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IDEA is supported by funding from the Government of Canada's New Frontiers in Research Fund
Affiliated with
Our Partners
Our partners include disability community groups, key industry and labour leaders, policymakers, service providers, academic organizations, and research centres.
Our partners are a crucial part of identifying, promoting, and implementing inclusive and accessible solutions in the workplace. Many of our partner representatives are persons with lived experience of disability, or family members or long time advocates of persons with disabilities. The passion, potential, and knowledge of our network provides a pathway for partnered, evidence-informed change.
Click the logos below to navigate to our partners' web pages or expand the accordions to learn about the diverse organizations that we have partnered with.
- Autism Alliance of Canada
An alliance focused on addressing complex issues that Autistic persons and their families face across their lifespan. - CNIB Foundation
A Canadian charitable organization and volunteer agency dedicated to assisting Canadians who are blind or living with vision loss, and to provide information about vision health for all Canadians. - Inclusion Canada
The national federation working to advance the full inclusion and human rights of people with an intellectual disability and their families. Inclusion Canada leads the way in building an inclusive Canada by strengthening families, defending rights, and transforming communities into places where everyone belongs. - National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
Supports full access to education and employment for post-secondary students and graduates with disabilities across Canada. - Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN)
A province-wide organization that brings together businesses and employment service providers to increase employment opportunities for job seekers who have a disability. - Ontario Network of Injured Worker Groups (ONIWG)
A provincial voice for workers who have been injured or made ill on the job. Members have first-hand experience of the WCB/WSIB system, know it needs improvement and take united action to make this happen. A democratically governed organization, ONIWG has been representing workers since 1991. - Realize
The leading national, charitable, organization in Canada working to improve the health and well-being of people living with HIV and other episodic disabilities, across the lifespan, through integrated research, education, policy, and practice. - Youth Alliance for Intersectional Justice
A Black youth-led collective of racialized and neurodiverse youth, adults, and allies in Umbutu - an understanding of our interconnectedness, collective justice and equity. They amplify the voices of youth who have a variety of labels related to race, dis/ability, sexuality, gender expression, economic status, and other social labels.
- Canadian Labour Congress
The largest labour organization in Canada, bringing together dozens of national and international unions, provincial and territorial federations of labour and community-based labour councils to represent more than 3 million workers across the country. - Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL)
An umbrella group for working people and their unions. - Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council
The collective voice of construction workers at the provincial level—bringing together 16 affiliated construction craft unions with a total membership of 150,000 workers. The Council works with provincial government, ministries and authorities to ensure that the construction industry is well-regulated, competitive, well-resourced, and safe. The Council is also active in promoting workforce development initiatives designed to diversify Ontario’s skilled trades workforce by improving access to rewarding careers in the construction industry. - Unifor
Canada’s largest private sector union, with more than 315,000 members across the country, working in every major sector of the Canadian economy. Unifor brings a modern approach to unionism: adopting new tools, involving and engaging members, and always looking for new ways to develop the role and approach of the union to meet the demands of the 21st century. - United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW Canada)
Canada's private sector union that feeds, serves, and provides for Canada’s hard-working families.
- Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association (APMA)
Canada’s national association representing OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) producers of parts, equipment, tools, supplies, advanced technology, and services for the worldwide automotive industry. - Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Canada’s largest and most activated business network — representing 400 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and more than 200,000 businesses of all sizes, from all sectors of the economy and from every part of the country — to create the conditions for our collective success. - Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
A Canadian multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered at CIBC Square in the Financial District of Toronto, Ontario. - CSA Group
A standards organization which develops standards in 57 areas. CSA publishes standards in print and electronic form, and provides training and advisory services. CSA is composed of representatives from industry, government, and consumer groups. - Jazz Aviation
Air Canada’s largest regional partner, and one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People and Top Diversity Employers with a safe and award-winning operation. - Ontario Bar Association
A bar association representing more than 16,000 lawyers, judges, notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Ontario. It is also a branch of the Canadian Bar Association.
- Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW)
A national not-for-profit organization that exists to promote and support meaningful and equitable employment of persons with disabilities. CCRW offers job search assistance, employer incentives, accommodation assessments, consulting services, and a variety of workshops. Additionally, they provide a range of services for employers, from consulting, to hiring and retention, and disability confidence training. - Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Provides both inpatient and outpatient services, for clients and families. - L’Arrimage
A supported employment service for people living with mental illness. - March of Dimes Canada
A leading national charity committed to championing equity, empowering ability, and creating real change that will help the more than six million people living with disabilities across the country unlock the richness of their lives. - Ready, Willing, and Able (RWA)
A not-for profit employment service provider designed to increase the labour force participation of people with an intellectual disability or on the autism spectrum. In today's hyper-competitive business environment, the difference between success and failure lies in the talent and diverse skill set of your workforce. - Rick Hansen Foundation
Driven by a vision of an inclusive world where people with disabilities are living to their full potential, the Rick Hansen Foundation is raising awareness, changing attitudes and removing physical barriers in the places where we live, work, learn and play. - ROSEPH
Brings together 25 specialized organizations that promote the integration and job retention of people with disabilities. - Youth Employment Services (YES)
Leads the Canadian youth sector with innovative programs that empower disadvantaged and vulnerable youth to become self-sufficient contributing members of society.
- Accessibility Standards Canada
Develops accessibility standards for federally regulated entities and federal organizations. - Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Works to improve the standard of living and quality of life for all Canadians. They do this by promoting a labour force that is highly skilled and promoting an efficient and inclusive labour market. - Government of Canada
The body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. - Labour Market Information Council (LMIC)
A not-for-profit organization established to identify and implement pan-Canadian priorities to address the need for more consistent and accessible labour market information for Canadians. - New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF)
Supports world-leading interdisciplinary, international, high-risk / high-reward, transformative and rapid-response Canadian-led research.
- Accessibility Institute Carleton University
Continues Carleton University’s commitment to advancing accessibility across disciplines and sectors toward a world that is fully inclusive and accessible for all, starting with people with disabilities. - Centre for Disability Research and Policy (CDRP), University of Sydney
Aims to reduce the disadvantage that occurs for people with disability. CDRP research works to improve the social and economic participation, health and wellbeing of people with disability. - Centre for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access, School of Architecture and Planning, University at Buffalo
Focuses on research, development, education, dissemination, and design projects related to universal design. - Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, University of Toronto
Bring together professors from many different disciplines and departments at the University of Toronto to teach and conduct research on all aspects of the workplace and employment relationships. - CHU Sainte-Justine University de Montreal
The largest mother and child centre in Canada and one of the most important pediatric centres in North America. It is affiliated with the Université de Montréal, located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. - Diversity Institute (DI), Toronto Metropolitan University
Conducts groundbreaking research on diversity and inclusion in Canada, develops impactful programs like the Newcomer Entrepreneurship Hub, champions legislative change, and helps companies understand the opportunities of inclusion and develop tools to harness inclusion as a driver for success. - Inclusive Design Research Centre (IRDC)
A research and development centre at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada. It is an international community of open source developers, designers, researchers, educators and co-designers who work together to proactively ensure that emerging technology and practices are designed inclusively. - Institute for Work & Health (IWH)
A Canadian leader in work injury and disability prevention research. An independent, not-for-profit organization, IWH conducts and shares actionable research to promote, protect and improve the health and safety of working people. - Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability, Cornell University
Advances knowledge, policies, and practice to support people with disabilities in workplaces, schools, and communities. - Lakehead University
An innovative and comprehensive university that teaches students how to think, not what to think. With campuses in Thunder Bay and Orillia, Lakehead is recognized as one of Ontario’s “equity powerhouses” for its commitment to serving underrepresented groups including Indigenous and first-generation students. - McMaster University
A public research university in Hamilton, Ontario. One of Canada's top three research-intensive universities, McMaster is home to some of the best laboratories and brightest minds in the country who work everyday to improve human and societal health and well-being. - Melbourne Disability Institute (MDI), University of Melbourne
Facilitates collaborative, interdisciplinary research to build the evidence-base needed to guide social and disability policy reforms and to advance opportunity and equity for people with disability, their families and carers. - Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Is the research arm of The Ottawa Hospital – one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals. The Institutes research spans more than a hundred different diseases, conditions and specialties with an overall focus on translating discoveries and knowledge into better health. - Queens University
A leading, research-intense university in Canada offering an inclusive, transformative education that will prepare you to make a global impact. - Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), University of Tokyo
Aims to contribute to the development of science and technology by exploring new areas of advanced science and technology for the benefit of humankind and society. - Saint Mary's University
Offers a range of undergraduate, graduate and professional development programs and conducts research with local, regional and global impact. - Université de Sherbook
A French-language public research university in Sherbrooke, Quebec, with a second campus in Longueuil, a suburb on the South Shore of Montreal. - Université du Québec à Montréal
A French-language public research university based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec system. - University of Western Ontario
A public research university in London, Ontario. The university operates twelve academic faculties and schools. - University of Winnipeg
A public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba. UWinnipeg is known for small class sizes, academic excellence and commitment to Indigenous inclusion - York University
A top international teaching and research university and a driving force for positive change. Located in Toronto, Canada, York is empowered by a welcoming and diverse community with a uniquely global perspective.