Accessibility focuses on creating barrier-free spaces where people with disabilities have equal access to what they need to participate fully and independently in various aspects of their lives, alongside neurotypical people and people who do not have disabilities. Not only will accessibility allow for a company’s workforce to flourish, but research shows that organizations that hire people with disabilities and properly incorporate accessibility best-practices in their organizations outperform organizations that do not.
NorQuest’s Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion Centre (WAIC) is transforming work cultures across Canada. The WAIC provides customized consulting and professional development opportunities to employers across Canada seeking to hire, retain, and support employees with disabilities.
The WAIC also engages in research activities designed to drive advancements in the understanding of accessible workplaces and how to best support those with disabilities, allowing workers and organizations to grow and create national and global impact.
Below are two examples of research initiatives designed to improve accessibility in the workplace.
The first is an example of a national project that demonstrates the impact of learner-specific and employer-supporting program development designed in response to labour market needs. Through project evaluation activities, it was confirmed that when equity-deserving individuals are given the opportunity to participate in upskilling programming designed for them and with them, they can overcome many of the day-to-day challenges associated with their marginalized identities and contribute meaningfully to the economy. The second initiative is the ongoing research program of Brooke Leifso, Research Chair in Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion.
An Innovative and Holistic Approach for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Overcome Barriers to Employment in the Digital Economy
This initiative was supported by the Youth Employment Skills Strategy (YESS) Program, part of Employment and Social Development Canada.
- Project lead: Erika Goble, PhD
- Project coordinator: Erin Waugh
- Applied research lead: Brooke Leifso, MA
- Funding dates: 2020-2023
- Project partners:
- Humber Polytechnic, Ontario
- Douglas College, British Columbia
- Technology North Corp.
- Collaborating organizations:
- Community Living BC
- Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers
- The City of Edmonton
- Work BC
- Pacific Autism Family Network
- Ready Willing and Able
- Canucks Autism Network
- PossAbilities
- Developmental Disabilities Association
- Orbital Learning
- Accessible Employers
- Autism Community Training
- Autism Edmonton
- YMCA
- Kinsight
- Inclusion Langley Society
- Pathfinder Youth Centre Society
- Community Living Society
- Pacific Community Resources Society
- Sources Specialized Employment Services
- Diverse City
About the project
This project provided educational programming and work-integrated learning experiences to over 470 Autistic and Indigenous youth (between 18 and 30 years old) located across Canada. NorQuest (Alberta), Humber (Ontario), and Douglas (British Columbia) colleges recruited, trained, and worked alongside participants to find meaningful work placements toward sustainable employment in the digital economy. Over 130 individuals remain employed where they completed their work-integrated learning placements, while 175 have returned to school for additional education after gaining confidence and success in this program.
The project offered digital asset management, data analytics, and audio postproduction programming options to participants who reported either unemployment or underemployment during the project application stage. Project participants were not the only ones who reported significant benefits from project activities. Of the over 100 participating employer partners, 48 reported that they had significantly changed their accessibility and inclusion policies, practices and procedures because of their participation. Through project-funded organization accessibility and inclusion training, over 1,500 individuals increased their knowledge, experience, and confidence in working with Autistic individuals within their respective organizations.
The project outcomes proved that when employers are given the time, space, and resources to intentionally adjust their workplaces and workforces to ensure inclusion and belonging, they thrive without significant financial expenditures. Since the project wrapped up activities in 2023, the ripples of the project's impacts on the community have been significant. Additional grants were secured to run another four cohorts of students, the Ministry of Advanced Education in Alberta approved the program to be run for credit beginning in the fall of 2025, and the support for employers has been incorporated into the college’s newly formed Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion Centre.
Cultural for All – Accessibility in the Arts and Culture Non-profit Sector
This Initiative has received funding from various sources, including partners.
- Project lead: Brooke Leifso, MA
- Project duration: April 2024-ongoing
- Partners:
- Fringe Theatre
- Edmonton Poetry Festival
- CKUA
About the project
As part of her Research Chair program, Brooke Leifso works with non-profit organizations to increase accessibility for all involved as an over-reaching approach to enable pilot projects that other non-profit organizations can replicate. Pilots include creation of tools to access accessibility, policy review, and educational programming for staff, including accessibility basics and demographic assessments surveys. A specific example is the peer-support volunteer program. Created for the Edmonton International Fringe Festival, this program was piloted as a completely volunteer-run capacity-building initiative to allow volunteers to support other volunteers who need extra help. As an innovative solution, it allows greater inclusion into the volunteer sector for all. This peer-support model is being defined to be replicated for other non-profit, volunteer-led organizations.
Explore NorQuest’s Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion Centre at norquest.ca/waic