In February, there were the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games, in Italy.

Then — the geopolitical climate aside — there’s the 2026 FIFA World Cup with matches being played in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada from June 11 to 19.

And then there’s the twenty-third Commonwealth Games happening in Glasgow, Scotland from July 24 to August 2.

Glasgow 2026 will be the biggest sporting event of the year in the U.K.

All of these events happen in numerous venues in their host cities. With thousands of athletes competing. And thousands of people attending — and working at — the events.

But there’s a huge issue with mega-sporting events such as the World Cup, the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games.

Accessibility.

From how they’re promoted to the built environment of venues they’re held in, how accessible are these kinds of mega sporting events? And what’s the lasting social impact of making them accessible and inclusive?

That’s what we’re exploring in Episode 42. And we’re doing that with two guests who are two of the most authoritative voices on sporting events accessibility in Canada.

Don’t miss this engaging conversation with Brad McCannell and Jenn Bruce, PhD!

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 42 transcript (PDF)
• Read this article on The Conversation.com about how more Canadians are watching the Paralympics
• Read this article on sirc.ca by Paula Baker about the lasting social impact of inclusive creating mega-sporting events
• Sporting Information Resource Centre (SIRC) website
• Read the new SIRC blog
• Rick Hansen Foundation and becoming accessible

Tourism is one of the most important sectors of the Canadian economy. And the global one.

In Canada, it directly employs more than 700,000 people. Globally, more than 357 million people.

And tourism is almost two per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product. Globally, it’s 10 per cent of GDP — US$10.9 trillion in 2024.

Against the geopolitical backdrop in 2026, the number of people internationally making Canada a tourism destination, keeps rising.

In the 2025 summer tourism season, there was record revenue for Canada’s tourism businesses. In all, $58.96 billion.

Destination Canada predicts annual revenue in the tourism sector will hit $160 billion by 2029.

People from all over the world are coming to see Canada — and that includes people who have a disability.

Which begs these questions:

• How accessible is tourism in this country?
• What are best practices in making tourism, and tourist attracts and businesses, more accessible?
• What are businesses and attractions in the tourism sector missing out on if they’re not accessible to both tourists and job seekers who have a disability?

In Episode 41, a compelling national conversation about all this with these three guests providing their perspectives:

• Jasmine Qi, Workforce Development Director at Tourism HR Canada (Ottawa, ON)
• Shelley Petit, Chair of the New Brunswick Coalition of Persons With Disabilities (Fredericton, NB)
• Jamie Millar-Dixon, principal consultant at MacLeod Silver HR Business Partners (Vancouver, BC)

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 41 transcript (PDF)
• Learn more about Tourism HR Canada, the New Brunswick Coalition of Persons with Disabilities and MacLeod Silver HR Business Partners
• UN Tourism, Ethics, Culture and Social Responsibility report (November 2025), Accessibility Guidelines for Tourism Businesses

Both are on the rise in Canada.

The Canadian 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability showed, 27% of Canadians 15 and older have at least one disability.

That’s eight million people.

And that’s up 5% from the previous survey in 2017.

And, 2022 and 2023 figures from Statistics Canada show, over one million people who have a disability, are Canadians with low income.

And that’s even higher for people without disabilities — almost two million people.

So what’s going on in this country? And does it depend on where you live in Canada?

It wasn’t until 2003 that Human Resources and Development Canada introduced what’s called, the Market Basket Measure (MBM).

It’s basically calculated by adding up the cost of one basket of goods and services that a family of four needs for a basic standard of living…and establishing how much income they need for that one basket.

But disability advocates say the MBM leaves out a big thing — additional costs, such as mobility aids, that people who have a disability, have every year.

They’ve given the federal government a failing “F”  when it comes to addressing the issues involved in the intersection of disability and poverty.

Find out why…what needs to change…..and what motivates our two guests to advocate for change…in this compelling conversation with:

• Rabia Khedr, National Director of Disability Without Poverty
• Fabio Crespin, Senior Manager of Inclusive Employment at United Way Greater Toronto

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 40 transcript (PDF)
• Disability Without Poverty website
• Disability Without Poverty’s 2024 Report Card
• Statistics Canada — Poverty and low-income statistics by disability status
• Statistics Canada — A demographic, employment and income profile of persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over in Canada, 2022

It’s a broad topic — there are many directions to approach it from.

In part one of our two-part season ending series, we’re exploring the intersection of disability, Blackness and gender.

It’s a convergence that makes for a compelling conversation.

One published report said, “little is known about the experiences of Black Canadians with disabilities who will experience disparities in education, employment and entrepreneurship based on the intersection of anti-Black racism and ableism.”

Then there’s their experiences within the Black community itself.

When you role all of these things together, what are the main challenges, or barriers to inclusion, faced by Black Canadians who have a disability?

And how significant is the gender aspect in all of that?

How much does access to employment supports depend on whether you’re a Black man, or a Black woman, who has a disability?

And how much does history and colonialism play in all of this?

What needs to change?

These are just some of the questions we explore with our guest Ingrid Palmer.

Ingrid is a passionate human rights advocate, an inspirational speaker on diversity, equity and inclusion, and the Principal IDEAL (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility Leading to belonging) Advocate for Realize Canada.

Catch this compelling conversation with Ingrid!

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 39 transcript (PDF)
• Realize Canada website
• Ingrid Palmer’s speaker website
• Report — The Intersection of Blackness and Disability in Canada: A Brief Overview and a Call to Action
• Prioritizing Black Canadians with Disabilities in Bill C-22, Canada Disability Benefit Act — Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

This month across Canada, NDEAM campaigns are focusing on raising awareness about disability-inclusive hiring…disability inclusion throughout the employment cycle…breaking down barriers to employment for people who have a disability…and creating a disability-inclusive workplace and culture.

So every season, we like to tie our October episode to NDEAM.

This episode, we’re delving into an aspect of disability and employment that seems to be not talked about a whole lot in the conversation about disability and employment.

We’re exploring the self-employment journey for people who have a disability.

There isn’t a lot of research or statistics about it.

And there isn’t a lot of data on why people who have a disability go the self-employment route.

Are there unique challenges faced by people who have a disability, who opt for self-employment?

What supports are out there compared to supports for traditional job seekers?

Some of the questions we’re exploring with our two guests as they share their self-employment journeys and experiences with us in this episode.

Catch this conversation with Margaux Wosk and Jeff Tiessen.

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 38 transcript (PDF)
• Find Margaux Wosk on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok: @retrophiliac
• Margaux Wosk’s websites: Etsy Store | Shop Retrophiliac
• Get in touch with Jeff Tiessen by email
• Disability Today Magazine
• Jeff’s LinkedIn profile
• Margaux’s LinkedIn profile

It’s a good time to talk about supporting youth who have a disability so they can transition to employment from high school or post-secondary education.

Research shows that young people who have a disability…have a better chance of long-term success in the workforce if they have a part-time job while they’re finishing high school.

The 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability showed that 20% of Canadian youth have a disability. That’s more than 546,000 young people.

Then there all the young people who have disability, who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). In Canada, that’s almost 109,000 young people.

And almost 84,000 of them have been identified as potential employees. The statistics show there are a lot of youth who have a disability who can, and want to, work. But are we doing enough to support them?

A report released in September 2024 suggests not. And it outlines a public funding cost-benefit model of “stable, equitable ‘start-early’ programs” that shows a small public investment per person has a big lifetime return on investment.

It’s been a year since the release of Funding Employment Inclusion for Ontario Youth with Disabilities: A Cost-Benefit Model.

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital spearheaded this collaborative report.

This episode, we find out what’s been happening in the year since the report was released and presented to the Ontario government.

Catch this insightful conversation with guests with Holland Bloorview’s Laura Bowman and Carolyn McDougall.

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 37 transcript (PDF)
• Download and read the report
• Learn about other Holland Bloorview youth funding advocacy initiatives and resources

A 2020 study by Accenture found, 84% of executives believe employees feel safe disclosing a disability.

But the reality is, only 65% of them do.

The same Accenture study showed, 76% of employees and 80% of executives don’t fully disclose a disability.

These statistics say a lot about psychological safety and belonging in the workplace.

So what exactly is psychological safety and belonging in the workplace? Why is it the cornerstone of creating the culture of any organization? And what happens when it isn’t there?

These are just a few of the questions we explore with our expert guest in this episode.

In 2021, Andrea D. Carter did pioneering research on workplace belonging that’s revolutionizing how organizations measure, analyze and implement belonging strategies.

She’s established a new global benchmark for creating an inclusive corporate culture.

Have a listen to this compelling, insightful conversation with Andrea D. Carter.

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 36 transcript (PDF)
• Andrea D. Carter: Pioneering the future of workplace belonging
• Belonging First — Andrea D. Carter is the founder and CEO
• A culture of belonging starts with psychological safety — post by Britt Andreatta, Ph.D

If you’re not familiar with You’re My Hero, it’s a six-part CBC Gem comedy series about Ian Fletcher. The main character created and played by Sean Towgood.

Ian is an angsty 20-something wheelchair user with cerebral palsy, dealing with the pressures of adult life in a physical environment that’s not designed with accessibility in mind.

You’re My Hero is in its second season on CBC Gem. In addition to being an actor, writer and producer, Sean Towgood is also an award-winning radio documentary maker. And he’s funny, with a sharp wit.

In this feature interview, Sean talks about the importance of You’re My Hero; the challenges he faced getting the show on air; the state of disability inclusion in Canadian film and television; whether he thinks of himself as a disability “mythbuster,” and more.

Sean’s sense of humour and sharp wit makes this an entertaining, lively, engaging and insightful conversation you won’t want to miss.

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 35 transcript (PDF)
• Learn more Read about You’re My Hero and Sean Towgood on cbc.ca
• Sean’s Instagram: @seantowgood
• Sean’s press agent — Damien Nelson, Want and Able Arts Consulting: dnwantable@gmail.com

There’s a labour crisis in the sector that’s affecting — among other things in hospitals, wait times in emergency rooms; and often whether some smaller communities even have an open ER or hospital at all.

So what’s to be done about the staffing crisis in pretty much every hospital in every province? And how do people who have a disability, and disability-inclusive hiring, fit into this?

There’s a new initiative in Ontario aimed at solving the hiring, training and retention crisis in the health care sector. In Ontario, at least. It’s aptly named Inspire, Hire, Train, Retain. Or, IHTR for short. It’s a disability-inclusive hiring “training in the box” solution.

It’s a collaborative initiative led by Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto.

Our two guests for this episode are deeply and intrinsically involved in spearheading the development of IHTR. Catch this dynamic, engaging conversation with:

• Laura Bowman, Project Manager, Research and Evaluation at Holland Bloorview
• Lori Riding, Manager of Disability and Absences Management at Halton Healthcare in Oakville, ON

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 34 transcript (PDF)
• Learn more about the IHTR project
• Check out the IHTR resources: English version | French version
• Get in touch with Laura Bowman about IHTR: lbowman@hollandbloorview.ca

Here in Canada, tourism contributes $102 billion to the economy, and generates over 745,000 jobs in communities across the country.

A tourism industry report noted, more often than not, it’s in the front-line jobs where people who have a disability tend to be hired the most. And it’s often those front-line jobs where the biggest barriers to employment are.

The Beyond Barriers: Insights into Tourism Workplace Disability Inclusion found there’s a bit of a disconnect.

On the one hand, tourism employers have adopted inclusive hiring practices.

But there’s a lack of formal diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) training programs. And a lack of formal DEIA policies. There’s also a lack of professional development opportunities for employees who have a disability.

But the industry is working to change all this, with the “Belong” initiative.

Our two guests give us their perspectives on “Belong”…the current state of tourism sector workplace disability inclusion…and what “Belong” means for the future of the sector.

• Jasmine Qi — Director of Workforce Inclusion at Tourism HR Canada
• Moe Alameddine — The restaturateur who started Canada’s first dining-in-the-dark experience, in 2006, and has since employed over 100 people who have a visual impairment. He’s passionate about disability-inclusive employment in the tourism and hospitality sector.

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 33 transcript (PDF)
• Learn more about the “Belong” initiative
• Learn about the Breaking Down Barriers: Insights into Tourism Workplace Disability Inclusion report
• Learn about Dark Fork and the dining-in-the-dark experience
• Get in touch with Moe Alameddine for mentoring on making your tourism business more disability inclusive
• Get in touch with Jasmine Qi about the Belong initiative

Over in France, with disability groups protesting in Paris on the eve of the twentieth anniversary of that country’s disability law of 2005, people chanted rien n’a changé, or, nothing has changed.

And then there’s the United States, where DEI has been made illegal and there’s been government action that’s already directly impacting people who have a disability. And there’s fear disability rights and inclusion could be set back 50 years.

In Episode 32 — part two of our Season 6 opener series, we’re zooming out for a look at the global state of disability inclusion in 2025. Helping us make sense of the global state of things in these turbulent times are these two guests:

• Susan Scott-Parker — Founder and CEO of Business Disability International, and host of her own disability-inclusion focuses podcast, Scott-Parker goes live
• Peter Torres Fremlin — A freelance consultant who has lived experience with disability who’s spent many years advising international organizations including the U.N. on disability rights; and editor of the Disability Debrief email newsletter

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 32 transcript (PDF)
• Learn more about Business Disability International
• Sign up to receive the Disability Debrief email newsletter
• Check out Susan Scott-Parker’s podcast, Scott-Parker Goes Live

We’re tackling a timely topic that’s literally dividing people and an entire country.

There’s been a lot of controversy, destructive action…and destructive conversation on social media about diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI.

This episode is part one in a two-part series to start off season six. We’re diving right into the state of DEI in North America.

This is a compelling conversation with these three guests providing a perspective from both sides of the Canada-U.S. border:

• John Robinson — Founder and CEO of Our Ability, based in Albany, NY; he has lived experience with disability
• Danica McPhee — Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity Co-ordinator at Erie Shores HealthCare in Leamington, ON; she has lived experience with disability
• Ruby Latif — Certified Coach, Certified Psychological Health and Safety Professional and the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging for the Brant County Healthcare System in Brantford, ON.

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 31 transcript (PDF)
• Learn more about Our Ability
• Toronto Star Opinion column by Dr. Ruby Latif: Have diversity issues died? Maybe in the U.S. — but there is still time for Canada

The last time Canada welcomed that many newcomers was over a century ago, in 1913.

There was a time when almost all immigrants to Canada came from Europe.

Today, they come from countries and cultures all over the world. Asia is the continent where most come from; and India is the country where most immigrants to Canada were born, according to Statistics Canada (StatCan) data.

As StatCan notes, “immigrants come from many different countries, bringing with them their cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious heritage.”

And, as we learn in this episode, their perceptions of disability.

Just what is the perception of disability in the newcomer, or immigrant, community and cultures? How inclusive are they? And what are the challenges for people in these communities who have a disability?

These are some of the questions we explore in this episode that wraps up our three-part series on Intersectionality, and season five of You Can’t Spell Inclusion Without a D.

We get deep perspectives and insights from two guests whose work involves supporting people in the newcomer comer community who have a disability:

• Raihanna Hirji-Khalfan, the National Director of Race and Disability Canada
• Rabia Khedr, CEO of Disability Empowerment Equality Network (DEEN) Support Services

SHOW NOTES

• Race and Disability Canada website
• Race and Disability Canada resources:
  • IDEA Tool Kits
  • IDEA Practitioners & Professionals Network
  • Instagram feed storytelling program about Black leaders and South Asian leaders who have a disability
  • Other programs for Indigenous, Black and racialized people who have a disability
• DEEN Support Services website
• Episode 30 transcript (PDF)

An estimated 30% of Canada’s Indigenous population, or 420,000 people, live with a disability or functional limitation.

So just what is the perception and definition of disability in the Inuit and First Nation cultures and communities? How much of a role does the British colonial history of Canada play in the intersectionality of disability in Indigenous communities and cultures? What challenges around employment barriers and disability inclusion are unique?

All of this is a complex, sometimes sensitive topic with many nuances.

To help us better understand disability in the First Nations and Inuit communities, our two guests provide some deep insights into all of this:

• Romaine Peters, a Family Disability Support Worker on Walpole Island First Nation, in Southwestern Ontario
• Lisa Spencer, the Communications Manager for the NDMS, the only cross-disability society in Nunavut, in Canada’s Far North

SHOW NOTES

• Episode 29 transcript (PDF)

But what about the intersection of disability, including attitudes and perceptions about it, with marginalized communities and cultures?

In Episode 28, we begin a three-part series exploring this.

About 1.3 million Canadians identify as being part of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. And the results of the 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan Survey by Statistics Canada showed, 27% of people in this community are living with a disability. That’s around 350,000 people.

They’re a minority group within a minority group. And how inclusive is the one, for the other?

Not as inclusive as it could be, as we learn from our two guests.

In 2023, they co-authored a piece for The Conversation about disability inclusion in the 2SLGBTQI+ community. In this episode of You Can’t Spell Inclusion Without a D, they share their insights.

This is an insightful, thought-provoking conversation with:

• Alan Santinele Martino, Assistant Professor in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies in the Community Health Sciences Department at the University of Calgary
• Emily Coombs, a PhD Student at the University of Alberta and lesbian autistic researcher studying the intersection of autism and LGBTQ+ indentity, the experiences of autistic women and lesbian mental health

SHOW NOTES

• The Conversation, article by Alan Santinele Martino and Emily Coombs, June 25, 2023
• Still Being Left Behind: The Intimate Lives of Queer Disabled People, by Alan Martino
• Facts, Stats and Impact: 2SLGBTQI+ communities
• Statistics Canada 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan Survey Findings
• Attitudes, Awareness and Behaviours Surrounding 2SLGBTQI+ Communities in Canada, prepared for Women and Gender Equality Canada, March 2023
• Episode 28 transcript (PDF)

In Canada — more specifically, in the province of Ontario — the name David C. Onley is synonymous with championing disability inclusion in employment, and accessibility.

He was the first working television journalist in Canada, and the first Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, who had a visible disability. And he was a tireless, passionate champion for the rights of people who have a disability. His continuous advocacy efforts changed the fabric of society in Ontario.

He educated and informed; he influenced and encouraged; and he challenged the business community and the government to rethink disability.

David Onley passed away on January 14, 2023 at the age of 72.

In this episode, which airs one week before the start of National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2024 in North America, we’re reflecting on the legacy of David C. Onley.

We wanted to get some deep personal insights about David Onley and his legacy.

This is a powerful, intensely emotional conversation with three people who knew David Onley well:

• Robert Onley, a lawyer and one of David Onley’s three sons
• Mike Bradley, the Mayor of Sarnia, Ontario, and one of ODEN’s original Business Champions in the Business Champions League that David Onley created
• Lorin MacDonald, an award-winning human rights lawyer for whom David Onley was a mentor

SHOW NOTES

• The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2005
• Third review of the AODA by David Onley, 2019
• Fourth review of the AODA by Rich Donovan, 2023
• Episode 27 transcript (PDF)

In the U.S., there’s an average of about eight minutes of television ads every hour of programming on major networks. In Canada, there’s now no limit on the minutes per hour of national television advertising allowed on both network  and specialty channels.

Maybe you’ve seen the occasional television ad that includes someone who has a disability. There are a few out there — emphasis on “a few.”

Kelsey Lindell is determined to change all this. She’s a disruptor who was born with a disability. She’s been called an “impact entrepreneur.”

In 2022, Kelsey started Misfit Media. It’s run by people who have a disability, producing creative that’s disability inclusive, and educating brands and advertising agencies about why and how to do disability-inclusive creative — and do it right.

Now she’s leapfrogging off all this and taking a really disruptive step forward. She’s setting out to revolutionize the entire advertising industry across North America and how disability is represented in it — within two years.

She launched The Misfit 100 in March 2024. In this episode, she talks about the Misfit 100’s disability-inclusion mission and the state of disability-inclusive advertising in North America.

SHOW NOTES

• Learn more about Misfit Media and its disability-inclusion services
• The New School, blog post, Impact Entrepreneurship — Mentor Spotlight: Kelsey Lindell (October 14, 2023)
• Culture Creators: The Power of Simplicity — talk by Kelsey Lindell
• The Misfit 100 Master Class — March 26, 2024 — official kick-off of The Misfit 100
• Kelsey Lindell’s LinkedIn profile
• Contact Kelsey directly by email: kelsey@misfitmediaagency.com
• Episode 26 transcript (PDF)

But surveys have shown that over half the small businesses in Canada have never hired someone who has a disability. They’ve never made the disability-inclusive hiring journey.

In Episode 25 — the second instalment of our occasional Making the Journey series — we talk with a small-business owner who is doing that.

Not only is Marnie Cuthbert just starting out on her disability-inclusive hiring journey, she’s doing it as a first-time small business owner. She left behind a 15-year career in health care administration to do something entirely different.

She recently opened the Crafty Corner Tea Room in Woodstock, ON. And her first two hires were people who have a disability.

In this new instalment of Making the Journey, Marnie talks about why:

• She’s so personally driven to be a disability-inclusive employer
• She believes other small business owners should make the journey
• She’s fervently encouraging all businesses in Woodstock to participate in Light It Up! For NDEAM, a national awareness lighting event that happens every October during National Disability Employment Awareness Month

SHOW NOTES

• Visit the Craft Corner Tea Room website
• Learn more about the national Light It Up! For NDEAM event that Marnie Cuthbert talks about participating in
• Visit the Ontario Corporate Training Centre website
• Episode 25 transcript (PDF)
• Research reports:
• • Making Your Business Accessible for People with Disabilities: Guide for Small Businesses (Conference Board of Canada, 2022)
  • Workplace Accommodations: Low Cost, High Impact (Job Accommodation Network/Office of Disability Employment Policy, updated May 4, 2023)
  • Getting To Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage (Accenture, October 2018)

How disability is broadly viewed and perceived, can depend on how it’s seen through a photographer’s mind, eye, viewfinder and lens.

The first-ever environmental portraiture of people who have a disability was done by famous American photographer Diane Arbus, between 1969 and 1971. Whether the Diane Arbus Untitled series was artistically inclusive, or helped perpetuate myths and stereotypes about disability, is of course, open to interpretation.

Canadian commercial and portrait photographer Hilary Gauld, is on a personal mission to make sure her photographic work portraying disability, is inclusive and authentic; that it tells an inclusive story about the person.

Episode 24 is an engaging conversation with photographer Hilary Gauld and creator, storyteller, educator and inclusion coach Jenny Jay about:

• Hilary’s journey of learning to photograph disability authentically and telling an inclusive story
• The impact photographers can have on the disability community; and
• What photographers and other creators need to understand and be aware of, to create authentic disability imagery

SHOW NOTES

• View Hilary Gauld’s disability portraiture projects on her website
• Contact Hilary: oneforthewall@rogers.com
• Learn more about Jenny Jay
• Episode 24 transcript (PDF)

This is an important conversation to have, because the accessibility of content for everyone can affect a business’s profitability and brand reputation.

Be sure to listen to this episode especially if you’re in marketing or advertising; or you’re a brand manager; or a social media manager; or a webmaster; or a graphic designer; or even a freelancer who does some or all of these things.

In Episode 23 you’re in for some insights into what’s right and what’s wrong about accessibility in all aspects of marketing, advertising, branding and social media from two people who specialize in helping businesses make sure what they’re creating is accessible.

An engaging conversation with guests:

• Kelly Thibodeau, Principal, Squarely Accessible
• Jolene MacDonald, Founder and Creative Director of Accessibrand

SHOW NOTES

• Get in touch with Kelly Thibodeau at Squarely Accessible
  • Email: kelly@squarelyaccessible.com
  • Website: https://squarelyaccessible.com

• Get in touch with Jolene MacDonald at Accessibrand
  • Email: jolene@accessibrand.com
  • Website: https://accessibrand.com
• Read the 2024 Global Advertising Accessibility Index and Trends Report
• Tip sheet: 7 Tips for Making Your Social Media Content Accessible English version(Accessible PDF)  |  French version (Accessible PDF)
• Episode 23 transcript (PDF)

We mark National AccessAbility Week 2024 in Canada with this episode that’s part one in a two-part series on accessibility. When things are accessible, everyone benefits — emphasis on “when.”

It’s been almost five years since the Accessible Canada Act came into force, with the goal of making Canada totally barrier free by January 1, 2040. Just what is the current state of accessibility in Canada of products, of services, of places? And will we become a truly barrier-free country over the next 16 years?

That’s what we’re exploring in this episode — think of it as a report card on the overall state of accessibility in Canada.

For this high-level barometric reading, we turned to three of the top voices on accessibility in Canada.

Listen to this engaging conversation with:

• Stephanie Cadieux, Chief Accessibility Officer of Canada
• Brad McCannell, Vice-President of Access and Inclusion at the Rick Hansen Foundation
• Lawyer and disability advocate Lorin MacDonald, who is recognized as one of Canada’s disability leaders and is highly regarded by the human rights legal community

SHOW NOTES

• Everyone’s Business: Accessibility in Canada — Report from the Chief Accessibility Officer, 2023
• Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility CertificationTM (RHFAC) Program
• Summary of the Accessible Canada Act
• Episode 22 transcript (PDF)

But there’s a problem on campuses across this country. It’s one affecting students, staff and faculty alike — a lack of accessibility and disability inclusion.

Statistics show that about 27% of Canadians have a university degree. But about only 17% of Canadians who have a disability, have some kind of degree.

But change could be in the wind with a project at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. An award-winning research team of professors at U of M set out to break down barriers to inclusion for students and faculty at the university who have a disability. Their project is titled, Dismantling Ableism and Promoting Equity for Persons with Disabilities: Institutional Action and Accountability.

It was one of three recipients of the inaugural Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity. The $100,000 award is funded through the federal Canada Research Chairs program.

In this engaging conversation, project lead Tina Chen, and Professor Nancy Hansen, talk about the project, and the many facets of why universities aren’t inclusive, and how to change that.

Tina is the University of Manitoba's first Executive Lead, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Nancy is Director of the university's Interdisciplinary Master's Program in Disability Studies.

ODEN’s Dr. Jennifer Crowson, PhD, is guest co-host this episode.

SHOW NOTES

• Government of Canada — Canada Research Chairs — project page: https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/wahts_new-quoi_de_neuf/2023/dismantling-demantelement-eng.aspx
• Government of Canada — Canada Research Chairs — Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity page:  https://chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/equity-equite/Robbins-Ollivier/index-eng.aspx
• Episode 21 transcript (PDF)

In this episode, we get a perspective on disrupting ableism in the workplace: Why it’s happening, its many forms, its impact and what can, and needs to be, done about it.

Our two guests have many powerful insights on ableism. Listen to this conversation with Sree Nallamothu and Fran Odette.

Sree Nallamothu is the Co-Executive Director of Toronto Neighbourhood Centres. She’s also a documentary film-maker, a passionate story teller and an advocate for social change.

Fran Odette has more than 25 years of experience in disability advocacy, activism and education. She co-designed and co-teaches a critical disability studies course titled, Disability Discourse: The Experienced Life, at George Brown College in Toronto.

Their insights in this episode will get you thinking more consciously about ableism.

ODEN’s Dr. Jennifer Crowson, PhD, is guest co-host this episode.

SHOW NOTES

• Episode transcript: https://www.odenetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/TranscriptEp20DisruptingAbleismInTheWorkplace-19April2024_otter_ai.pdf
• Maytree “Five Good Ideas” webinar on Disrupting Ableism in the Workplace transcript link: https://maytree.com/five-good-ideas/five-good-ideas-for-disrupting-ableism-in-the-workplace/
• “The Biggest Challenge is Ableism, Not My Disability” — United Nations Africa Renewal e-magazine 2021 article by Franck Kowanu;  interview with Haben Girma: https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/august-2021/‘-biggest-challenge-ableism-not-my-disability’
• Ableism 101: https://www.accessliving.org/newsroom/blog/ableism-101/
• Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital “Dear Everybody” campaign to end ableism against youth who have a disability: https://deareverybody.hollandbloorview.ca/?utm_campaign=DearEverybody21&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=textpost&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7-SvBhB6EiwAwYdCAayqMMB4GA_2TYPstJ6-KZfDLTcWUGOImL86p1L21TITBUyiHw_5bRoCwioQAvD_BwE
• United Nations Geneva Disability-Inclusive Language Guidelines: https://www.ungeneva.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/Disability-Inclusive-Language-Guidelines.pdf
• Disability Discrimination: Everything Canadian Employers Need to Know: https://www.peninsulagrouplimited.com/ca/resource-hub/discrimination/disability-discrimination-canadian-employer-guide/

A quick recap: IDEA is a six-year research project being done with $9 million of federal funding under Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund. IDEA is reimagining how Canadian workplaces can be more inclusive for people who have a disability.

It’s been almost a year since IDEA officially launched in May 2023, and we wanted to find out what’s been happening since then.

Listen to this great year one update conversation with Dr.Emile Tompa and Dr. Rebecca Gewurtz, who lead the IDEA initiative.

SHOW NOTES

Find out more about the IDEA initiative:

• Website: https://vraie-idea.ca
• Government of Canada page about IDEA: https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/nfrf-fnfr/stories-histoires/2022/inclusive-design-inclusif-eng.aspx
• Institute for Work and Health page about IDEA: https://www.iwh.on.ca/projects/inclusive-design-for-employment-access-idea-evidence-synthesis

Connect with and follow the IDEA initiative on social media:

• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/vraie_idea
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vraie-idea/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vraie_idea/
• YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vraie_idea
• Mastodon: https://mstdn.ca/@vraie_idea

Get in touch about getting involved in the IDEA initiative: info@vraie-idea.ca

Listen to the original conversation about the IDEA initiative (Episode 8): https://youcantspellinclusionwithoutad.podbean.com/e/idea-—-the-new-six-year-initiative-that-s-reimagining-canadian-workplaces-for-disability-inclusion/

According to figures from the Motion Picture Association, film and television production in Canada employed over 240,000 people in 2021/2022. That includes everyone from acting talent and extras, to sound editors and technicians, to camera operators, to makeup artists, to set carpenters.

But of all the people who work on all these productions in all these capacities, how many are people who have a disability? What exactly is the state of disability representation and inclusion in the film, television and modelling industry in Canada? And how is disability portrayed in it?

That’s what we explore in this second and final part of our series on disability in the media.

Our three guests have some powerful industry-insider insights.

• Katie MacMillan, Founder and Director of Operations, Kello Inclusive agency
• Actors Natasha Urkow and George Alevizos, who both have a disability

Show notes:

• Learn more about Kello Inclusive, the only talent agency in Canada representing only disability talent: https://www.kelloinclusive.org
• Find out about the CBC Television series, PUSH: https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/program/push
• Learn more about ACTRA: https://www.actratoronto.com
• Listen to part 1 in this series: https://youcantspellinclusionwithoutad.podbean.com/e/ep-17-disability-in-the-media-pt-1-—-disability-coverage-in-the-media/

People who have a disability are just regular people, living their every-day lives one day at a time...like all of us. Celebrating triumphs in life, and coping with life stresses...like all of us. But that’s not necessarily the message that comes across in media stories about disability. 

Myths and misconceptions about disability are still prevalent. And journalists and the media play a critical role in how people who have a disability...how disability itself...is perceived...and the level of disability awareness among the general population. 

That’s what we’re exploring in this episode, part one in a two-part series on Disability in the Media.  

Beth Haller teaches Disability Studies and Media Studies at Towson University in Maryland. Gus Alexiou and John Loeppky are both freelance journalists who have a disability.  

Our three guests have some powerful insights into the state of disability coverage in newsrooms, and disability-related stories produced in them. 

It’s a fitting title for this series. Because when a business leader or owner makes the conscious decision to become intentional about disability inclusion in their organization, it really is a long-term journey. 

In Making the Journey, we talk one-on-one with business leaders about the twists, turns, challenges, awkward conversations, successes and lessons learned along the way in their disability-inclusive hiring journey.  

For the first instalment of Making the Journey, we talk with Joe Hoffer. He’s a partner at Cohen Highley LLP in London. And he’s an ODEN Business Champion.  

Cohen Highley forged a disability inclusion path for other businesses in Southwestern Ontario to follow...and they are. This is an insight-packed, engaging conversation. 

Show Notes: 

– Learn about the ODEN Business Champions League: 

https://www.odenetwork.com/businesses/business-champs-league/ 

– Business resources: 

https://www.odenetwork.com/businesses/business-resources/ 

– Business benefits of disability-inclusive hiring: 

https://www.odenetwork.com/businesses/business-benefits/ 

– Tip Sheet: 7 Tips for Making Sure Your Business is Disability Inclusive: 

https://www.odenetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ODEN_7_Tips_Disability_04-FINAL-EN-FINAL-ua.pdf 

–Tip Sheet: 7 Tips for Ensuring Disability is Part of the DEI Conversation in Your Business 

https://www.odenetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EN_7_Tips_BIZ_02-FINAL-FINAL-ua.pdf 

Disability innovation is happening around the globe...but is it truly happening *globally* in the collaborative sense of the word? 

That’s the question we’re exploring in this episode with our three guests: Professor Jutta Treviranus (OCAD University); Valarie Wafer (Chair of the Rotary International Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force); and Christine Hemphill (Founder and Managing Director of Open Inclusion).

Have a listen to this engaging conversation about the global state of disability inclusion.

All this conversation is a good thing. But, it’s a discourse that’s been going on in Canada for over a hundred years. For all intents and purposes, the modern conversation in Canada about disability inclusion started during World War One.

It was originally focused on wounded veterans who were repatriating home with a disability; their employment prospects; their employability; and just how they were perceived by and fit into Canadian society and employers of the day.

The nuances have changed since 1917 and 1918, but the conversation about disability inclusion in business is still going on in 2023. Now, it’s mostly rolled into the over-arching business conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion.

So how much has really changed in Canada? How much has the needle moved? Where is it right now? And how much more does it need to move? Questions we explore in this episode, with guests Michael Bach, Yat Li and Anita Huberman.  

From smartphones, to podcast apps, to earbuds, to eyeglasses, to canes, they’re all AT. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes, assistive technology is “an umbrella term.” 

There are many things like texting, that have become ubiquitous — that we take for granted, that were developed originally as an aid for people who have a disability. 

Globally, according to figures from the WHO, right now there are 2.5 billion people who need one or more AT products to help them navigate their daily lives. With the population aging, that number’s expected to rise. 

We use AT every day in business, at work and at home, without necessarily thinking of what we’re using, as assistive technology. 

This episode, we get you thinking more consciously about AT. The WHO has its definition of AT; we find out how our three guests define it. And how important is your mindset about assistive technology? We explore that question, too. And we get some insights on the state of AT in 2023, and what exciting things are ahead. 

Show Notes: 

Learn about the many accessibility features of mobile devices: https://www.gari.info/index.cfm 

But is accessibility....that universal power of the Web referred to by its inventor, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, keeping pace with modern web technology and design?  

More often than not today, websites are the first point of customer contact for any organization. Anyone looking for information is going to go to your website first. 

But here’s the thing: The WebAim Million 2023 Report on the Accessibility of the Top One Million Web Pages found that 96.3% of home pages have WCAG 2.0 failures. And that’s down only slightly from 96.8% in 2022. 

This episode, we explore why businesses are still lagging behind on making their websites accessible, and what needs to happen to get the Web back to that universality regardless of disability that Tim Berners-Lee envisioned.  

We get our three guests’ different web accessibility perspectives on what needs to happen and how to get there; and what we might expect with web accessibility in the years ahead. Listen to this engaging conversation with Ran Ronen, David Berman and Sabine Lobnig.  

Read the WebAim Million 2023 report: https://webaim.org/projects/million/ 

What are hidden mobility disabilities? Generally, they’re the inability to walk any great distance or stand for a long time.  

And The HMD Project has been investigating accessibility as it relates to hidden mobility disabilities.  

For the past year, The HMD Project has been exploring possible changes to federal accessibility standards needed to address HMDs. The project’s spearheaded by the Hidden Mobility Disabilities Alliance (HMDA), and funded by Accessibility Standards Canada. 

The Ontario Disability Employment Network has been the HMDA’s primary partner on The HMD Project. We’ve been co-ordinating and promoting project participation by individuals and organizations, in a national survey and focus groups.  

It’s been just over a year since You Can’t Spell Inclusion Without a D talked with the Chief Facilitator of The HMD Project, Dr. Dorothy Riddle. We wanted to find out what Dr. Riddle has been finding out from that national survey and focus groups since our original conversation in June 2022.  

In this follow-up conversation, we talk to Dorothy Riddle, along with Ingrid Muschta. Ingrid is ODEN’s Director of Special Projects and Innovation. She has been co-ordinating the national survey and focus group participation. 

So what are some of the key findings coming out of the project research? Have a listen to this engaging conversation and find out. You may be surprised to learn — just as the researchers were — that there are many more Canadians with limited mobility issues and disabilities, than you might think. What are the implications of that? Listen and find out.  

Learn more about The HMD Project: http://hmdproject.org/ 

Learn about the Hidden Mobility Disabilities Alliance: https://hiddenmobilitydisabilities.com/ 

In Canada, there are over 540,000 between the ages of 15 and 24. 

Over 100,000 of these youth are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Seventy-seven per cent of this group — over 83,000 young people who have a disability — are potential new employees. 

A lot of young, fresh talent is being overlooked for a talent pipeline that can help businesses stay successful in the future. For youth who have a disability, the unemployment rate is significantly higher than it is for young people without disabilities. 

In this episode, we look at why there’s an imbalance of opportunities, and how we can build an equitable future for disability talent.  

Listen to this conversation with Dr. Jennifer Crowson, PhD, and Carolyn McDougall.

Jennifer leads ODEN’s Canadian Youth Success Strategy initiative. Carolyn is an Occupational Therapist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto. She’s also the Lead for the Hospital’s Transition Strategy — Employment Pathways, and co-ordinates employment programming for over 80 youth who have a disability, annually.  

Here are some Holland Bloorview resources: 

• For youth & families: https://hollandbloorview.ca/services/programs-services/youth-employment-participation-programs (contact Holland Bloorview if you want help connecting with programming or supports in communities outside Toronto)   
• For employers: Visit the Employer Resource Hub: https://hollandbloorview.ca/employer-resource-hub   
• For educators: Module 5 of our Project Inclusion series  https://deareverybody.hollandbloorview.ca/project-inclusion/ 

Canadian Youth Success Strategy: 

• For more information about the Canadian Youth Success Strategy, contact Dr. Jennifer Crowson by email at jcrowson@odenetwork.com. 

In this second part of our two-part series on new disability research in Canada, we find out about something innovative being done at the University of Calgary. Multisensory storytelling research — research that’s accessible and inclusive of people who have a disability. If this sounds innovative, it is. It’s a Canadian first. In fact, it’s the first initiative of its kind in the world. It’s adding a whole new dimension to how social research is done.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Kathleen Sitter, PhD. She runs the Multisensory Studio at the University of Calgary. She’s also Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Work, and the Canada Research Chair in Multisensory Storytelling in Research and Knowledge Translation.

Listen to this conversation that will rouse all your senses, and get you thinking differently about accessibility and disability inclusion in research. 

We talk with the two experts leading IDEA who are reimagining how Canadian workplaces can be more inclusive for people who have a disability. Their main message — employers aren’t the disability inclusion problem; they’re the solution.

Listen to this compelling conversation with Dr. Emile Tompa and Dr. Rebecca Gewurtz. This is part one in a two-part series about new disability research initiatives in Canada.  

Caroline Casey, founder and creator of The Valuable 500, affirms that they must “be curious and intentional about making change,” and urges leaders to “Go into your people, ask your people in business who are connected to disability, how you can do it better. Ask, admit you don’t know.” 

“But don’t think you can walk away from this issue anymore, because it’s your issue. It’s the most important thing a business leader can do.” 

Casey, and Paul Polman, Chair of The Valuable 500, provide unique, candid insights on progress that’s been made, and on what still needs to be done when in 2022, people with disabilities are changing the future of work and business more than ever before. 

Listen to the full, compelling conversation with Caroline Casey and Paul Polman, now. 

There are actually over 500,000 Canadians who live with HMD. It’s an aspect of disability that’s not obvious, and often overlooked. And it’s one that creates some significant obstacles to inclusion and accessibility. 

In this episode of You Can't Spell Inclusion Without a D, co-hosts Jeannette Campbell and Dean Askin explore HMD and The HMD Project in an insightful conversation with Dr. Dorothy Riddle and Dr. Haley Giennow-McConnell.

Dorothy is the chief facilitator of The HMD Project, and Haley is one of ODEN's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Specialists. She's the ODEN lead on The HMD Project.

Listen to find out about HMD.

And, if you're listening from Canada, in this conversation, you'll learn how you can — and why you should — participate in The HMD Project.

Learn more on The HMD Project website, and take the survey: http://hmdproject.org/

What a great conversation with John Robinson, the founder of Our Ability and Jobs Ability U.S. 

Thanks to John for sharing so many business and personal insights about his journey creating Our Ability and the Jobs Ability AI-based job search platform that makes it easy for companies in hiring mode to connect with job seekers, with disabilities.

Grab a big mug of coffee hand have a listen.

Initially, starting at the end of September (through to the middle of March 2022), VR technology called VjobReady is going to be used to help 160 Ontario job seekers who have a disability get a feel for what it’s like to work in the food and hospitality sector.

And it’s kind of neat that the employment service provider behind the development of this VR training application, is one of ODEN’s members.

Career Services of Brockville in Brockville, ON, spent the last three years building this first iteration of VjobReady. They knew they had something important, innovative and significant, right from the start.

On July 6, their efforts literally paid off big. The Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development awarded Career Services of Brockville a $380,000 grant.

In this episode, we talk with Career Services of Brockville Executive Director Cynthia Sparring, and Corporate Engagement Specialist Chad Noonan, about what this all means for job seekers, businesses, job training, and VjobReady future research and development.

Our guests are two C-Suite business leaders — Paul M. Clark and Derek Burleton of TD.

Paul is President of TD Direct Investing and Executive Vice-President of TD Bank Group. He’s also chair of TD’s People With Disabilities Committee, and is on TD’s Diversity Leadership Council.

Derek is TD Vice-President and Deputy Chief Economist. He’s also the co-author of an October 2019 TD Economics report titled, Canadians With Disabilities: Seizing the Opportunity.

Both Paul and Derek have been with TD for decades. In this episode, they also discuss the diversity and inclusion (D&I) evolution within the bank that they are still witnessing; where TD is right now on D&I; and the future direction of D&I at TD.  

In episode one, a conversation about The Power of Inclusion with Canada's Federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough; and Zahra Jadavji, Accenture Managing Director and Accenture's Inclusion and Diversity Lead for Canada.