2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan Survey Results: 2SLGBTQI+ Communities Living with a Disability
This visual product focuses on survey results for respondents who said that they are part of the 2SLGBTQI+ community living with a disability.
Respondent Profile
27% of survey respondents identified as a person living with a disability.
For the purposes of this survey, a person with a disability is a person who has a long-term or recurring impairment such as vision, hearing, mobility, flexibility, dexterity, pain, learning, developmental, memory or mental health-related impairments which limits their daily activities inside or outside the home such as at school, work, or in the community in general.
There was an “Other” category for those respondents who did not see themselves reflected in the impairments listed above. This category included, but is not limited to, respondents with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, severe migraines, environmental sensitivities, and pain disorders.
|
Do you identify as a person living with a disability? |
|
|---|---|
|
Yes |
27% |
|
No |
73% |
Respondents most commonly reported experiencing a mental health-related disability (66%), followed by a physical disability (40%).
|
Type of disability reported |
|
|---|---|
|
Mental |
66% |
|
Physical |
40% |
|
Learning |
23% |
|
Sensory |
18% |
|
Cognitive |
17% |
|
Communication |
8% |
|
Intellectual |
4% |
|
Other |
Health
Respondents with a disability (52%) reported discussing their sexual orientation with health care professionals at a similar rate to respondents without a disability (48%).
|
Over the past five years, have you discussed any of the following with health care professionals? Your sexual orientation |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
52% |
48% |
49% |
|
No |
48% |
52% |
51% |
However, respondents with a disability (43%) reported discussing their gender identity with health care professionals at a higher rate than respondents without a disability (25%).
|
Over the past five years, have you discussed any of the following with health care professionals? Your gender identity |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
43% |
25% |
31% |
|
No |
57% |
75% |
70% |
Respondents with a disability (31%) were more likely than those without a disability (20%) to report that health care professionals were not knowledgeable about how respondents’ sexual orientation impacts their health needs.
|
Thinking only of your experiences with health care professionals over the past five years, how would you rate their understanding of the following topics and their impact on your health needs? Your sexual orientation |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Very knowledgeable / Somewhat knowledgeable |
69% |
80% |
77% |
|
Not very knowledgeable / Not knowledgeable at all |
31% |
20% |
23% |
Respondents with a disability (45%) were also more likely than those without a disability (33%) to report that health care professionals were not knowledgeable about how respondents’ gender identity impacts their heath needs.
|
Thinking only of your experiences with health care professionals over the past five years, how would you rate their understanding of the following topics and their impact on your health needs? Your gender identity |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Very knowledgeable / Somewhat knowledgeable |
55% |
67% |
62% |
|
Not very knowledgeable / Not knowledgeable at all |
45% |
33% |
38% |
Respondents with a disability (25%) were more likely than respondents without a disability (16%) to report experiencing discrimination or being treated unfairly in the health care system based on their sexual orientation.
|
During the last five years, do you feel that you have experienced discrimination or been treated unfairly within the health care system based on your sexual orientation? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
25% |
16% |
19% |
|
No |
62% |
75% |
71% |
|
Don’t know |
13% |
9% |
10% |
Respondents with a disability (33%) were also more likely than respondents without a disability (14%) to report experiencing discrimination or being treated unfairly in the health care system based on their gender identity.
|
During the last five years, do you feel that you have experienced discrimination or been treated unfairly within the health care system based on your gender identity? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
33% |
14% |
20% |
|
No |
54% |
76% |
69% |
|
Don’t know |
13% |
10% |
11% |
Respondents with a disability who accessed health care during the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely than respondents without a disability to report that the pandemic has had an impact on their ability to receive adequate health care.
|
How has COVID-19 impacted your ability to receive adequate health care? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Great impact (COVID-19 has caused barriers that have resulted in most or all of my healthcare needs being unmet.) |
17% |
7% |
11% |
|
Some impact (COVID-19 has caused barriers that have resulted in some of my healthcare needs being unmet.) |
46% |
33% |
37% |
|
Not very much impact (COVID-19 has caused additional barriers for me to receive adequate care, but I am still able to access the care I need.) |
29% |
41% |
37% |
|
No impact at all (The health system is meeting my needs at the same or better level than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.) |
9% |
19% |
16% |
Employment
Respondents with a disability (39%) were less likely than respondents without a disability (48%) to feel comfortable sharing information about their sexual orientation in the workplace.
|
Are you comfortable sharing information about the following at your workplace? Your sexual orientation |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
39% |
48% |
46% |
|
Yes to some people, but not others |
46% |
40% |
42% |
|
No |
15% |
11% |
12% |
Respondents with a disability (45%) were also less likely than respondents without a disability (64%) to feel comfortable sharing information about their gender identity in the workplace.
|
Are you comfortable sharing information about the following at your workplace? Your gender identity |
Disability |
Without a disabilityFootnote 1 |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
45% |
64% |
59% |
|
Yes to some people, but not others |
31% |
21% |
23% |
|
No |
24% |
16% |
18% |
Respondents with a disability (43%) were more likely than respondents without a disability (35%) to think that sharing their sexual orientation would reduce their chances of being hired.
|
If you were looking for a job at a non-LGBTQ2 establishment, do you think that sharing your sexual orientation during the hiring process would reduce your chances of being hired? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
43% |
35% |
37% |
|
No, but only if I know that the employer is LGBTQ2 friendly |
49% |
52% |
51% |
|
Not at all |
8% |
13% |
12% |
Respondents with a disability (52%) were also more likely than respondents without a disability (37%) to think that sharing their gender identity would reduce their chances of being hired.
|
If you were looking for a job at a non-LGBTQ2 establishment, do you think that sharing your gender identity during the hiring process would reduce your chances of being hired? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
52% |
37% |
43% |
|
No, but only if I know that the employer is LGBTQ2 friendly |
31% |
32% |
31% |
|
Not at all |
17% |
31% |
26% |
Respondents with a disability (34%) were more likely than respondents without a disability (23%) to report that they had experienced harassment in the workplace based on sexual orientation.
|
In the past five years, have you experienced harassment in the workplace due to your sexual orientation? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
34% |
23% |
26% |
|
No |
59% |
72% |
69% |
|
Don't know |
7% |
5% |
5% |
Respondents with a disability (34%) were also more likely than respondents without a disability (16%) to report that they had experienced harassment in the workplace due to their gender identity.
|
In the past five years, have you experienced harassment in the workplace due to your gender identity? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
34% |
16% |
22% |
|
No |
58% |
77% |
71% |
|
Don't know |
8% |
6% |
7% |
Housing
Respondents with a disability (29%) were more likely than respondents without a disability (16%) to report that the COVID-19 pandemic had changed their living situation or ability to pay housing costs.
|
Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed your living situation and/or your ability to pay your housing costs? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
29% |
16% |
20% |
|
No |
71% |
84% |
80% |
Respondents with a disability (8%) were more likely than respondents without a disability (2%) to have accessed the shelter system.
|
Have you ever accessed the shelter system? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
8% |
2% |
3% |
|
No |
92% |
98% |
97% |
Respondents with a disability (11%) were more likely than respondents without a disability (4%) to report that the stability of their housing situation had been affected by discrimination based on their sexual orientation.
|
In the past five years, has the stability of your housing situation or your ability to access stable housing been impacted by discrimination based on your actual or perceived sexual orientation? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
11% |
4% |
6% |
|
No |
76% |
89% |
85% |
|
Don't know |
13% |
7% |
9% |
Respondents with a disability (13%) were more likely than respondents without a disability (4%) to report that the stability of their housing situation had been affected by discrimination based on their gender identity.
|
In the past five years, has the stability of your housing situation or your ability to access stable housing been impacted by discrimination based on your actual or perceived gender identity? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
13% |
4% |
7% |
|
No |
72% |
87% |
82% |
|
Don't know |
15% |
9% |
11% |
Safety
Over 60% of respondents, regardless of whether they had a disability or not, either did not feel safe or only felt safe sometimes being affectionate with their partners.
|
I feel safe being affectionate with my partner(s) in public… |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Always / Often |
34% |
40% |
39% |
|
Sometimes |
43% |
40% |
41% |
|
Rarely / Never |
23% |
20% |
21% |
Respondents with a disability (53%) were more likely than respondents without a disability (37%) to consider personal safety risks when deciding how to dress or appear in public.
|
I consider personal safety risks when deciding how to dress or appear in public… |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Always / Often |
53% |
37% |
41% |
|
Sometimes |
27% |
29% |
28% |
|
Rarely / Never |
20% |
35% |
31% |
Respondents with a disability (51%) were also more likely than respondents without a disability (35%) to have reported experiencing violence or discrimination due to homophobia, transphobia, or biphobia.
|
Over the past five years, have you experienced any form of violence due to homophobia, transphobia, biphobia or other forms of discrimination directed at your sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yes |
51% |
35% |
39% |
|
No |
40% |
58% |
53% |
|
Don't know |
9% |
7% |
8% |
Respondents with a disability who reported that they had experienced violence or discrimination were more likely than respondents without a disability to report that this experience occurred in all of the forms identified in the survey except for verbal abuse, which was the same for both and the total sample at 90%.
|
Thinking only of the violence directed at you based on your sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression over the last five years, please identify the type you experienced. |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Physical violence |
22% |
15% |
17% |
|
Verbal abuse |
90% |
90% |
90% |
|
Psychological violence |
58% |
40% |
47% |
|
Sexual violence |
21% |
9% |
13% |
|
Property damage |
11% |
7% |
9% |
|
Online harassment |
63% |
45% |
51% |
|
Other |
6% |
4% |
5% |
Belonging
Respondents with a disability (56%) were less likely than respondents without a disability (65%) to report that they feel included and represented within 2SLGBTQI+ community spaces.
|
Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statement: I feel included and represented within LGBTQ2 community spaces, events, and services. |
Disability |
Without a disabilityFootnote 1 |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Strongly Agree / Somewhat Agree |
56% |
65% |
62% |
|
Neither Agree nor Disagree |
14% |
16% |
15% |
|
Strongly Disagree / Somewhat Disagree |
30% |
20% |
23% |
Respondents, regardless of whether they had a disability or not, reported having a strong sense of belonging to Canada.
|
How would you describe your sense of belonging to Canada? |
Disability |
Without a disability |
Total Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Very strong / Somewhat strong |
72% |
85% |
82% |
|
Very weak / Somewhat weak |
28% |
15% |
18% |
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