Roughly one in 10 Canadians with disabilities say they’ve been denied employment in the past five years directly because of their disability, according to a new report by the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work.
It found a similar percentage (10 per cent) of people with disabilities believe they’ve been unfairly overlooked for promotions due to their disability, with higher rates among those with memory (21 per cent), learning (18 per cent) and developmental (17 per cent) disabilities.
Indeed, many workers choose not to disclose their disability or accommodation needs at work, fearing negative outcomes like missed advancement opportunities or job loss, said the report. The most common reasons for not requesting accommodations are feeling uncomfortable asking an employer (45 per cent) and not wanting to disclose the accommodation need (36 per cent).
Read: 88% of employees with disabilities, neurodivergence have disclosed their condition at work: survey
A quarter (24 per cent) of those who did request workplace accommodations reported their needs weren’t met, with women with disabilities particularly facing neglect in this area.
While the rate of mental-health disability has increased more than any other type of disability, these disabilities remain highly stigmatized in the workplace, the report noted.
For workers with mental-health disabilities, the accommodations most needed are modified work hours (26 per cent), working from home (17 per cent) and modified job duties (17 per cent). However, among workers with mental-health disabilities who chose not to request accommodations, roughly half said they made this choice because they feared negative outcomes.
“This data is a call to action for employers to prioritize inclusivity and to dismantle the barriers that prevent talented individuals with disabilities from fully participating in the workforce,” said Maureen Haan, president and chief executive officer of the CCRW, in a press release.
Read: Employers that support employees with disabilities more productive, profitable: report