Our Commitment to Inclusion

A group workshop at the IDEA Launch

IDEA operates under the principle of “Nothing about us without us” 

Nothing about us without us expresses the idea that no law, policy, program, intervention or activity should be decided upon without the full and direct participation of members of the group(s) affected by that law, policy, program, intervention, or activity. In IDEA’s case, that means ensuring the full and direct participation of persons with disabilities in all activities within the social innovation laboratory. 

Persons with disabilities are engaged within IDEA as:  

  • partners; 

  • project advisors; 

  • key informants; 

  • researchers and trainees; and 

  • staff members. 

IDEA engages in co-design 

Co-design is a user-centred process that focuses on the needs of users and engages them in all stages of an initiative. IDEA partners and engages with diverse stakeholder groups as we address complex problems in our efforts to advance the capacity of employers and other workplace parties to recruit, hire, onboard, retain, mentor and promote persons with disabilities across the full range of employment opportunities. This requires the involvement of: 

  • disability community representatives;  

  • employer representatives and labour leaders;  

  • employment support service providers;  

  • policymakers; and  

  • academics.  

Group picture of IDEA collaborators at the IDEA launch

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