October is Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM). The goal is to increase awareness of the need to hire persons with disabilities in Canada.
We thought it advantageous to wait until the end of the month to blog about this news worthy item with a goal toward extending its life cycle through November.
While at the same time, sharing some very interesting statistics on employment for developmentally delayed individuals.
Did you know:
80% of adults with a developmental disability are unemployed.
Of that:
34.6% believe they were not hired because of their disability
28.3% reported they have been refused a job interview because of their disability
Of the approximately 20% who are employed:
66.8% believed their employer considered them disadvantaged in employment
61.3 % reported they felt disadvantaged in their employment
53.8% report needing their employer to accommodate their special needs
These statistics show us as a sector that we need to do more. 
According to Human Services Alberta
The top 10 myths of hiring people with disabilities are as follows:
- Employees with disabilities require expensive specialized equipment
- Employees with disabilities are frequently absent from work
- My Worker’s Compensation premiums will rise if I hire someone with a disability
- If they don’t work out, I can’t discipline or fire them
- People with disabilities are more likely to have accidents
- They will always need help
- It’s risky to interview someone with a disability, because it’s so easy to break human rights laws
- People with disabilities don’t have the skills or education that I need
- People with disabilities are unable to meet performance standards
- Individuals with disabilities are not as productive or don’t work as hard as employees without disabilities
Don’t you think this reads like a play list for action? Why can’t we be the change. And change the corporate mindset.
Now wouldn’t that be a marvelous mark on Canada 150.
By: Shonna Kurkilahti
The forth point of our Mission Statement is to foster inclusion into the greater community. Stop by regularly and help us spread the message of inclusion.
If you would like more information on our Corporate Inclusion Campaign click on the Inclusion Campaign button on our Home Page.
Citations in this publication:
- Statistics Canada http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2015003-eng.htm
- Government of Alberta http://www.humanservices.alberta.ca/disability-services/myths-of-hiring-people-with-disabilities.html
