TORONTO, ON (October 10, 2023) – Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital (Holland Bloorview) launches its Ready to Work anti-stigma campaign in support of youth and young adults with disabilities and developmental differences who want to find meaningful employment. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Holland Bloorview is raising awareness around its employment resources to shine light on the importance of disability inclusion in the workplace and to challenge Canadian employers to adopt inclusive practices to recruit and retain youth with disabilities.

The Conference Board of Canada predicts a shortfall of two million workers by 2031. While this labour shortfall may sound startling, part of the solution lies in the thousands of youth with disabilities entering the workforce. There is a strong business case around accessing the untapped talent pool of Canadians with disabilities – 22 per cent identify as having a disability. According to the Ontario Disability Employment Network, inclusive workplaces boast higher profits, better productivity and increased employee retention (source).

“Work is important to personal growth, fulfillment and economic well-being,” says Carolyn McDougall, manager, employment pathways, Holland Bloorview. “Work experiences during adolescence and young adulthood are crucial. With the Ready to Work campaign, we hope to dispel the stigma associated with disability and build employer awareness about the benefits of having a workforce that include young workers with disabilities.”

Marya, 23, is currently a second-year human rights and equity studies student at York University and is employed as an outreach coordinator at SMILE Canada. Her condition can be best described as Chromosome-9 deletion, which affects her muscle tone and requires her to use a power wheelchair for mobility. A passionate advocate of inclusion, representation and accessibility, she has given many talks where she describes her experiences as a Muslim woman with a disability.

“Growing up with a disability meant that I already felt excluded from my peers and as though I don’t belong,” says Marya. “I thought the workforce would be different, but to my surprise, once again I wasn’t included and found it hard to secure jobs that my able-bodied peers had.”

While Marya faced many challenges throughout her employment journey, she reflects on how Holland Bloorview’s employment programs gave her the confidence to begin looking for work. Her story demonstrates the importance of readily accessible resources for both employers and youth with disabilities.

Dr. Sally Lindsay, senior scientist at the Bloorview Research Institute, and her team developed a workplace disclosure decision-aid tool for youth and young adults on the autism spectrum. Developed by Dr. Vanessa Tomas, a researcher on Dr. Lindsay’s team, the Autism Decision-aid Tool provides guidance around whether they should disclose their autism diagnosis at work, and how. This tool is part of a larger suite of resources under the Healthy and Productive Paid work for Youth with disability (HAPPY) project.

In the spirit of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Holland Bloorview is asking organizational leaders to sign up for our Employer Career Fair. Over the week of October 23rd, employers can hear from youth who have lived experience with disability, while also gaining access to a suite of resources to learn how to attract and retain youth with disabilities. Our Employer Career Fair is fully virtual and registrants can learn at their own pace.

To learn more about what it takes to create an inclusive workplace, please visit hollandbloorview.ca/readytowork and take part in the conversation on social media using the hashtag #ReadyToWork.

About Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital believes in creating a world where all youth and children belong. We are the only children’s rehabilitation hospital in Canada focused on combining world-class care, transformational research, and academic leadership in the field of child and youth rehabilitation and disability. We are a top 40 Canadian research hospital that is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. Providing both inpatient and outpatient services, Holland Bloorview is renowned for its expertise in co-creating with clients and families to provide exceptional care and is the only organization to ever achieve 100 per cent in three successive quality surveys by Accreditation Canada. Holland Bloorview is a founding member of Kids Health Alliance, a network of partners working to create a high quality, consistent and coordinated approach to pediatric health care that is centred around children, youth and their families. Together we dream big. Together we champion a world of possibility.  For more information or to donate, please visit hollandbloorview.ca or connect on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and the parent-blog BLOOM.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Ashley Cruz
Senior Media Relations Specialist
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
acruz@hollandbloorview.ca
C: 647-400-4351