Untapped talent summit seeks to narrow employment ‘gap’ for those with disabilities

The first-ever “Untapped Talent Summit” on Monday will bring together unemployed and under-employed Canadians with disabilities at a crucial time to address a widening employment gap for those with disabilities.

The virtual meeting space is hosted by the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) and will feature panel discussions, mentorship strategies and networking for employers and job-seekers.

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The virtual event is free for participants and is expected to host at least 1,800 people who have already registered, according to CCRW president and CEO Maureen Haan.

The summit comes at a crucial time, Haan said, with recent Statistics Canada data revealing that 10 per cent of Canadians with disabilities said they were denied employment in the past five years directly because of their disability. An additional 10 per cent said they believed they were unfairly overlooked for promotions due to their disability.

Haan said the summit will feature the launch of the “Untapped Talent job board,” and online platform that will offer job-seekers free access to inclusive job postings and resources to assist in finding “meaningful” employment.

On its website, the CCRW describes itself as is “a national not-for-profit organization that exists to promote and support meaningful and equitable employment of persons with disabilities.”

The summit is described as the first of its kind in Canada.

“We are inviting job seekers with disabilities or workers with disabilities who might be looking for a new career, along with employers and businesses across Canada,” Haan said.

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The two-hour virtual summit will begin with panel discussions featuring professionals with disabilities speaking about their career journeys and the value of mentorship.

The launch of the job board is expected to be a highlight, Haan said, and will hopefully address the acute employment gap faced by those with disabilities.

The overall disability rate in Ontario is 28 per cent, “which is huge,” Haan said.

“When we talk about employment gaps, those folks without disabilities and who are employed, it’s 76 per cent. That drops to 57 per cent for those who have disabilities,” Haan said.

“That is a 19 per cent gap for those with disabilities who are of working age (which is considered to be ages 25 to 64.)”

The gap in Ontario is well above the national average of 16 per cent.

“We’re looking at that gap and we’re looking at a labour shortage, we’re seeing businesses unable to find the talent they need, and then we look at this untapped talent … if it’s just a matter of a workplace making a few modifications to the way they’ve always done things, then that will attract this new group of folks with talent,” Haan said.

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“What we really need to do is to look at folks with disabilities as folks with talent. We need to not look at their disability, but (look at) what is their talent. And what is the barrier that they have to get into employment, and how do we fix that barrier.”

Canadians with disabilities and employers looking to build more inclusive workplaces are encouraged to register for free for Monday’s summit at UntappedTalent.ca.

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