Employees with Disabilities Community Network

On October 8, 2024, in recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Wellbeing Week, TMU’s Employees with Disabilities Community Network and Accessibility unit in the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI) hosted Building Community Across Our Universe-City—a conversation about workplace accessibility, ableism and the shared responsibility of fostering an inclusive environment.

Attendees took in a screening of Across the Universe-City, a short film created by the Employees with Disabilities Community Network and Cyrus, which explored the diverse experiences of employees with disabilities and the barriers they often face. The film set the stage for a powerful discussion on how every member of the TMU community—across all roles and departments—can help break down barriers, challenge ableism and cultivate a culture of inclusion.

Chief Human Rights Officer Jenny O'Donnell delivered a compelling address, emphasizing that accessibility isn’t just about accommodations—it’s about building a workplace where everyone can thrive. Participants reflected on their own roles in fostering an accessible and equitable work environment, exploring concrete ways to support colleagues with disabilities, challenge stigma and promote inclusive employment practices.

Inclusive workspaces matter

National Disability Employment Awareness Month is a reminder of the value of hiring and supporting persons with disabilities. Despite growing awareness, systemic barriers persist:

• 1 in 5 working-age Canadians—21% of the workforce or 3.2 million workers—experience a disability.
• 741,000 Canadians with disabilities are ready to work but face challenges due to workplace inaccessibility.
• Misconceptions about cost, productivity and qualifications prevent organizations from benefiting from top talent.
• Inclusive workplaces see higher rates of engagement, productivity and retention.

TMU’s commitments to employees with disabilities 

O’Donnell reiterated TMU’s commitment to making meaningful changes, including through policy reviews, expanded outreach and workforce education, to create an environment where employees with disabilities are fully supported, valued and included.

Explore the Accessibility website for more resources

Whether by educating ourselves, challenging ableism, advocating for inclusion or being intentional in hiring, all TMU community members can collectively foster a workplace where we can move beyond awareness and take action to foster more inclusive workplaces.

• Challenging Ableism: Learn about ableism and your role in disrupting it.
• Accessible design principles: Learn accessible design principles which can be applied to all types of digital content.
• Document accessibility: How to create and export accessible Google Workspace and Microsoft Office documents.
• Events and meetings: How to ensure your in-person events and meetings are accessible to everyone.

Accessibility unit, Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI)

The Accessibility unit in the OVPECI provides a comprehensive list of university resources and community supports to facilitate accessibility at TMU, including:

• Community supports
• Guides to help create inclusive experiences
• Plans and policies that inform accessibility standards at TMU

Workplace Wellbeing Services, Human Resources

HR’s Workplace Wellbeing Services team is committed to strengthening Toronto Metropolitan University as a healthy, diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. They provide information and support for employee-accommodation plans and health-related issues that may result in short- or long-term sick leave. Their website also includes a list of mental-health resources.

TMU Diversity Self-ID: Employee Diversity Data Centre 

TMU’s Diversity Self-ID data includes information about the recruitment, representation and retention of employees from six equity-deserving groups: women, racialized people, Black people, First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples, persons with disabilities and 2SLGBTQ+ people.

Accessibility Data Hub from Statistics Canada 

Explore Statistics Canada’s Accessibility Data Hub (external link)  for data related to accessibility and disability. The hub offers disaggregated data (large data sets broken down by categories such as disability type and severity, age, region, gender, ethnicity, income level, etc.). This information can help users better understand the important differences in the experiences of different groups, including the barriers they face.

Eh Sayers podcast from Statistics Canada 

Check out Statistic Canada’s Eh Sayers podcast. The first episode focuses on disability in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (external link) . Participants discuss the realities of people living with disabilities, their challenges and all the changes that the pandemic has brought in their daily lives.