Inclusive workplace strategies for workers with episodic disabilities

Overview

This talk will focus on inclusive workplace strategies used to promote work retention and career progression for workers with episodic disability. Topics which have been studied in peer-reviewed literature will be introduced, such as accommodation, workplace policies and programs, and benefits. Gaps and limitations in the body of peer-reviewed literature will also be identified, and recommendations will be made for future research and future workplace policy and program development to better support workers with episodic disabilities. 

Speaker

Shannon Killip is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Work & Health, and is supported by the David C. Onley Postdoctoral Research Award in Work Disability Policy provided by IDEA in collaboration with the Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN). Her research focuses on inclusive workplace strategies that support sustained employment for workers with episodic disabilities. She is currently working on projects with IDEA Hub 3, exploring the transition from school to the working world for young adults with episodic disabilities, and IDEA Hub 4, using co-design methods to explore how to incorporate accessibility and inclusive design into the current equity, diversity and inclusion policies, procedures and training in small and medium sized businesses. Shannon Killip has a PhD in Rehabilitation Science from McMaster University, where she focused on disability management and return-to-work for firefighters with mental health issues or physical injuries.    

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.