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About the Building Employment Pathways for People with Disabilities Toolkit

The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) is pleased to release the Building Employment Pathways for People with Disabilities Toolkit, an evidence-based resource designed to help Canadian employers create more inclusive and accessible workplaces for persons with disabilities.

Developed through the Building Employment Pathways for People with Disabilities Project, the toolkit was funded by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) through the Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity (WORBE) program. The project was led by NEADS in partnership with researchers from Nipissing University, Ontario Tech University, York University, and Durham College.

Toolkit Resources

The Building Employment Pathways for People with Disabilities Toolkit is an evidence-based resource developed by NEADS and university researchers to help Canadian employers create more inclusive workplaces. The toolkit includes an Employer Guide with 90 recommendations across eight employment domains, an academic report explaining the research and methodology, eight fact sheets, and a case studies companion. Together, these resources provide practical, research-informed guidance to support the recruitment, retention, accommodation, and advancement of employees with disabilities.

The toolkit is intended for:

• Employers of all sizes
• Human resources professionals
• Hiring managers
• Organizational leaders
• Accessibility and inclusion practitioners
• Researchers and policymaker

Included in the Toolkit

1. Employer Guide to Disability Employment Practices in Canada

The flagship resource containing 90 evidence-based recommendations across the employment lifecycle, including:

• Recruitment
• Interviewing
• Hiring
• Onboarding
• Accommodation
• Return to Work
• Career Advancement
• Retention and Inclusive Culture

2. Academic Report

• Academic Report:Building Employment Pathways for People with Disabilities Project: An Employer Guide to Disability Employment Practices in Canada – Evidence-Based Recommendations from a Convergence Synthesis of Canadian Grey Literature

This companion report explains the research methods, evidence synthesis process, and methodology used to develop the recommendations. The project originally sought to adapt an existing evidence-based employer guideline for the Canadian context. However, after a comprehensive review of nearly 4,900 published records and extensive international grey literature, researchers found that no rigorously developed evidence-based employer guideline on disability employment practices existed.

In response, the research team conducted a convergence synthesis of Canadian grey literature, analyzing employer resources developed by governments, human rights commissions, accessibility offices, and disability organizations across Canada.

The resulting guide is based on:

• 90 formal recommendations
• 1,577 extracted evidence statements
• 96 source documents
• Contributions from 56 independent Canadian organizations

3. The Eight Fact Sheets

Quick-reference guides covering each employment domain:

• 1. 1. Recruitment Fact Sheet 1
     2. Interviewing Fact Sheet 2 
     3. Hiring Fact Sheet 3 
     4. Onboarding Fact Sheet 4 
     5. Accommodation Fact Sheet 5 
     6. Return to Work Fact Sheet 6
     7. Career Advancement Fact Sheet 7
     8. Retention and Inclusive Culture Fact Sheet 8

4. Case Studies Companion

A collection of practical workplace scenarios demonstrating how employers can apply the toolkit’s recommendations to real-world situations involving hiring, accommodation, retention, and return-to-work processes.

Project Lead

Dr. Charles Anyinam, RN, PhD
Principal Investigator and Associate Professor
Nipissing University

About NEADS

The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) is a national consumer organization dedicated to supporting the full participation of post-secondary students and graduates with disabilities in education, employment, and community life.

National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
Room 514 Nideyinàn
Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6
Telephone: (613) 380-8065 ext. 201

National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)

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