By Leah Den Hartogh [1] and Olivia Timm [2]
BELLEVILLE – Individuals who identify as having a physical disability can be at a loss when it comes to finding a place in the workplace.
A recent poll conducted by Angus Reid Institute [3] shows that out of the 1330 people surveyed, 50 per cent believe that it is a risk for employers to hire workers who have a physical disability.
People with physical disabilities also have a lower employment rate compared to those without a disability.
Those with a physical disability have a employment rate of 49 per cent; while those who do not have a disability have a rate of 79 per cent according to a Statistics Canada survey [4] released in 2011.
In 2005 the Canadian government passed the Accessibility for Ontarian’s with Disabilities Act [5]to help with offering disabled people with opportunities for work and the stoppage of discrimination against them.
QNet News will be speaking to a local disability activist, the Ontario Disability Support Program, the city of Belleville and accessibility services at Loyalist College to find out more about barriers to hiring people with disabilities.
Stay tuned for more.