JOB TALKS ACCESS
REPORT
The Job Talks Access Canadian Survey of Workers with Disabilities was designed to get a comprehensive understanding of the feelings, opinions, and experiences associated with having a disability while working. The intended outcomes are to provide a clearer picture to employers of how persons with disabilities can fit well into their organizations and to provide data-driven programs and toolkits to help persons with disabilities enjoy greater job satisfaction.
The full report, accessible in Microsoft Word, can be downloaded HERE.
More than 900 workers with disabilities across Canada completed a 25-minute survey that was designed to get a comprehensive understanding of the feelings, opinions, and experiences associated with having a disability while working.
A minimum of 200 responses were collected from individuals reporting at least “some difficulty” in each category.
KEY FINDINGS
1. Workers with disabilities are much less satisfied in their jobs than the general population
Workers with disabilities are nearly twice as likely as the general population to be in the “Bottom Rungers” segment of Canadian workers (51% vs 26%), whose dissatisfaction includes having very little control over their work. Workers with disabilities are also more than four times less likely to be in “The Fulfilled” segment of Canadian workers (6% vs 27%), where one’s career provides a sense of satisfaction, stimulation, fulfillment, growth and usefulness to society. While workers with disabilities are not entirely satisfied in their working lives, they are striving to get ahead.
2. Workers with disabilities want to be relied on by co-workers
Workplace satisfaction among workers with disabilities is likely to increase when they are given more responsibility. A higher salary and an impressive job title are nice to haves. Since those with disabilities are more often dependent on others while inside and outside the workplace, what matters more is that they feel like their co-workers rely on them. This includes a desire for customized job training, which involves being empowered with more responsibility and being trusted more by co-workers and the organization.
3. Individuals are more helpful than organizations
When it comes to enabling workers with disabilities to be as productive and valuable at work as possible…
:: Workers with disabilities are more likely to describe their colleagues as being helpful and supportive.
:: Workers with disabilities are more likely to describe their organizations and management as unhelpful and unsupportive.
:: Workers with a temporary disability are more likely than those with a permanent disability to describe their colleagues as helpful.
4. Support and inclusivity are related to better outcomes
The degree to which colleagues and the organization support and enable a worker with a disability has an effect on how that worker relates to the disability itself. As well, as the level of support increases, so does one’s perceived standing within the organization, regardless of compensation and whether or not they engage with external stakeholders.