Intersecting Identities: Exploring the Interplay of Race and Disability in Employment Support Systems

Abstract

Employment supports have traditionally been available to help reduce barriers to employment, promote workforce participation, and empower individuals to achieve their career goals. However, there is very limited knowledge regarding the intersection of race and disability and how it can impact the delivery of employment supports for racialized disabled job seekers and workers. To address this gap, this thesis includes a scoping review and a qualitative study to understand the impact of race and disability in employment support systems. The scoping review consists of 73 studies and a grey literature search on vocational rehabilitation (VR). Data was extracted and thematically analyzed to synthesize the existing knowledge about VR services currently in place for racialized disabled job seekers and workers. The findings highlight the disparities in accessing VR and its delivery in the United States. The included studies reported lower acceptance rates to enter VR programs, and lower probabilities of a successful exit. These findings suggest the importance of service providers conducting comprehensive assessments to determine the unique requirements of each job seeker and worker to customize their supports accordingly. To capture the varied lived experiences and perspectives while navigating the Canadian employment support systems, a qualitative interpretive descriptive study was conducted. In-depth semi-structured interviews were performed with racialized disabled job seekers and workers, service providers, and employers. Interviews were thematically analyzed to identify common themes and patterns about the impact of race and disability in employment supports. The employment support process, as reported by the participants in this study, was identified to be inflexible and bounded by multifaceted structural, organizational, and attitudinal challenges that intersect across race, disability, and employment. Overall, an intersectional approach that is targeted, flexible and inclusive of changes and strategies is needed to create a more equitable employment landscape that better supports racialized disabled workers.