For Better or Worse?
National Employment Policy
Approaches and Women with
Disabilities
John Vellacott
Educational Leadership and Policy
University of British Columbia
Disclaimer
•
The information and opinions provided in this
presentation are solely those of the author in
his capacity as a doctoral student within the
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
program at the University of British Columbia.
The Issue
•
•
•
People with disabilities are far more likely to face
employment challenges than persons without
disabilities
The employment situation for women with disabilities
is worse than that of men with disabilities or men and
women without disabilities
Women with disabilities who are of aboriginal origin,
persons of colour, or recent immigrants have even
poorer employment prospects
Why It’s Important
•
•
People with disabilities, especially women, suffer
from appallingly high rates of poverty, and paid work
is frequently cited as a primary route out of poverty.
(England, 2003)
Being employed is seen as vital in our society, not
just in terms of financial security, but also for selfesteem, independence, social relationships, selfworth, and personal identity (Yasuda, Wehman,
Targett, Cifu, & West (2002)
The Past
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Vocational Rehabilitation for Disabled Persons Act,
1961(revised 1985)
Obstacles, 1981
Employment Equity Act, 1985
A Consensus for Action, 1990
In Unison, 1998
Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities, 1998
Enabling Income: CPP Disability Benefits and Women with
Disabilities (1999)
Multilateral Frameworks for Labour Market Agreements for
Persons with Disabilities (2004)
Current Situation
•
•
•
•
•
•
No national consensus on policy approaches
No formal, national employment policy for persons
with disabilities
Multiple but fragmented policy and programmatic
responses (policy silos)
Lack of communication both within and between
silos
Fiefdoms and turf wars
Limited attention to the supports needed by women
with disabilities
Challenges
•
•
•
Need for some form of national policy response has
been recognized in Canada for over 50 years with
limited action
Complex policy issues impacting mandates,
jurisdictional responsibilities, fiscal policies, and
relationships between stakeholders
Increasing emphasis within Canadian social and
fiscal policy on maximizing individual self-sufficiency
and minimizing the amount of support provided by
the state
Some Ideas
•
•
•
•
•
Federal reengagement in disability employment
policy
Develop a national employment strategy for persons
with disabilities
Break down the silos
All levels of government collaborate - forget the turf
Stakeholders have real input at the decision making
level on policy
Your Thoughts?
•
jvellaco@interchange.ubc.ca