Employer Perspectives: Barriers & Enablers to Accessible Workforce Entry
The Project
Persons with disabilities (PwD) in Canada face many barriers to meaningful first-time employment. But research on employer perspectives–including barriers and enablers employers face in recruiting and hiring PwD–and actionable solutions are still needed, especially in the context of COVID-19 recovery.
The Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) and the CNIB Foundation are working to understand what employers need to support PwD and to help develop the Employment Standards, tools, and resources that will get them there.
The Ask
BHER and CNIB would like to invite you to a 60-minute discussion on your perspectives and experiences with recruitment and hiring for PwD.
The Benefits
These discussions are an opportunity to help develop solutions to shared challenges. They are also a space to network and share stories and best practices with employers from across the country.
The findings from this project will be used to help inform new Employment Standards for the Accessible Canada Act, and to build employer tools and resources to support universal accessibility and help with regulatory compliance in recruitment and hiring.
All findings, tools, and resources will be made publicly available and shared directly with participants.
All participants will receive a $100 choice gift card as a token of appreciation for your time and insights.
Who Should Attend?
HR & talent leaders from federally regulated and other large private sector organizations. Expertise in accessibility or equity, diversity, and inclusion is not required–we are simply looking to understand your experiences and needs in your roles.
Discussions will focus on…
- You/your organization’s experiences with strategies for recruiting, hiring, and supporting PwD
- Barriers your organization faces in recruiting, hiring, and supporting PwD (e.g., biases/misperceptions across your organization, capacity challenges, financial barriers, etc.)
- Examples of success stories or what has worked to support PwDs in your organization
- The resources, tools, or other supports that would actually be useful to address barriers and needs in your organization
- How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted attitudes, barriers, and experiences around recruiting and hiring PwD
Please note that the sessions will be recorded for research purposes. All identifying information will be kept strictly confidential and anonymized in public content.
Session Dates and Registration
Upcoming sessions are being held through May and June, including:
- Thursday, May 19 @ 4:00 – 5:00 PM Eastern
- Thursday, May 26 @ 4:00 – 5:00 PM Eastern
If you have any questions, concerns, or would like more information, please contact: Maria Giammarco, Sr Lead, R&D at maria.giammarco@bher.ca.
The Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that brings together Canada’s largest companies and leading post-secondary institutions.
Founded in 1918, the CNIB Foundation is a non-profit organization driven to change what it is to be blind today. We deliver innovative programs and powerful advocacy that empower people impacted by blindness to live their dreams and tear down barriers to inclusion.