Opinion: Welcoming people with disabilities into the workforce is a win for everyone

The world isn’t made for everyone. Be it staircases or bathroom stalls, people with disabilities must constantly grit their teeth just to go out.

And it is not just the built environment. People with disabilities are often assumed to be of lesser intelligence, incompetent or just plain lazy. Those are frustrating stigmas to live under.

Despite all of the obstacles, people with disabilities receive immeasurable kindness from individuals. But that individual kindness is dramatically offset by the institutional shortcomings that are at the root of so much inaccessibility.

These do not exist uniformly in Canada. Of our 10 provinces, only Alberta and Prince Edward Island remain with no dedicated accessibility legislation. The Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut also lack accessibility legislation.

Even long-standing accessibility legislation such as Ontario’s fails to do what it should. It ought to aim to bring people with disabilities from a lesser position in society to an equal position. 

We ought to ask, “what is necessary to get people off of government support and into the workforce?” As such, employers should be incentivized to hire those with disabilities. Doing so would be a significant financial gain for the province or territory, increase the financial standing of social support recipients and foster the selflessness in the general population that democracies need.

Technology has recently made momentous strides. It is now possible to do much with only a few vocal prompts. This opens the long-shut door to employment for many individuals with disabilities. The list of those who are unemployable because of their health is increasingly becoming shorter.

Employers must be remunerated for their efforts. Be it installing door openers or ramps, an employer must not be out-of-pocket for these efforts. And indeed, there are already tax breaks available to business owners who renovate to make their business more accessible. But governments should go further to induce potential employers to hire those with disabilities. AISH, the Alberta stipend for those unable to work because of their health, pays less to recipients who make more than $1,072 a month. These deductions could form a tax break for employers.

For example, if AISH pays $1,000 less to a recipient because of their employment, the employer could be entitled to a $500 tax deduction. This would incentivize the employment of individuals with disabilities.

In 2024, the Alberta government budgeted $2.9 billion for AISH, and seniors and social care programs. In April of that year, there were 76,793 recipients of AISH, a four per cent increase from the year before. By enacting accessibility legislation with an eye toward employment, the Alberta government could reduce that $2.9 billion bill and redirect a portion of it back to the taxpayer. This may also reverse an increasingly expensive trend.

At $22,356 annually in Alberta, social support does not pay very well. The province pays more than any other to support recipients, but even the minimum wage provides more sustenance. If governments help our most vulnerable persons find employment, their standard of living will increase dramatically. The extra cash will also benefit the rest of the economy.

Those individuals that work with and serve people with disabilities are beholden to greater character. Seeing the human condition and seeking to ameliorate it develops the selflessness that democracies so badly need. By encouraging those with disabilities into the workspace, society fosters that crucial altruism among the general population. The co-workers of those newly employed persons with disabilities will grow in that invaluable selflessness.

An effective program that encourages the employment of individuals with disabilities stands to not only reverse the trend in ever-increasing social support payments, but also increase the tax base that funds those very payments. It cannot be said for certain whether this will make for a profitable endeavour. But increased employment of individuals with disabilities serves to both boost their dignity and uplift the society that has lifted them for so long.

Alberta, P.E.I. and the territories may be slow to enact accessibility legislation, but they can be the first to do so in a way that benefits everybody.

Chris Ryan is a lawyer who volunteers with a group focused on the enactment of accessibility legislation.