The social sciences and humanities offer a wealth of knowledge and expertise on labour market dynamics and skills development necessary to meet the future needs of the Canadian labour market. Collaboration between academia, industry and government is key to building robust policies addressing Canada's future labour market challenges, including improving employment accessibility for Canadians with disabilities.
SSHRC has a strong history of supporting research related to persons with disabilities and the Canadian labour market. Between 2006 and 2012, SSHRC invested over $17.1 million in 163 projects related to the participation of people with disabilities in the labour market, education, training and/or skills development.
SSHRC knowledge mobilization efforts help to share this research with the public, private and not–for–profit sectors across the country, with the goal of maximizing benefits for people with disabilities and for all Canadians.
In the Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan 2013, SSHRC was allocated additional funding for partnerships which will in part support research related to the labour market participation of persons with disabilities. Researchers working in this area are encouraged to apply through SSHRC's existing funding opportunities.
Knowledge Synthesis Grants
In 2013, SSHRC held a special competition entitled Knowledge Synthesis Grants on Skills Development for Future Needs of the Canadian Labour Market (KSGs) to support the synthesis of existing research knowledge and the identification of knowledge gaps in this area of research. Two of the funded projects were related to research on the participation of people with disabilities in the workplace.
Sally Lindsay used her KSG funding to focus on identifying ways to improve the participation in the Canadian labour market of persons with disabilities whose talents are underutilized.
Joanne Leck used her KSG funding to report on the challenges and the emerging best practices involved in mentoring a diverse workforce (including women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities and Aboriginal people).
Partnership Grant Project
A transdisciplinary research team, co–led by McMaster University's Emile Tompa and University of Toronto's Ellen MacEachen, will launch The Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy (CRWDP) February 4, 2014, as a result of a $2,760,000 SSHRC–funded Partnership Grant. The researchers will examine the future of work disability policy in Canada to determine how to better support all Canadians' access to employment. The Centre recognizes that illness and disability will touch most people at some point over the course of their lives and aims to identify how people, when disabled, can be better retained and integrated into the Canadian labour market.
Tompa and MacEachen will work with a team of researchers and more than 40 partner organizations representing the academic, not–for–profit, private and public sectors to address three key questions:
- How well does the Canadian disability policy system serve the current and emerging needs of working–age individuals when disabled in terms of employment support and opportunities?
- For what individuals and labour market contexts does it work well/not work well and why?
- What are the key opportunities for policy and program improvement in the short and long run?
Find out more with this Partnership video.
Work and Health Initiative Scientific meeting
In September 2013, CIHR and SSHRC co–hosted a one–day invitational scientific meeting, bringing together a multi–disciplinary group of leading researchers with expertise in work and health. The purpose of this meeting was to seek input on the proposed focus and future directions of a transformational research initiative on work, disabilities and health.
Participants' input is summarized in a meeting report.
The next phase of consultation for partners and knowledge users is planned for 2014.
Other Examples of Related SSHRC–funded research
Jutta Treviranus, a Toronto researcher and director of OCAD University's Inclusive Design Research Centre and Toronto's Inclusive Design Institute (IDI), is encouraging developers and coders to think about accessibility when they design the next software update or web application.
Ann Beaton, Canada Research Chair in Intergroup Relations at Université de Moncton, has received funding for her study on persons with disabilities trying to access the labour market.
Other resources
Read SSHRC's Research for Real Life fact sheet on persons with disabilities.
For more information on SSHRC–funded disabilities research, contact:
Cindy McIntyre
Policy Analyst
Corporate Strategy and Performance
cindy.mcintyre@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
