La conférence virtuelle sur les personnes handicapées et le travail au Canada de 2022

Disability & Work in Canada initiative logo

The link for the conference program is below:

DWC2022 Conference Program (Word)

The links for the conference video recordings are below:

Short Presentations

Claude Vincent - Des vidéos pédagogiques *** Instructional videos
Denise Coward. ReThink Ability: From understanding to action
Linda Noel Smith. Histoire à succès (English)
Linda Noel Smith. Histoire à succès (en français)
Dan Samosh. Disability, Career Advancement, and "Glass Barriers"
Ableism & workplace discrimination among youth & young adults with disabilities
It’s time to address ableism in academia: A systematic review
Accommodations and Accessibility Within Nova Scotian Small Businesses
Guiding Principles for Supporting Youth with Disabilities in their Employment
Glenda Watson Hyatt. Equity in Communication: Workplace Universal Design
Fran Odette. Belonging: It’s More Than A Just a Dream
Fran Odette. Belonging: It’s More Than A Just a Dream_sous-titres en français
Elliot Smith. Employment Equity
Proactive Accommodations For Inclusion of People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
Nicolette Gowan. Inclusive Accommodation Strategies for a Hybrid World
Mary Beth MacLean. What is the impact of disability & health on involuntary retirement
Josh Kirshenblat. Modified Work in the Workplace after a Workplace Injury
Byron Wood & Euan Thomson. A Model for Ethical Workplace Substance Use Policy

Vignettes

DWC2022 - Vignette by Matt
DWC2022 - Vignette by Megan

Day 1 Conference Sessions: Disability in the workplace

Check-in and Opening Welcome, Indigenous Land Acknowledgement and Keynote
Session 1: The Pandemic Pandora’s Box: Long COVID, Episodic Disability & Employment
Session 2: Diverse work arrangements and the impact on people with disabilities
Session 3: Disability Agenda: What Canadian Employers are doing around Disability Plan
Session 4: Understanding barriers to employment through research involving lived experience
Session 5: How unions advance disability rights at work and build fairer more inclusive workplaces
Session 6: Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities and the Youth Emp
Session 7: Mild cognitive impairment in the workplace – Introduction to an overlooked
Session 8: Attracting and Supporting Employees with Disabilities from Recruitment through Employment

Day 2 Conference Sessions: Inclusion in the workplace

Opening & Keynote: Ending Accommodations: Dreaming an Accessible Future
Session 9: Including diverse young women with disabilities
Session 10: Télétravail et handicap : un facteur d’inclusion dans un milieu de travail? / Telework
Session 11: Covid 19 and a New Paradigm of Work: A new perspective of disability, inclusion and belong
Session 12: Designing public policy for persons with a disability – the Canada Disability Benefit
Session 13: Disability Stigma in Work for Survivors of ABI and Organizational Approaches to Combatting
Session 14: Dual Session 1 Funding Employment Services for Persons & 2 Accessibility Advisory Committee
Session 15: Union support for working parents who have children with disabilities
Session 16: Forecasting strategies for inclusion in the future of work: Preliminary findings from a Delp

Day 3 Conference Sessions: Belonging in the workplace

Opening: Summary of Day 2 and Overview of Day 3
Session 17: Barriers to belonging with an Indigenous perspective
Session 18: National Survey of Workers with Disabilities: Sneak Peek Discussion
Session 19: Expanding our Reach: Improving Cultural Diversity and Building Careers
Session 20: Neurodivergence in the Workplace
Session 21: Belonging in the Workplace: A Map for Success
Session 22: Advancing Inclusive Employment - Accessibility meets Innovation
Sessino 23: “Behind the Stage”: The Invisible Labour & Mentorship behind Inclusive Disability-led Rese
Session 24: Presentation by Eviance. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Lit. Review
Session 24B: The transition between inclusive post-secondary education and decent work & the role of mentorship

Day 4 Conference Sessions: Inclusive workplace strategy

Opening and Keynote: Unlocking the Power of Disability Towards New Horizons
Session 25: Is DEI Fatigue Impacting Inclusive Hiring in Your Organization?
Session 26: Building Capacity at the Intersection of Race and Disability & And Addressing Diversity in Y
Session 27: Promoting Employer Capacity for Disability Inclusion
Session 28: Dispositif virtuel pour soutenir l'inclusion à l'emploi des personnes en situation de handic
Plenary: Making progress on employment of persons with disabilities & Closing

Welcome Video

Welcome to the DWC 2022 Conference!

Disability, inclusion and belonging in the Canadian Workplace

The Disability and Work in Canada 2022 (DWC 2022) Conference will be held virtually this year over four days. (November 29 & 30 and December 7 & 8) from 12:15-3:30 EST. The theme for this year’s conference is the “Disability, inclusion and belonging in the Canadian Workplace,” with subthemes for each day as follows:

Disability in the workplace, Inclusion in the workplace, Belonging in the workplace, and Inclusive workplace strategy.

DWC Steering Committee Members (listed alphabetically by last name):

- Krista Carr, Executive Vice-President, Inclusion Canada

- Doramy Ehling, CEO, Rick Hansen Foundation

- Alec Farquhar, Lead, Engagement, Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA)

- Maureen Haan, President and CEO, Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW)

- Steve Mantis, Chair, Research Action Committee, Ontario Network of Injured Worker Groups (ONIWG)

- Mahadeo Sukhai, Vice-President Research and International Affairs & Chief Accessibility Officer, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)

- Emile Tompa, Executive Director, Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA) and Director, Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy (CRWDP)

- Tammy Yates-Rajaduray, Executive Director, Realize.

Short Presentations

Claude Vincent - Des vidéos pédagogiques * Instructional videos**

Title / titre : Des vidéos pédagogiques pour le travail en épicerie pour les autistes et leurs mentors *** Instructional videos for grocery store work for people with autism and their mentors

Presenter / présentateur : Claude Vincent, Full Professor

Organization/ Organisation : Université Laval, Rehabilitation Dept., Occupational Therapy Program. Cirris (Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et integration sociale)

Abstract

Objectifs:

1) Concevoir des capsules vidéo pédagogiques permettant la familiarisation de jeunes autistes à plusieurs tâches dans une épicerie en vue d’une intégration socioprofessionnelle.

2) Concevoir des vidéos pédagogiques permettant de familiariser les mentors de jeunes autistes aux caractéristiques pouvant avoir un impact sur leur intégration dans une l'épicerie

3) Valider le contenu narratif des vidéos et les questions post-visionnement.

Mesures et évaluation: La recherche-création et la validation ont été combinées. Douze employés d'une épicerie ont été filmés effectuant des tâches dans 7 départements. Les capsules ont été montées avec iMovie. Du texte a été inséré afin d’ajouter des informations concernant la sécurité, l’hygiène, les habiletés sociales et les stimuli sensoriels. Chaque vidéo est suivie de 4 questions. La validation a été réalisée auprès de 5 chercheurs de domaines différents, 2 autistes, 2 ressources communautaires dédiée à la formation socioprofessionnelle et une étudiante en psychoéducation.

Responsabilités (résultats): Sur le web, sont disponibles 21 vidéos pédagogiques incluent des tâches en boulangerie/pâtisserie(6), charcuterie(8), fruits et légumes(4), poissonnerie(10), prêt à manger(6), caisse(4) et épicerie(4). Les questions posées ensuite vérifient l’intérêt du futur employé et ses limites, tout en permettant de s’assurer de sa compréhension. Pour les 21 vidéos des mentors, ces questions permettent de les sensibiliser aux particularités de l’autisme pouvant impacter leur travail en épicerie.

Conclusion: Les enseignants des écoles secondaires sont invités à utiliser les capsules vidéo pédagogiques auprès des jeunes adultes autistes pour sonder leur intérêt dans des tâches insoupçonnées en épicerie pour de futurs emplois, ainsi que les mentors.

Denise Coward. ReThink Ability: From understanding to action

Title: ReThink Ability: From understanding to action

Presenter: Denise Coward, Project Lead

Organization: ReThink Ability

Abstract: ReThink Ability is on a mission to positively change how people think about disability. With the right knowledge, understanding and informed actions, career development practitioners and employers can play an important role in ensuring everyone, regardless of ability, can fully participate in life. Learn how Rethink Ability's on-line disability awareness training modules incorporate lived experiences and practical education to bring about real change. Developed in New Brunswick, in partnership with disability stakeholders and service providers, ReThink Ability has resources and tools for real-life applications, interactive learning, and customized packages and subscriptions. It's training you won't find on Google, and it has everything you need to help persons with a disability achieve success.

Linda Noel Smith. Histoire à succès (English)

Title: Histoire à succès (in English)

Presenter: Linda Noel Smith

Organization: Association des CBDC du NB

Abstract: Un vidéo de 3 minutes à quelques secondes près qui raconte l'histoire à succès d'un entrepreneur qui a su profiter du programme ATI PAH ( Aide Travail Indépendant Personne Ayant Handicap) pour démarrer son entreprise. Programme géré par l'Association des CBDC du NB. Ce programme d’Aide au travail indépendant pour personne ayant un handicap (ATI PAH) est un catalyseur précieux pour aider les entrepreneurs à réaliser leur objectif de devenir chef d’entreprise en leur offrant un soutien financier et de l’encadrement au cours des périodes de planification et de démarrage de leur entreprise. Nous offrons également diverses formes de soutien aux requérants admissibles qui sont dans la phase initiale de démarrage de leur entreprise. Ces bénéfices peuvent être offerts sous la forme d’une aide financière, de mentorat ou de conseils techniques. Le volet SSEF du programme ATI PAH offre un soutien aux NéoBrunswickois ayant un handicap permanent afin qu’ils puissent participer à des activités de formation et/ou profiter d’opportunités d’emploi, incluant le travail indépendant.

Linda Noel Smith. Histoire à succès (en français)

Titre : Histoire à succès

Présentateur : Linda Noel Smith

Organisation: Association des CBDC du NB

Dan Samosh. Disability, Career Advancement, and "Glass Barriers"

Title: Disability, Career Advancement, and "Glass Barriers"

Presenter: Dan Samosh, Anna Brzykcy, David Baldridge & Brent Lyons

Organization: Queen's University

Abstract: Persons with disabilities experience an array of career advancement barriers. To date, researchers have characterized the detrimental influence of these barriers as glass ceilings, glass partitions, and glass cliffs. Glass ceilings depict how barriers reduce junior employees’ access to management positions; glass partitions represent how managers with disabilities have less job mobility than their counterparts without disabilities; and glass cliffs portray how managers with disabilities are set up to fail—and that after exiting a management position, they are unlikely to re-enter. Although we have qualitative research on these glass barriers, there is a dearth of quantitative research in this area. We explore the following two questions in this research. First, how do persons with disabilities experience glass ceilings, glass partitions, and glass cliffs? And second, how do these effects vary by disability characteristics. We unpack these questions with a quantitative study including data from nearly 8,000 individuals over 20 years.

Ableism & workplace discrimination among youth & young adults with disabilities

Title: Ableism and workplace discrimination among youth and young adults with disabilities: A systematic review

Presenter: Sally Lindsay (PhD), Kristina Fuentes (PhD), Vanessa Tomas (MSc), Shaelynn Hsu

Organization: Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Abstract: Young people with disabilities are persistently under-employed and experience concerning rates of discrimination and ableism in looking for work and within the workplace. Focusing on youth is salient because rates of ableism are often higher among younger ages compared to older. The objective of this systematic review was to explore the experiences and impact of workplace discrimination and ableism among youth and young adults with disabilities. Methods: Systematic searches of seven databases from 2000 to 2021 were conducted. Four reviewers independently applied the inclusion criteria, extracted the data and rated the study quality. Results: Of the 39 studies meeting our inclusion criteria, they represented 516,281 participants across eight countries over a 20-year period. The findings highlight the rates of workplace ableism, factors affecting workplace ableism (i.e., type of disability, gender, education level, lack of employers’ knowledge about disability), ableism in job searching and anticipated ableism. The review also noted the impact of workplace ableism, which included pay discrimination, lack of job supports and social exclusion, job turnover and unemployment, and discrimination allegations and charges. Conclusions: Our findings reveal the stark prevalence of workplace ableism among youth and young adults with disabilities. There is an urgent need for further in-depth research to understand youth’s lived experiences of ableism and the development of solutions to address it so they can be included in a meaningful and respectful way in the workplace.

It’s time to address ableism in academia: A systematic review

Title: It’s time to address ableism in academia: A systematic review of the experiences and impact of ableism among faculty and staff

Presenter: Sally Lindsay (PhD) & Kristina Fuentes (PhD)

Organization: Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Abstract: Faculty and staff with disabilities are significantly underrepresented within academia and experience alarming rates of discrimination, social exclusion and marginalization. This review aimed to understand the experiences and impact of disability discrimination (ableism) among faculty and staff. We conducted a systematic review while searching six international databases that identified 33 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. Of the 33 studies that were included in our review, they involved 1996 participants across six countries, over a 25-year period. The studies highlighted faculty and staff experiences of ableism in academia, which focused on disclosure (i.e., choosing to disclose or not), accommodations (i.e., lack of workplace accommodations and the difficult process for obtaining them) and negative attitudes (i.e., stigma, ableism and exclusion). Twenty-one studies explained the impact of ableism in academia, including a negative effect on physical and mental health, and career development. Coping mechanisms and strategies to address ableism in academia were also described. There is a critical need for more research and attention to the lived experiences of ableism among faculty and staff in academia and the impact that ableism has on their health and well-being.

Accommodations and Accessibility Within Nova Scotian Small Businesses

Title: Accommodations and Accessibility Within Nova Scotian Small Businesses

Presenters: Jocelyn Brown (MSc), Lucie Kocum (PhD), & Lynne Robinson (PhD)

Organizations: Saint Mary's University, Dalhousie University, Government of Nova Scotia

Abstract: Unfortunately, individuals with disabilities in Canada are discriminated against and systemically disadvantaged when it comes to employment. This means that individuals with disabilities are an untapped resource for employers. In particular, small businesses may be at risk of not employing individuals with disabilities. This could be due to perceptions including their small size, limited funding, or a lack of human resources support. Small businesses make up 97.9% of all business in Canada and contribute immensely to our societies (Government of Canada, 2020). As employers work to meet adjusting legislations protecting people with disabilities, research is needed to understand the facilitators and barriers to the employment of persons with disabilities in small businesses. The goals of this research were to understand the best practices for accommodating people with functional limitations and/or disabilities in small business settings. To understand this, 11 owners and/or managers of small businesses that have recently employed at least one employee with a disability or functional limitation were recruited. Through semi-structured interviews, we investigate factors relating to employment of individuals with disabilities in small businesses. These included accommodations they have managed (e.g. informal based on adjusted work duties or formal adaptations like reduced hours), what has worked (e.g. flexibility and preparedness to accommodate), and what could be better (e.g. issues with digital communication). In addition, we asked for information about policies, leadership styles and other documents used that could impact candidate or employee experiences. This work demonstrates ways for businesses to improve the experiences of employees with disabilities.

Guiding Principles for Supporting Youth with Disabilities in their Employment

Title: Guiding Principles for Supporting Youth with Disabilities in their Employment

Organization: The BC Employment Strategy for Youth with Disabilities

Abstract: In this video, we will introduce you to:

• The Provincial Employment Strategy for Youth with Disabilities project, and

• The guiding principles to support youth with disabilities in their employment

Then we will take you through the draft version of the Best Practice Checklist: Supporting Youth with Disabilities in Their Employment. This is a new tool we are developing for service providers. It is a practical translation of the guiding principles. We will review the tool’s development, explain how you can use it to ensure your programs meet the unique needs of youth clientele, and invite your input on the best practice content.

Glenda Watson Hyatt. Equity in Communication: Workplace Universal Design

Title: Equity in Communication: Workplace Universal Design

Presenter: Glenda Watson Hyatt, MASc student

Organization: Queen's University

Abstract: People with disabilities face many barriers to employment. The employment rate of Canadians with disabilities was 49% in 2011, compared with 79% for individuals without a disability (Turcotte, 2014). People with communication disabilities face employment rates as low as 14% (McNaughton, 2002), leaving this segment of Canadian society financially dependent, socially isolated, and personally unfulfilled. This session will discuss the ongoing work to develop a universally designed framework to enhance recruiting, hiring and retaining persons with communication disabilities to promote equal access to employment for these individuals. This two-year project intends to target Canada’s Public Service, and involves eliciting feedback from hiring managers, individuals with communication disabilities and their allies through surveys, interviews and focus groups. The Six Sigma engineering process DMADV (Define-Measure-Analyze-Design-Verify) is being used to develop this framework for employers (Tsung, 2006). The first step -- defining the problem – has been completed. A systematic review (Lackey, in review) identified the barriers in employment faced by individuals with communication disabilities. An evaluation of actions taken to include employees with disabilities was conducted based on response letters to the Privy Council’s request that deputy heads outline their progress on the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service. These components of the research will be highlighted, as will the next steps. Developing a universal design framework to promote equity in employing people with communication disabilities will socially connect this otherwise isolated population, provide personal fulfillment, increase financial independence, and, hence, improve overall quality of life.

Fran Odette. Belonging: It’s More Than A Just a Dream

Title: Belonging: It’s More Than A Just a Dream

Presenter: Fran Odette, Board Member

Organization: Council of Canadians with Disabilities

Abstract: In thinking about the idea of ‘belonging’, there is an entry point in the conceptualization of 'belonging' that is essential to move our conversations and subsequent actions beyond “diversity” as essential to ensuring that communities are more productive, ‘tolerant’ and welcoming. Because we say we have a ‘diverse’ workforce, there is no guarantee for many communities, particularly those community members who experience marginalization and disenfranchisement that even once we are hired, many of us will still experience exclusion. To be part of a ‘diverse’ workplace is the beginning but should not be the end of a critical discourse to ensure that the workplace is one where workers feels ‘safe’, truly welcomed and supported to work in an environment where disabled people are valued and seen for the contributions that members of disability communities bring along the lines of disability but also for all the other identities many of us embrace as part of who we are and move through the world. It is suggested that “Belonging is the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group. It is when an individual can bring their authentic self to work. When employees feel like they don’t belong at work, their performance and their personal lives suffer.” (Sense of Belonging, Cornell University, 2022; https://diversity.cornell.edu/belongi.... However, the framing of an ‘inclusive’ workplace and the elements that are critical for the satisfaction of its employees often has excluded disabled workers. Many disabled employees feel the pressures of a workforce that on one hand opens opportunities for work and on the other, creates environments that support ideas of productivity that many disabled people are unable to achieve without compromising health and well-being in the quest to ‘perform’ or ‘outperform’ so as to ensure the possibility of earning and keeping a sustainable and equitable wage and work/life balance.

What is it that makes a difference for disabled people to feel they ‘belong’? What are the areas that need to be present so as to improve engagement and performance so that communities that have historically been marginalized, find their place in the workforce that is meaningful, ensures that workers are thriving rather than merely surviving? How do we ensure that we are bringing all of ourselves to the work which is more than just our labels of disability with the recognition of the importance of an intersectional lens in recruitment, training and sustainability of a workplace where people feel connected to their work and co-workers? Recognizing that ‘inclusion’ on its own is not enough, disability activists/educators and change makers suggest that what needs to happen in order to shift and deepen the discussions on integration is to create discussions on the importance of cultural sensitivity, health and wellness that includes the recognition of workers living with chronic or invisible disabilities such as mental health and other experiences of disability that requires the workplace to challenge notions of what is and isn’t disability.

Through the use of storytelling narratives that will be pre-recorded, this presentation will host 4-5 short and concise narratives of disabled people who talk about their experiences of work and what it means to ‘belong’. Along with these stories of what it means to belong, presenters will also talk about actions that can be taken to create intentional connections, build more resilient and trusting relationships and ways to bring in disabled employees to engage in strategies that demonstrate a process for meaningful decision-making that occurs from the ground up.

Fran Odette. Belonging: It’s More Than A Just a Dream_sous-titres en français

Title: Belonging: It’s More Than A Just a Dream (sous-titres en français)

Presenter: Fran Odette, Board Member

Organization: Council of Canadians with Disabilities

Elliot Smith. Employment Equity

Title: Employment Equity

Presenter: Elliot Smith, Grandview Kids Graduate

Organization: Grandview Kids

Abstract: Elliot Smith has found meaningful employment at the age of 22 years. In this presentation, Mr. Smith shares strategies that have helped him achieve and maintain employment as an individual who lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These strategies have helped him gain experience (completing a cooperative learning placement, volunteering, and participating in employment programs) and succeed in his employment (taking breaks, using a visual schedule, training with a support worker). While not all of Mr. Smith’s experiences will be relatable to all people with ASD and ADHD, the messaging regarding equity-based principles are universal.

Proactive Accommodations For Inclusion of People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

Title: Proactive Accommodations For Inclusion of People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

Presenter: Rohini Peris, CEO and President

Organization: Environmental Health Association of Quebec (ASEQ-EHAQ)

Abstract: Despite 1,130,800 Canadians experiencing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) (about 3.5% of the population) (CCHS, 2020), employers often are unaware of this disability, making them uncertain of how to properly accommodate MCS. This is evidenced by people with MCS experiencing disproportionately high rates of unemployment and low socioeconomic status (CCHS 2015-2016), and often losing their jobs when they develop the disability. In order to address needs appropriately, employers must proactively adopt and enforce policies that will accommodate this population. Appropriate accommodations which can include fragrance-free policies, notification of renovations, and use of least toxic products for all applications will not only help in hiring people with MCS, but will prevent current employees from developing this disability due to workplace exposures. In addition, this will support current employees that do develop the disability, and can support other disabilities as well, for example by addressing one potential cause of sensory overload. Many people with MCS, like other disabilities, fear retaliation, stigma, and labelling from others when requesting accommodations, so these policies must be pre-existing and enforced to ensure inclusion of people with MCS. The needs within the MCS community vary, so it is important that these policies, supported by education, messaging and signage, are dynamic, and able to be updated in accordance with the needs of new and existing employees. This talk will provide more context on this disability, how to remove barriers, and how to appropriately implement these policies so they are successful and enforceable.

Nicolette Gowan. Inclusive Accommodation Strategies for a Hybrid World

Title: Inclusive Accommodation Strategies for a Hybrid World

Presenter: Nicolette Gowan, President, COO, Occupational Therapist

Organization: Gowan Consulting

Abstract: Over 64% of the population began to work virtually in 2020 when the pandemic started. This presented both an opportunity and challenge for persons with disabilities. As we resume our work and seek out ways to reenter the workplace there are new concerns that must be considered. Employees with episodic and invisible disabilities require support to return into the office. Perhaps some may be more productive in a continued virtual capacity but does this present as a challenge for inclusivity and engagement? Almost 74% of the workplaces are considering hybrid approaches to the workplace reentry plan. With this there are unique strategies that can support individuals to return to the office or to continue virtually. This session will examine the various concerns and offer innovative tools and strategies to consider persons with disabilities in the inclusive hybrid workplace. As Occupational Therapists the approach has been one of creative accommodation strategies, planning and coaching with workplace stakeholders and offering ways to ensure that each individual has the optimum opportunity to maintain their ability to be included while maximizing their productivity and supports. This session will examine each unique challenge that has successfully been overcome through these accommodation processes through case reviews and trending analysis. Accommodations for persons with disabilities will require a clear review of the work environment options in a hybrid workplace, assessment of worker capabilities, workplace tools and management strategies to support inclusivity and avoid disengagement.

Mary Beth MacLean. What is the impact of disability & health on involuntary retirement

Title: What is the impact of disability and health on involuntary retirement?

Presenter: Mary Beth MacLean, PhD Candidate

Organization: Queen's University

Abstract: More than two-thirds of Canada’s labour force is aged 55 and older. Further, as the workforce is aging and disability rates rise with age, coupled with an increasing need and desire of older workers to continue working, many older workers face the possibility of being forced from the labour market. Moreover, with growing labour shortages in Canada, it is essential that employers consider ways of retaining older workers. In addition, older workers experiencing disability face ableism compounded by ageism. However, we currently do not understand how disability and health contribute to involuntary retirement in Canada. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the health and disability factors explaining the perception of involuntary retirement among a sample of recently retired Canadians. We used data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) to select a study sample of recent retirees: i.e., retired between CLSA baseline and follow-up one (n=2,080). We conducted descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses separately for women (n=1,115) and men (n=965). More than one-quarter of women and men reported they retired due to health, disability, or stress. A third of women and almost 20% of men had five of more chronic conditions prior to retirement. Other poor health and disability characteristics prior to retirement were less common. More than a quarter (28%), of our sample of older workers perceived their retirement to be involuntary. Among both women and men, having to retire because of disability, health or stress resulted in greater odds of involuntary retirement. In addition, among women having fair or poor health and among men having health-related participation limitations prior to retiring led to greater odds of involuntary retirement. These findings suggest that a focus on changing workplace practices and policies is needed to enable more older people experiencing poor health or disability to remain in the workforce.

Josh Kirshenblat. Modified Work in the Workplace after a Workplace Injury

Title: Modified Work in the Workplace after a Workplace Injury

Presenter: Josh Kirshenblat, Lawyer

Organization: Fink & Bornstein P.C.

Abstract: I will discuss best practices for offering suitable, sustainable and meaningful modified work after a Worker suffers an injury on the job. Employers often find injured workers "make work" projects so they do not have to pay increased WSIB premiums. This can have a psychological effect on injured workers, causing greater disability. By having a robust modified work plan in place for injured workers, employers can help disabled workers feel included and that they are making a real contribution to the company, which helps their psychological well-being.

Byron Wood & Euan Thomson. A Model for Ethical Workplace Substance Use Policy

Title: A Model for Ethical Workplace Substance Use Policy

Presenters: Byron Wood, Founder & Board Member, Workers for Ethical Substance Use Policy (WESUP) and Euan Thomson, Founder, EACH+EVERY: Businesses for Harm Reduction

Abstract: Substance Use Disorder (SUD), the medical term for addiction, is a disability. Many employers develop workplace substance use policies with the intention of striking a balance between accommodating workers who have been diagnosed with SUD, and ensuring workplace safety. However, workplace substance use policies are not typically rooted in evidence, and are based on misconceptions and stereotypes about workers who use substances and workers who have been diagnosed with SUD, the purported yet unsubstantiated risk they pose to workplace safety, and the healthcare services that they may require to stay healthy and employed. As a result, many employers require workers who have been diagnosed with SUD to enter into intrusive and ineffective workplace monitoring contracts that create a barrier to ongoing employment, and put workers at increased risk of drug toxicity death. According to a recent BC Coroners Death Review Panel, 35% of people who died as a result of the current drug toxicity crisis were employed at the time of their death. (British Columbia Coroner’s Report, 2022. Link). Yet, employers often prohibit workers who have been diagnosed with SUD from using the very health care services that are proven to improve health and prevent death. EACH+EVERY: Businesses for Harm Reduction, Workers for Ethical Substance Use Policy (WESUP), and Portage Legal Services have teamed up and created a Model for Ethical Workplace Substance Use Policy. In this pre-recorded seminar, we will be presenting our Model Policy and outlining how it creates secure, effective, inclusive, and comprehensive support for workers who use substances and workers who have been diagnosed with SUD, that benefit both employees and employers. Employees will consequently have better health outcomes, be more likely to seek help, and remain in the workplace. Employers will retain workers and have a healthier and more productive workforce. We invite any employer to adopt our Model Policy who wants to help prevent even more tragic and preventable overdose deaths, to remove barriers to employment for people with disabilities, and improve health outcomes for one of the most marginalized populations of workers. Link to Model Workplace Substance Use Policy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kTrc...