As students across Canada step out of the university classrooms and into an increasingly challenging job market, youth with disabilities are facing even bigger hurdles.

As of this fall, youth (age 15 to 24) employment is about 54 per cent. Youth employment has not been this low since 1999, excluding peak pandemic years. This number includes youth with and without disabilities.

The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) noted that students and recent graduates with disabilities represent 20 per cent of the country’s youth, yet experience higher unemployment rates, even as more attend post-secondary education. “It’s pretty grim out there right now,” said Vanessa Sinclair, director of research and evaluation at CCRW. “I think even more so with some of these disruptive technologies like AI, it’s just harder to get a foot in the door in a lot of these fields where there are fewer entry level positions.” 

These challenges, she added, are compounded for students with disabilities. Some small to medium sized businesses (those with under 500 employees) lack formal processes, such as a human resources department, to equitably recruit and manage workers with disabilities. 

According to the CCRW, some employers also impose unnecessary barriers, such as a requirement for a personal vehicle when public transportation is a reasonable alternative, unnecessary heavy lifting, or vague language in the job description.

“A lot of employers assume that accessibility and accommodation is going to be very expensive, that it’s going to require a lot of work, and that’s not necessarily true but it is a common misconception,” Sinclair said. 

She explained that many accommodations people need do not require direct investment, such as allowing an employee to have flexible hours and a hybrid environment so they can attend medical appointments.

Emma Collington, PhD candidate at UW and co-executive director of The Disabled CoLab, noted in a statement to Imprint that students with disabilities may feel nervous to advocate for their needs.

“Students with disabilities need to ensure that their disability-related needs are met, which requires that they disclose their disability or at the very least their accommodation needs to a prospective employer,” Collington said. “In our conversations with students at the Ontario Summit for Students with Disabilities, participants shared their fears that disclosing a disability may impact their ability to find placements due to the stigma and perceived limitations of disability.”

Employers have a legal duty, in provincial and federal legislation, to provide reasonable accommodations, but only about 35 per cent of workers with disabilities request them.

Sinclair noted that it is important for students and graduates with disabilities to learn to advocate for themselves, as well as to know their rights, know their employment rights, and what the duty to accommodate is for employers. 

“Even practicing how to approach some of those challenging conversations when you’re in the job market, or when you’re in your first job… you may need to ask for an accommodation of some sort,” Sinclair said. “Being able to go into that prepared is going to do a lot to set you up for success and advocate for your needs.”

Post-secondary institutions can help, according to the CCRW, by advocating for youth with disabilities. They can, for example, develop educational materials or tools that career counsellors can share with employers to clarify accessibility and accommodations and combat ableism. They can also help through hosting networking events and job fairs for people with disabilities.

“What’s available to students who are graduating is contingent on each individual school. They have a lot of flexibility and leeway in terms of what they offer,” Sinclair said. “Some might have really comprehensive support available for graduates, and others might not.” 

When asked what career-specific services UW offers to students and graduates with disabilities, a UW spokesperson noted that all career advisors have “engaged in training on how to best support students with intersectional identities including disabilities.”

Graduates can access the Centre for Career Development from the end of their last term until convocation. “Advancement and Alumni Affairs are looking at alternative methods to offer career supports to alumni,” said the UW spokesperson. Alumni also have access to the non co-op job board and WaterlooWorks indefinitely. 

There is a public document on CareerHub to support people with disabilities, and UW aims to grow these resources over time. UW also works with external organizations to support students with disabilities, including Discover Ability Network, March of Dimes, and Specialisterne.