Abstract
BackgroundMany individuals with disabilities face barriers to meaningful employment. Legislation has been put in place to ensure employment equity for individuals with disabilities in Canada. However, little is known about the employment profile and experiences of people with seeing disabilities.ObjectivesThe objectives of our research study were to explore the employment rates of people with seeing disabilities in Canada, the factors associated with being employed, and supports and barriers that affect their work participation.MethodsWe used the nationally representative data from the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) 2017, collected by Statistics Canada. The CSD is a national cross-sectional survey of Canadians 15 years of age and above who face a functional limitation due to a health-related condition, representing more than 6 million (n = 6,246,640) Canadians. Our analyses focused on people who reported having a seeing disability. A subset of the complete dataset was created, focusing on individuals with a seeing disability. Weighted descriptive analyses were performed using SPSS. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted for individuals between 25–64 years of age to identify predictors of employment.ResultsOut of the estimated 892,220 working-age adults (25–64 years) with a seeing disability who were represented by the survey, 54% were employed, 6% were unemployed and 40% were not in the labour force. Early onset of seeing disability (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.32–1.35), less severe seeing disability (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.49–1.53), education above high school (OR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.97–2.02) and daily use of the internet (OR: 2.46; 95% CI: 2.41–2.51) were positively related with employment. The top three employment accommodations that were needed and were made available included: modified work hours (45%); work from home (38.5%) and a modified workstation (37%). The top three needed but least available accommodations were technical aids (14%), communication aids (22%) and a computer with specialized software or adaptation (27%). Overall, 26% reported that an accommodation was required but was not made available by the employer. While 75% of individuals with a seeing disability were out of the labour force due to their condition, the remaining identified barriers that prevented them from working which included (top 3): (i) too few jobs available (20%); (ii) inadequate training/experience (19%), (iii) past attempts at finding employment were unsuccessful (19%).ConclusionAdults with seeing disability in Canada experience lower labour force participation than the general population. Rigorous programs are required to assist them with the job search, job retraining and workplace accommodations. It is important for governments to improve efforts towards inclusive education and develop strategies that promote digital literacy of employees and job seekers with visual impairments. Although accessibility legislations have been put in place, programs should be established that provide accessibility solutions for various employers, enabling them to hire individuals with different abilities.
Highlights
Employment is a source of income and a means to identity, independence, participation, health, and social well-being for all individuals
Rigorous programs are required to assist them with the job search, job retraining and workplace accommodations
It is important for governments to improve efforts towards inclusive education and develop strategies that promote digital literacy of employees and job seekers with visual impairments
Summary
Employment is a source of income and a means to identity, independence, participation, health, and social well-being for all individuals. Lower employment rates for individuals with disabilities, and the work participation disparity between this population and the “abled” community, have been attributed to several physical, procedural, and attitudinal barriers [7,8,9]. Policies and practices that systematically limit individuals’ work participation are referred to as procedural barriers They include inaccessible or insensitive hiring processes, lack of workplace accommodations, and lack of transparent communication between employers and disabled employees [12, 13]. The last and probably more concerning barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities are attitudinal barriers These include assumptions, beliefs, stigma and stereotypes about the person with a disability in general and their ability and potential to perform a particular job [14, 15]. Little is known about the employment profile and experiences of people with seeing disabilities
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
