We are available to partner, collaborate, co-lead and provide research assistance on government funded projects that relate to disability and work.
About Research at CCRW
Research is a fundamental pillar supporting our service delivery, advocacy, and internal operations. Through our research activities, we create and share new knowledge, engage the community and amplify the voices of jobseekers with disabilities, drive innovation, and demonstrate our impact.
We’re committed to conducting community-based, participatory research on disability and work in Canada. We aim to move knowledge into practice, where it can be used by jobseekers, employers, and community advocates.
If you are interested in learning more about our research or exploring opportunities to collaborate, get in touch with our Director of Research and Evaluation, Vanessa Sinclair, PhD at vsinclair@ccrw.org.
Research
Our community-based research initiatives explore the intersection of disability and employment in Canada, generating evidence to promote the equal participation of people with disabilities in the workforce.
Closing the Gap: Best Practices for Supporting d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Workers in BC | 2024-2026
Closing the gap is a 2-year, multi-phase research project that will include an intersectional analysis of labour market data on the DHH population in British Columbia, qualitative data collected from DHH jobseekers, ASL interpreters, and BC employers, and knowledge mobilization activities aimed at putting best practices into the hands of employers and policymaker
The Closing the gap project aims to identify and improve upon current practices for DHH labour market participation in BC by 1) Identifying barriers to employment faced by the BC’s DHH population; 2) Investigating access to ASL interpreters, including barriers to entering the profession; and 3) Disseminating the project’s findings and resources to employers and organizations serving the DHH community, as well as scholarly channels.
Research in STEAM (Skilled Talent Employment Advantage Method) | 2023-2025
The Research in STEAM project is a 20-month mixed-methods evaluative research and knowledge mobilization project funded by the Government of Canada’s Skills for Success Program. This project explores how developing socioemotional skills (or “soft skills”) via pre-employment training impacts employment outcomes for jobseekers with disabilities, recognizing that these soft skills are increasingly valued in today’s labour market.
CCRW offers skills training for all 9 Skills for Success to jobseekers with disabilities through our eLearning catalogue, including the “soft skills”: Adaptability, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity and Innovation, and Problem-Solving skills.Through surveys and focus groups with jobseekers, employment services staff, and employers, we researched how developing these skills can support people with disabilities in their job search and employment.
Based on what we learned through Research in STEAM, we created the Strong Foundations resource to share insights on transferable skills, including what these skills are, why they matter, and how to develop them, and best practices for service providers on coaching and creating training programs.
Sourcing Understanding Through Research for Future Talent (SURF) | 2023-2026
SURF is a 3-year longitudinal mixed-methods study funded by Accessibility Standards Canada through the Advancing Accessibility Standards Research program. In this project, we aim to understand the barriers and facilitators experienced by new postsecondary graduates with disabilities as they transition from education to employment.
Students on the cusp of graduation who self-identify as having a disability are participating in this study through online surveys and qualitative focus group sessions. Findings will be used to improve the postsecondary career development environment and the school-to-work transition for students with disabilities, including students who are members of other equity-deserving groups, paving the way for more inclusive and accessible postsecondary institutions. Our goal is to use these insights to inform accessibility policies and practices in the university and college settings.
CCRW has partnered with the National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS), Carleton University’s Accessibility Institute, and Queen’s University’s Building and Designing Assistive Technology lab (BDAT) on the SURF project.
Evaluation
Our theory of change is guided by CCRW’s ultimate goals: promoting meaningful, equitable employment opportunities for Canadians with disabilities.
Through methods such as key informant interviews, focus groups, feedback surveys, and data analysis, we assess the effectiveness of our services. This informs service design and ensures continuous improvement.
Knowledge Mobilization
Through our research, we produce and share new insights, review the latest research findings, and create products that move knowledge “off the shelf” and into the hands of the community, policymakers, and employers.
Trends Report Series
CCRW’s Trends Reports highlights and synthesizes Canadian statistics, labour market trends, frameworks, policies, and best practices for accessible employment in Canada.
PDF Version 
Trends Report 2023: Making Waves in the Current Canadian Labour Market
Past Projects and Collaborations
ASC Draft Standard on Employment (2024)
CCRW’s policy brief on Accessibility Standards Canada’s draft Standard on employment included 3 key recommendations. We invited community consultation and summarized the feedback in a second report.
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CCRW’s policy brief on Accessibility Standards Canada’s draft Standard on employment included 3 key recommendations. We invited community consultation and summarized the feedback in a second report.
3 Key Recommendations
- Define disability confidence
- Focus on genuine inclusion over representation targets
- Advocate for a federal centralized accommodation fund
Empowering Women (2023)
Transformative Effects of Trauma-Informed Employment Supports and Skill Development
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In 2023, CCRW presented a session at the Reimagining Livelihoods Forum, sharing insights from our service model supporting women and gender-diverse jobseekers with disabilities.
Tourism HR Canada Belong Project (2024)
CCRW supported Tourism HR Canada’s Belong Project through research consultation, data collection efforts, and facilitating and analyzing focus groups with job seekers with disabilities.
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Through the Belong initiative, Tourism HR Canada is working to dismantle barriers and support the long-term labour market integration of workers with disabilities across Canada’s tourism sector via activities like employment training, research, resource development, and a national workplace accreditation program.
READi Research Training Program (2023)
CCRW Research provided mentorship and direction to the 2023 student cohort in the Research and Education in Accessibility, Design, and Innovation (READi) training program.
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In collaboration with Dr. Claire Davies at Queen’s University’s Building Design and Accessibility Lab, Research provided mentorship and direction to the 2023 student cohort in the Research and Education in Accessibility, Design, and Innovation (READi) training program, funded by the NSERC CREATE program.
EHRC EnAbling Change Toolkit (2022)
CCRW Research assisted in the development of two resources on disability and inclusion.
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EHRC EnAbling Change Toolkit (2022): Research assisted in the development of two resources on disability and inclusion (“From Disability to Inclusion” and “Illuminate Opportunity”) for Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) and consulted on the development of the EnAbling Change toolkit’s Safe Space Disclosure Tool.
CBDC Restigouche Hirefortalent Environmental Scan (2021)
CCRW Research conducted an environmental scan identifying and gathering resources.
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CCRW Research conducted an environmental scan identifying and gathering resources for CBDC Restigouche’s Hirefortalent directory of funding and other resources.