Labour Market Participation of People with Disabilities: Regional Roundtable in Burnaby, British Columbia
Topic of Discussion
The Minister of State (Seniors), Alice Wong, met with community stakeholders in Burnaby on August 9, 2011, to discuss local challenges that people with disabilities face in the Vancouver area and creative local solutions. More specifically, the Minister of State (Seniors) asked participants about government programs and services, best practices, and emerging or continuing challenges for people with disabilities, and for comments on the federal role in the labour market integration of people with disabilities.
Highlights of the Discussion
Programs and Services: Best Practices
Participants highlighted the best types of services and programs to integrate people with disabilities into the labour market. Examples included assistive devices, on-the-job coaching, preferably longer term, informed referrals from employment counsellors, and federally funded programs in partnership with other levels of government and/or industry employers.
Employment programs were said to work best when they are individualized, have a peer support or group discussion component, and provide employers with referrals to pre-screened, qualified, job-ready candidates. In particular, employment programs that record increased social participation, volunteer placements, and part-time employment as successes alongside full-time paid work were preferred because they recognize that the employment needs of people with disabilities vary. Stakeholders highly appreciate the Opportunities Fund because the terms and conditions are flexible and it helps people with disabilities, who would otherwise be left behind, become job ready.
Partnerships (between different levels of government, service organizations, industry employers, and educational institutions) and federal investment in training were seen as important to prepare people with disabilities for the labour market. Stakeholders noted that job-readiness programs in colleges have proven effective but are vulnerable to funding cuts. They suggested that partnerships could also be developed between high schools and employment services to help transition students with disabilities into the labour force. The federal government was encouraged to invest in capacity development for social enterprises that employ people with disabilities.
Challenges
Participants noted several factors that hinder the employment of people with disabilities. For example, federal and provincial governments’ short-term emphasis on employment results encourages service providers to help clients who are most likely to get employment. Employers are often less accommodating when the economy weakens. Having multiple barriers to employment, such as a physical disability and a mental illness, and employers’ negative perceptions of disabilities were seen to increase the difficulty of employment. Finally, income thresholds in disability pension programs can act as a disincentive to full-time work.
Some challenges were identified that affect community capacity and the quality of service provided to support people with disabilities. For example, the provincial government’s shift to funding one-stop-shop employment services has resulted in fewer service providers. The federal and provincial focus on better results with less funding was felt to have led to decreased organizational capacity and morale of the disability community services sector. Stakeholders noted that the needs of people with significant disabilities may be neglected in favour of those who require less support due to the changes in funding, and there is no mechanism to ensure the accessibility and quality of programs and services to the most marginalized people with disabilities. Finally, they felt that the absence of the Participation Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) has made it more difficult to track the socioeconomic progress of people with disabilities.
Areas for Federal Involvement
When asked to comment on the role the federal government could play in the labour market integration of people with disabilities, participants encouraged the federal government to continue its leadership role over important programs. Continued dialogue through the federal-provincial People with Disabilities Advisory Committee (PWDAC) and federal funding to strengthen the connection between people with disabilities and potential employers (for example, through conferences) were felt to be important. A medium-term federal employment strategy for people with disabilities was also suggested and could include an internship tax credit.
Summary
Participants confirmed the barriers to employment faced by people with disabilities and the additional support they require to integrate in the labour market (e.g. assistive technology, employer awareness, on-the-job coaching). They recommended that the federal government maintain a strong role in the delivery of employment programs and services for people with disablities and highly value employment programs that are flexible and that acknowledge the unique needs of people with disabilities. Partnerships across jurisdictions and between service providers and employers are seen as essential to ensure successful integration in the labour market. They also noted that the organizational capacity and morale of the disability community services sector is becoming strained as better results are expected with less funding.
To conclude, the Minister of State (Seniors) thanked the stakeholders for their time and input and expressed her appreciation for their dedication to serving Canadians with disabilities.
Participants
- The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), Government of Canada
- Neil Squire Society
- IAM Cares Society
- WII-STEP Workforce Inclusion Initiative
- BC Coalition of People with Disabilities
- Sam Sullivan Disability Foundation
- British Columbia Association for Community Living (BCACL)