undervalued and overlooked for jobs, training opportunities, and promotions.”

We know that too often, people with disabilities are unemployed or underemployed, as well as undervalued and overlooked for jobs, training opportunities, and promotions.  

It is also important to remember that not all people, both with or without disabilities, aspire to or are able to work full-time in the general labour force.  Their sense of personal identity, social standing, and overall quality of life come from other domains of life. 

Envisioning A Future Economy For All

Success in our economy as in life more generally is a multifaceted thing. It takes many shapes and has many meanings for people. 

As a society, we need to acknowledge and value the inherent worth of all people. We must recognize that self-esteem and social worth come from many places and manifest in many ways – through natural connections, formal volunteering, artistic pursuits, and athletic activities, among others.  

We also need to support the thousands of people with disabilities in Canada and individuals with an array of disabilities and abilities who want to work, and also support employers in increasing integration in our future economy.  

Paid work and participation in the labour force will continue to be a key pathway of entitlement to many income benefits. These include Employment Insurance (both regular benefits and special benefits, such as sickness benefits), the Canada Pension Plan (retirement and disability benefits), the Canada Workers Benefit, and workers’ compensation programs.   

“Paid work and participation in the labour force will continue to be a key pathway of entitlement to many income benefits.”

Creating the Right Environment for Canadians with Disabilities

From a disability and human rights perspective, the government and other stakeholders should undertake the following actions to increase social inclusion and economic security for Canadians with disabilities.

• Adequate home support and personal services for individuals and their families
  
• Consistent Canada-wide person-centred funding for equipment and technology-based supports and other aids for independent living as determined by the person
  
• Adequate funding to community service agencies that offer accessible and inclusive programs
  
• Adequate funding to organizations of people with disabilities to monitor the effectiveness of laws, policies, and government funding streams focused on disability
  
• Adequate direct payments to individuals and families to enable personal choices in how resources are used to have a good life
  
• Adequate income security programs for all persons with disabilities including families with children with disabilities, adults of working age, and retired persons with disabilities
  
• Income security programs that are tied to individual needs
  
• Continued work on raising awareness, dispelling misconceptions, and building cultures of inclusion
  
• Enhanced prevention of systemic discrimination (for example, unconscious bias) in recruitment and promotion processes and decisions
  
• Advancing flexible working arrangements and promoting inclusive workplaces that may include hybrid work situations, while attending to the risk of social isolation
  
• Further investments in employment concerning meaningful work experiences starting at the high school level
  
• Investments in supporting entry, retention, and re-entry of Canadians with disabilities into the workforce as well as a focus on skills development and career advancement while promoting family-work life balance

Paid work is not necessarily the best form of social policy or disability inclusion for all, but for many who want to work, there are many barriers to overcome that can be addressed. These include attitudinal barriers that block individuals from taking advantage of education opportunities, a lack of understanding of technology supports when going to school, the length of time it may take to complete a program of study and the biases shown toward hiring qualified people with disabilities.


By addressing the calls to action above, governments and other stakeholders will go a long way toward building a robust future economy that is inclusive of the diverse disability and Deaf community.