Lack of Access to Information

People with disabilities often access information through informal sources and participants in the study indicated that they have limited or no access to information about training and employment opportunities. They were not aware of any information in alternative media about training programs. Consequently, they have to rely heavily on “overworked and under trained CEC staff” .

Many nondisabled people have jobs helping those with disabilities look for work.

Participants also indicated that they were not aware nor did they fully understand the Employment Equity Act: "I am not actually aware of what the Act applies to, so I am not aware of any benefit from it" ; "I don't know enough about the Employment Equity Act to have an opinion on how it could be improved" .

Inadequate Support

Additional support services and accommodations are required for persons with disabilities to be fully integrated into training programs or employment. Such services and accommodations range from complex assistive devices, attendant care, job coaches, readers, sign language interpreters and so on. Participants contend that the se support services are often not available to them in a training or employment environment. They explain: "We have to write back and forth using notes. I have to write and my writing is not very good. So [CEC staff] have to clarify simple words, that sort of thing" ; "With the CEC not having any people who are proficient at signing, and deaf people are not proficient at the English language, that creates a bit of a problem. There you can read in written communication, but it leads to misunderstanding. Signing is so much easier".

DAWN Study

A study conducted by the Disabled Women's Network in 1989 addressed issues relating to women with disabilities and employment equity. Through questionnaires and interviews, women identified the barriers they face in seeking employment. The findings of this study resulted in a series of papers, one of which is called Different Therefore Unequal? Employment and Women with Disabilities.
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In this study, women expressed the belief that they were discriminated against because of their disability. They contend that there are "very few support services" available to help them keep jobs: "Most employers are reluctant to adapt their attitudes and workplaces".

Moreover, fear of rejection, having to arrange special transportation for interviews, struggling to write appropriate resumes, and preparing themselves physically and emotionally for interviews affected women's self esteem. Altogether, these difficulties undermine women's motivation to pursue their job search.

Interviewee in this study also appeared to agree that there is a great deal of discomfort by employment agencies in accommodating persons with disabilities. One staff person of a Women's Employment Agency admitted that she refers people with disabilities to the appropriate consumer group. As a participant remarked: "They are seeing us as disabilities, not as women".

National Communication Network

It is evident that persons with disabilities are alienated in their efforts to seek employment. Government Employment Centres, private employment agencies and disability agencies are not providing appropriate accommodations to enable persons with disabilities to explore job opportunities. In addition to a lack of physical access to buildings, there is a general lack of awareness of the needs and of the potential of people with disabilities. Because information pertaining to employment is often not available in alternative media, people with disabilities remain unenlightened about the various public resources and community services. As a result of having to rely heavily on others for assistance, they are unable to enjoy privacy in their job search.