Persons with disabilities (PwDs) are an under-utilized talent pool in Canada, despite post-secondary achievements and work readiness. 

We spoke with employers about the barriers, needs, and enablers they face when it comes to hiring, supporting, and retaining PwDs. 

Studies show that employers understand the benefits of hiring PwDs; they just don’t always know how. What we found when we spoke with hiring and EDI managers is that they’re ready to act, but they face misconceptions about how to accommodate PwDs, prohibitive or outdated organizational structures and hiring processes, and a lack of internal resources, including capacity and funding.

More than anything, employers need information, resources, and support to create change when it comes to creating accessible, inclusive workplaces for PwDs. To get started, they need to know where to find help and who they can partner with.

We offer a model that helps employers identify what level they are currently at in the journey to universal accessibility, and therefore what supports they do (or do not) need.

This report is the result of a research partnership between the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and the Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER), with funding from Accessibility Standards Canada. It is part of a larger series of BHER projects that support the Accessible Canada Act’s goal to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040.