The Diversity at Work website was originally launched in 2009 by Life Strategies Ltd. in connection with the Supporting Employers Embracing Diversity (SEED) project with S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Along with showcasing the resources developed in the project, which are, unfortunately, no longer publicly available (e.g., Diversity Champion Backgrounder & Guide, Cultural Diversity Yearbook), the site shared other relevant diversity related resources and tools from Life Strategies.
As our conceptualization of diversity continued to evolve, our commitment to supporting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion across workplace stakeholders (e.g., employers, co-workers), within individuals themselves, and into community supports (e.g., service providers, family/friends) has remained central to our work (and one of our areas of expertise).
In 2023, Free Rein Associates approached Life Strategies to support the Diversity Disconnect project. This project bloomed from their ongoing commitment to provide employment services to a wide range of equity-deserving groups within rural and remote communities, specifically the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia.
The Diversity Disconnect project sought to:
A full summary of the research results will be available November 2024.
At this time, Free Rein was also supporting a project called the Right Fit which was funded through the Canadian Association for Supported Employment’s (CASE’s) Innovation Lab.
The Right Fit sought to assist clients with disabilities in finding employment or moving forward on their journey to employment with assistance from an outreach worker – someone who would walk alongside the client providing individualized job marketing and on-the-job coaching/training, as well as acting as an ongoing liaison with the employer to maximize job retention. The program also sought to support employers in hiring a person with a disability, providing employers education, information, and resources. The program also ran in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia so was customized for rural and remote communities. For more information on the Right Fit program, connect with Free Rein at info@freereinassociates.ca.
To address the findings and recommendations from the Right Fit project and emerging considerations from Diversity Disconnect, in 2023 Free Rein approached CASE’s Innovation Lab for funding to create tangible, targeted resources housed within an easily accessible hub, the Diversity at Work site. With that, the site’s reconceptualization begun – at first with a focus on supporting the employment of persons with disabling conditions within rural and remote communities. We hope the site continues to expand to include a broad range of rich stories of success from individuals, workplaces, and communities.
As with any Life Strategies’ project, we began with a scan of resources and literature relevant to the project’s focus. In this instance, the project focused on supporting the employment of individuals with disabling conditions who are living/working within rural/remote areas.
Generally, resources clustered into two categories – those dedicated to supporting the employment of individuals with disabling conditions OR those dedicated to supporting the employment of individuals within rural/remote areas. For example, the Accessible Canada Act (2019) which covers employment considerations and needs does not have a specific section related to rural/remote communities, nor does the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations, 2006).
In this scan, we provide an overview of the types of resources found, summary of general themes of those resources, and a discussion on applying a rural/remote lens to employment of persons with disabling conditions.
The were several toolkits/guides varying in depth, scope, and focus available on supporting the employment of persons with disabling conditions – mostly geared towards employers. In some instances, a dedicated “diversity at work” segment was embedded within a larger HR toolkit (e.g., HR Toolkit for the Early Childhood Education and Care Sector, Child Care Human Resources Sector Council, n.d.). Toolkits/guides were less common for rural/remote communities (e.g., Find Work in Rural Alberta, ALIS, n.d.a). Although not specific to persons with disabling conditions, the Rural Employers Awareness on Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit from Rural Development Network (2023) did present a more integrated look in line with our project’s focus.
There was also a variety of publicly available training on topics related to diversity, inclusion, and disabilities through platforms like Coursera (e.g., Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, Promoting Accessible Workplaces with Assistive Technology), Udemy (e.g., Supporting Employees with Disabilities), and dedicated associations/groups like the Canadian Association for Supported Employment (CASE; e.g., Supported Employment Essentials, Preparing to be a Mentor). Some of this training was freely available; other training had a cost associated with enrollment. Some training was broadly focused; other training was specific to a particular condition (e.g., Bambooza: An ADHD Learning Experience). We did not find training related to employment in rural/remote areas.
Countless stand-alone articles, blogs, and reports were available through many associations/groups dedicated to supporting employment of persons with disabling conditions (e.g., Job Accommodation Network [JAN], Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion [EARN], and Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology [PEAT]). Some of those were Canadian-based and some international. In addition, a variety of social and/or news media sites also shared content. Although most appealed to employers through buzzwords like “competitive advantage” (e.g., Austin & Pisano, 2017; Gricius, 2022), others did provide an integrated focus (e.g., Corash, 2019). The academic literature (i.e., journal/research articles) also provided some insights (e.g., Bonnacio et al., 2020; Ipsen et al., 2022).
Lastly, a variety of podcasts/webinars were available publicly through YouTube, TEDTalks, and/or professional associations (e.g., EARN) varying in duration from short newsclips to full-scale webinars with (e.g., Hiring and Supporting Neurodivergent Workers: Strategies for Success, Beam et al., 2022).
Some resources were very specific to a particular “type” of disabling condition – for example, Dispelling Common Myths About Neurodiversity (MiTraining, n.d.) and Employer Guide to Supervising Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Rochester Institute of Technology, n.d.). Others were either targeted to a specific audience (e.g., employers seeking to better address inclusivity within their workplaces, current staff working with individuals with disabling conditions, and diverse workers or job seekers themselves) or provided a comprehensive look across several audiences, using sub-sections to differentiate the focus. One toolkit (Workplace Accommodation Toolkit, JAN, n.d.) demonstrated the diversity of workplace-based audiences using five separate sub-sections – i.e., recruiters and hiring managers, supervisors and managers, internal reasonable accommodation subject matter experts and consultants, information technology team members, and employees with disabilities and their allies. Another resource had a small targeted section for entrepreneurship (e.g., Employment Resources in BC, ConnecTra, n.d.).
The main emphasis of many of the resources was to provide accurate, timely information which included challenging biases, assumptions, and misconceptions/myths (e.g., Doucette, 2023; Stowers, 2023). Many resources started with defining terminology, addressing legal considerations, or presenting a case for why the employment success of persons with disabling conditions is important to the specific audience (e.g., Child Care Human Resource Sector Council, n.d.; Presidents Group, 2021). This was generally followed by tips, strategies, or recommendations which were geared towards addressing/overcoming challenges, creating space for successes, and using preferred terminology.
Overall, there seemed to be a trend towards strength-based, positive approaches, emphasizing the benefits of diverse workplaces rather than the challenges (e.g., Disability and Work: Let’s Stop Wasting Talent, TEDx Talks, 2020). The integration of case examples was also particularly helpful to demonstrate this – some real stories (e.g., How 1 Thrift Store Is Helping Young Adults With Disabilities, Today, 2019; Woman Creates Website to Help People with Disabilities Search for Jobs, KSDK News, 2023) and some composite cases (e.g., Presidents Group, 2021). Although these cases weren’t specific for rural/remote communities, the Community Toolkit (n.d.) did provide an example of one project addressing the lack of employment opportunities for people with disabilities living in rural communities, Rural Community Economic Project, which discussed both strengths and challenges.
Most resources provided links to additional information, either additional sections from the broader website (e.g., ALIS Alberta, n.d.a.; n.d.b.) or a repository of external links. One provided a compiled list of “accessible employers” (Community of Accessible Employers, Presidents Group, n.d.); however, that was not searchable by community, which would be helpful for rural/remote job seekers, and it was a bit unclear how the decisions to include/feature employers was made. In addition, another resource had a section to add in missing resources which may be a helpful feature (ConnecTra, n.d.)
Some resources provided information on government grants and/or funding to workplaces seeking to improve accessibility (e.g., Workplace Accessibility Grant, Enabling Accessibility Fund) and/or within rural/remote communities (e.g., Supporting Canada’s Rural Communities). In terms of guidance/support to apply or access funding, there wasn’t as much information available beyond links to application details and forms.
Some resources provided downloadable resources which included leaflets/posters (e.g., Neurodiversity Awareness Raising Strategy, Neurodiversity at Work. n.d.), checklists (e.g., Neurodiversity Inclusion: Checklist for Organizational Success, EARN, 2021) and/or reflective worksheets (Disclosure and Accommodation Guide, University of Toronto, n.d.). One even had a dedicated app (Bambooza) which could be downloaded.
Although the resources we found were mostly text-based, those which integrated graphics & visuals were more visually appealing and easier to navigate. As a layer of accommodation, some resources provided an audio reading of the text which could also be beneficial to integrate.
In 2021, the American Community Survey (ACS) found that “rural residents — less than 20% of the U.S. population — were more likely (14.7%) than their urban counterparts to experience disability” (Crankshaw, 2023). Another American study (University of New Hampshire, Institute of Disability., 2023) indicated that 1 in 4 people with disabilities in rural places experienced poverty as compared to 1 in 5 in urban areas. Finding data like this that integrates and explores the employment context of individuals with disabling conditions (and their employers) within rural/remote communities in Canada was a more difficult task.
The Canadian government has provided some insights into the employment landscape of rural populations. As of July 2022, the population of rural Canadian communities is 6,261,607 of which 60% fall within what can be considered “working” age (i.e., 15-64 years old; Statistics Canada, 2023). Similarly, Employment and Social Development Canada (2021) shared a comprehensive infographic on Disability Inclusion and Accessibility, which indicated that, among other key statistics, as of 2017, 22% of the population aged 15 years or older had a disability. They didn’t, however, indicate how many of those lived in rural/remote communities. This highlights the importance of the current project and the need for supports and resources to be contextualized to meet the needs of stakeholders.
The employment landscape for employers, employees, job seekers, and services providers within rural/remote communities is unique from suburban and urban areas. Where there has been a dedicated analysis of employment services in rural/remote areas (e.g., ASPECT, 2022), although disabilities were mentioned in several spots, there weren’t any specifics included. Similarly, the Canadian Human Rights Commission’s report, Left Out: Challenges Faced by Persons with Disabilities in Canada’s Schools, mentions the link between higher educational attainment and employment, but didn’t offer any specifics either.
As we know that mental health and employment are interconnected constructs (Redekopp & Huston, 2020), we expanded our scan beyond “employment” to include mental health of persons with disabling conditions within rural and remote communities. The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s (n.d.) Rural and Remote Mental Health in Canada Evidence Brief on Best and Promising Practices mentioned the link between unemployment and underemployment on higher levels of distress, but didn’t expand on any particulars. Armstrong’s (2023) article from Visions, BC’s Mental Health and Substance Use Journal, included several calls to action that employment service providers may benefit from – e.g., expanding training curriculum to include rural and remote practice theory, incentivising prospective sector employees to support sustainable programming supports, and developing virtual platforms.
In summary, our scan has only scratched the surface of the mountain of resources available publicly. Although resources for supporting the employment of persons with disabling conditions are plentiful and diverse, they aren’t all created equally. For our purposes, it’s clear that some are too narrowly focused including information for only one audience (e.g., employers) or type of condition (e.g., neurodiversity), while others are too broadly focused on inclusion and lack insights into the realities of working in rural/remote communities. In those focused on rural/remote communities, although there is some recognition that having a disabling condition within this context makes things more difficult, the details of that experience were not elaborated upon.
From this it’s clear that context matters and users may need supports to fully explore their own context and deepen their understanding of the context of others to bridge the disconnect between them. They may need support to consider situations from a multitude of perspectives as they build a customized approach to address complex needs within the individual, workplace, and community. We can achieve that through a systems-informed approach that explores constructs and case examples from multiple perspectives, providing information across a variety of stakeholder groups – i.e., individuals, workplaces, and community. Using downloadable worksheets and/or reflective prompts will be particularly helpful as such tools provide space for the user to engage in meaningful reflections and to contextualize the information, tips, or strategies to best meet their needs.
Moving forward, this means that we will:
Discover what we mean when we talk about ‘Career Engagement‘ and the factors that influence engagement.
