Q&A Excerpt — The State of Disability Inclusion in Business in Canada
Posted by Dean Askin | Reading time: 5:00 | Filed under Inclusive Hiring

The employment rate of Canadians who have a disability is higher than it’s ever been.
For many years, it was stagnant at 59%.
But the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) by Statistics Canada showed, now 62% of working-age Canadians 25 to 64 are employed.
And there’s more conversation about disability inclusion in business and employment, than ever. It’s been driven by some rapid changes in the nature and future of work. These were sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when businesses quickly had to adapt how they operated and how employees worked.
For all intents and purposes, the modern conversation in Canada about disability inclusion started during World War One. It was originally focused on wounded veterans who were repatriating home with a disability; their employment prospects; their employability; and just how they were perceived by and fit into Canadian society and employers of the day.
The nuances have changed since 1917 and 1918. But the conversation about disability inclusion in business is still going on in 2024 — 106 years later.
Now, it’s mostly rolled into the over-arching business conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion. Too often, disability is left out of the DEI business conversation altogether. Or glossed over.
So how much has really changed in Canada? How much has the needle moved? Where is it right now? And how much more does it need to move?
These were questions we explored with guests Michael Bach, Yat Li and Anita Huberman in 2023 on You Can’t Spell Inclusion Without a D. This engaging Episode 14 conversation is our second-most-downloaded episode.
Michael is an internationally recognized thought leader on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. And he’s the founder of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion.
Yat is the Senior Accessibility Consultant for the President’s Group. It’s a network of BC business leaders who are inclusive-workplace champions.
Anita Huberman was the President & CEO of the Surrey, BC, Board of Trade for over 25 years. She’s also Co-Chair of the federal Disability Inclusion Business Council that was launched in December 2022.
Here’s an edited except from the conversation.
DEAN ASKIN: How would you describe the overall state of disability inclusion in business in Canada these days?
Michael Bach: Well, not great if I’m being totally truthful. And I say this with all intended respect for employers that are working in what I call the idea space Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility…yet I’ve continued to see…where employers are always leaving the ‘a’ the accessibility piece to the very end if they’re including it at all.
Anita Huberman: I think we have moved the needle when it comes to larger businesses, really ensuring productive pathways and supportive mechanisms related to hiring persons with diverse abilities. However, I think the gap still remains…with the small and medium sized businesses, they’re still challenged, in terms of hiring persons with diverse abilities, and accessing those supports…we still have a long ways to go.
Yat Li: In recent years, there has been a growing focus on disability inclusion…there is greater awareness, tolerance and acceptance of greater diversity…we are seeing some of the employers leading this change…with that said, we are still seeing some hesitancy from businesses.
JEANNETTE CAMPBELL: Why do you think disability sometimes just completely gets left out of the equation in the business conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion?
Michael Bach: I think part of the problem is there’s a perception still, for some reason, that hiring a person with a disability…means you’re going to have to make massive changes, you’re going to have to spend 10s of 1000s of dollars to get that person up to speed, and working. And, you know, all of the studies tell us that’s not the case.
Yat Li: There is still a lack of understanding awareness, and stereotypes…So organizations need to really focus on people with disabilities in the workplace. We often see them left out of this conversation, predominantly due to lack of education, awareness training.
JEANNETTE CAMPBELL: What are businesses doing right today that maybe they weren’t five or 15 years ago? What progress have you witnessed?
Anita Huberman: I think certainly, businesses are really ensuring they’re taking advantage of grant opportunities to make their businesses more accessible…I’ve seen a significant paradigm cultural shift in the recognition of hiring persons with diverse abilities, and creating…the HR policies to really support everyone.
Yat Li: We are starting to see a bit of a shift from this compliance to inclusion mindset…recognizing that, hey, there is value to a diverse workforce, and they’re actively trying to create this inclusive environment…And, of course, I’m seeing a lot of great collaboration from employers with disability service organizations.
DEAN ASKIN: What do you think still needs to change the most?
Michael Bach: The employer’s positioning of that request for accommodation…I can’t tell you the number of events that I’ve spoken at, where there’s a stage and no ramp. And they are only going to put in a ramp, if someone asks for it. And that shouldn’t be the case, it should just be standard that facilities are fully barrier free.
Yat Li: One particular example I come across working with employers is once you hire a person, let’s say that person that has a visual impairment, you bring them on, you provide the job accommodations. But if your technology and communication is not accessible…it’s very difficult for that person to work in that environment.
Anita Huberman: There also has to be a communication between the employee and the employer…if an employee does need something, then there should be this win-win type of open communication.
JEANNETTE CAMPBELL: What do you think, or hope, the state of disability inclusion is going to look like in the next five, 10, 20 years?
Michael Bach: …we would see every building in this country is accessible for people who use wheelchairs, or who use mobility devices, we would see, just as a default, ASL interpreters captioning on every single event…it wouldn’t be…at the last minute, someone say, oh, no, we need a captioner we need an interpreter. No, that just happens…that it is just part of the way we function as a society.
Anita Huberman: What I’d like to see in five years is…[in] the 10-person business, the 25-person business…a blended workforce, where you’re visibly seeing HR policies that are intrinsic to where everyone matters…I want more people to talk about their disability as well, don’t hide it. And that way we can…make sure that our communities are more accessible.
Yat Li: What I’d like to see…is…the ongoing, greater awareness, understanding people with disabilities in the workplace… And…I hope in the next 10 to 15 years, we…focus on career mobility for people with disabilities…persons with disabilities are often left to themselves to kind of seek opportunities.
DEAN ASKIN: What’s one key call to action for businesses?
Yat Li: Start measuring…It’s not that hard to measure. At the President’s Group we have a pillar campaign…we call the pledge to measure. We asked two simple questions on our survey. Do you self-identify with a disability? And are you a senior leader? The senior leader component is very important to us, because it shows us year over year…a benchmark for people with disabilities within that organization, and how they’re growing year over year in terms of numbers, or perhaps they’re not growing.
Anita Huberman: Contact supportive organizations like the President’s Group, like Chambers of Commerce, boards of trade and other organizations that can offer that support to businesses…there really needs to be that collaboration.
All three guests had a lot of other powerful insights on the overall state of disability-inclusive hiring — find out what they are by listening to or downloading the full episode of You Can’t Spell Inclusion Without a D!
Dean Askin is the Communications Strategist for the Ontario Disability Employment Network, and the Co-Host and Associate Producer of ODEN’s You Can’t Spell Inclusion Without a D podcast.