Introduction: Many people who have certain types of health conditions (e.g. multiple sclerosis, bi-polar disorder, HIV or arthritis) have unpredictable episodes of illness followed by periods of wellness. The episodes of illness often result in intermittent work capacity (IWC). This report shares one step in the gathering of information to gain a better understanding of the employment issues faced by this segment of Canada’s population with disabilities.
Methods: A literature review was conducted and a statistical profile of people with episodic disabilities derived from the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability was developed.
Results: Many people with episodic disabilities have sought, obtained, and retained employment. Many have found employers who have worked with them to accommodate their fluctuating work disability. However, there are many who are still struggling.
Conclusions: The findings of this report advance the emerging literature on episodic disability and employment. It highlights the need to better understand the employment trajectories of persons with episodic disabilities, as well as their interactions with various income support programs over time. There is a need to explore successful cases of retention in order to understand the strategies that these employers had implemented.
