A poll conducted in Toronto has once again brought to light the
struggles of the disabled community to find and maintain
employment. The poll, commissioned by the CIBC, suggests that
only half of all disabled Canadians are employed in a full-time or
part-time capacity. This is true here in Alberta as well, where
many disabled people fear
discrimination on the basis of their disabilities.
The information uncovered by the poll mirrors the results of a
similar study conducted by Statistics Canada two years ago, in
which it was determined that the employment rate for disabled
people fell far short of the national average. When compared to an
employment rate of some 79 percent for the general population, a
rate of only 49 percent for disabled people is a large gap. The
results of this poll shed light on the reasons for this
disparity.
