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 Research & Evaluation Manager, Vanessa Sinclair, PhD at vsinclair@ccrw.org.
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.
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. Data are being collected from CCRW’s Employment Services staff, who provide the training; employers in our network; and jobseekers taking CCRW’s skills trainings. Data is collected through a combination of eLearning assessment data, surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
The Research in STEAM project aims to raise awareness of the significance of socioemotional skills, and skills training programs, on employment outcomes for persons with disabilities, as well as to promote the widespread integration of curriculum or supports for developing these skills amongst stakeholders.
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.
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 Reports Series
CCRW’s Trends Report highlights and synthesizes Canadian statistics, labour market trends, frameworks, policies, and best practices for accessible employment in Canada.
2023 Trends Report: Making Waves in the Current Canadian Labour Market
Developed in collaboration with CCRW Research and INNoVA, the 2023 Trends Report explores historical, present, and future trends in labour market equity for people with disabilities. Key topics include the development of disability policy in Canada, intersectionality, post-pandemic work, and the impact of the Accessible Canada Act. An accessible audio version is also available.
2021 Trends Report: Building Inclusion in Canada: Disability in Labour Market Trends
This report used data from the Canadian Survey on Disability (2017) to highlight industry-specific and COVID-19-related trends in the employment of persons with disabilities.
2024 Trends Report: Shaping Tomorrow
The 2024 Trends Report, Shaping Tomorrow, showcases how disability inclusive work benefits the community, employers, and Canada at large. Through four articles covering employer attitudes and hiring decisions, inclusive career advancement, the economic and social return on disability inclusion, and trends in employment data for diverse Canadians with disabilities, we illustrate how recognizing the accessibility advantage will help us realize a fully inclusive Canadian labour market.
ASC Draft Standard on Employment – Policy Recommendations and Community Consultation
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
1) Define disability confidence
2) Focus on genuine inclusion over representation targets
3) Advocate for a federal centralized accommodation fund
Empowering Women: Transformative Effects of Trauma-Informed Employment Supports and Skill Development
2023
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.
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.
Collaborations & Past Projects
2021-2023
READi Research Training Program (2023): In collaboration with Dr. Claire Davies at Queen’s University’s Building Design and Accessibility Department, Research provided research mentorship and direction to the 2023 student cohort in the Research and Education in Accessibility, Design, and Innovation (READi) training program
Research assisted in the development of two resource toolkits on disability and inclusion (“From Disability to Inclusion” and “Illuminate Opportunity”) for Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) and consulted on the development of their Safe Space Disclosure Tool
CBDC Restigouche Hirefortalent Environmental Scan (2021): Research conducted an environmental scan identifying and gathering resources for CBDC Restigouche’s Hirefortalent directory of funding and other resources.