Supporting workers with disabilities and their workplaces

Overview

Many workers with long-term physical and mental health conditions struggle when deciding whether to seek support from their workplace. In making decisions, they weigh risks like the loss of privacy or reputation if they disclose any support needs, versus concerns about job difficulties and changes to work performance if they don’t receive support. Workers, workplace representatives, and health professionals often report being unsure what workers should discuss and what might be helpful. This presentation discusses the development and evaluation of two interactive resources: a decision-support tool called DCIDE that helps workers navigate the complexity of disclosure decisions, and the Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool (JDAPT) that provides practical support and accommodation ideas relevant to a worker’s job demands. Both tools are freely available. They were developed and tested by research experts, people living with disabilities, community groups, and workplace organizations.

Speaker 

Monique Gignac is scientific director and senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health. She is also a professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Gignac’s research expertise is in the areas of health and social psychology, including health models of disability. Her research examines psychosocial factors like stress, coping, adaptation and communication, and their importance in understanding the impact of chronic diseases on the lives of adults across the life course. Of particular interest is research on workplace communication, privacy, support and accommodation needs among individuals living with chronic, episodic conditions.

Gignac's research program is strongly collaborative. She works with clinicians, epidemiologists, health economists, sociologists and health psychologists. Study designs in her research program span community health surveys, qualitative research, measurement design and evaluation, and analyses of population health datasets.

Host

Dan Samosh is an Assistant Professor in Employment Relation at Queen’s University and Academic Co-Lead of the IDEA Incubator Hub on Transitions to Work and Career Development.

About the IDEA Speaker Series

The IDEA Speaker Series provides an opportunity to hear guest speakers talk about their efforts to create stronger and more diverse labour markets that include persons with disabilities.