Application able-ing: Disclosing disability in job applications

Overview

In Canada, persons with disabilities face higher unemployment rates than those without disabilities and very few hold leadership positions. Within this context, understanding how persons with disabilities navigate barriers and challenges when adapting their job applications is important. This talk presents findings from a pilot study on how persons with disabilities disclose their disability in job applications. Previous research has focused on disclosing one’s disability, in contrast, this study examines the disclosure of disability related achievements (for example, a disability related scholarship or award, or working for a disability related organization). It provides insight and evidence regarding potential self limiting behaviours persons with disabilities may engage in while facing social stigma in career advancement. In this presentation, Janice Lam will discuss preliminary results, next steps, and theoretical and practical implications. 

Speaker

Janice Lam is a Research Associate with IDEA’s Incubator Hub on Transitions to Work and Career Development, working with Dr. Dan Samosh. She is also a PhD candidate in Organization Studies at the Schulich School of Business, York University. Her research applies an intersectional lens to the study of equity, diversity, and inclusion within the workplace. She has received a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship and several Ontario Graduate Scholarships to support her work on allyship for gender equity.

Lam earned her MSc in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management from the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University, as well as her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Western University. She has previously worked with various mental health advocacy groups in Canada to help create tools to aid youth, such as CAMH’s Youth Wellness Quest, and to support different events and campaigns.

Host

Ansha Nega Ahmed is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Queen’s University, working under the supervision of Dr. Dan Samosh and supporting Inclusive Design for Employment Access’s Incubator Hub on Transitions to Work and Career Development. Her research focuses on disability inclusive mentorship to support the transition to work and career advancement of persons with disabilities.

Nega Ahmed is a passionate researcher, educator, and systems thinker with a background in occupational health and rehabilitation science, and extensive experience in disability inclusive development initiatives. Her research interests are at the intersection of work and health, including long term work trajectories, return to work experiences, and health outcomes of injured workers. She is particularly interested in promoting a holistic and connected approach across healthcare and employment systems to better support injured workers and improve health and employment outcomes.

About the IDEA Early Career Researcher Talks

The IDEA Early Career Researcher Talks serve as a dynamic forum for students, postdoctoral scholars, and early career researchers to exchange knowledge, build community, and showcase their emerging research in workplace disability inclusion. The monthly talks bring together members of research and practice communities, including students, researchers, persons with lived experience, policymakers, subject matter experts, and employers. The series’ primary purpose is to provide a supportive space for early career scholars to share their work at any stage and develop their research programs.