More than just double discrimination: a scoping review of the experiences and impact of ableism and racism in employment

Affirmative action and employment equity in the professions: Backlash fueled by individualism and meritocracy

In the 40 years since federal employment equity initiatives were launched in Canada, they have faced persistent backlash. This backlash is grounded in and fueled by conceptualizations of justice and equality that are rooted in ideologies of individualism and meritocracy. Here we draw on 140 qualitative interviews with members of six professions from across Canada, who self-identify as Indigenous, Black or racialized, ethnic minority, disabled, 2SLGBTQ+, and/or from working-class origins, to explore tensions between concepts of justice grounded in group-based oppressions and those grounded in individual egalitarianism. Though affirmative action and employment equity opened up opportunities, people were still left to fight for individual rights. This push to individualism was intensified by persistent hostile misperceptions that people are less qualified and in receipt of 'unfair advantages.' Through discursive misdirection, potential for transformative institutional change is undermined by liberal discourses of individualism and meritocracy.

Disability and labour market participation among smallholder farmers in Western Kenya

BACKGROUND

Despite the importance of labour market participation and the high number of people with disabilities in rural Africa who rely on subsistence agriculture to survive, very few studies have documented labour market outcomes among farmers with and without disabilities in Africa.

OBJECTIVE

We examined how labour market participation differed by disability and other factors among smallholder farmers in Western Kenya.

METHODS

We use cross-sectional data collected between January and April 2022 from sorghum farmers enrolled in a trial evaluating the impact of a programme designed to improve labour market participation among sorghum farmers in rural Western Kenya. Disability and Labour market outcomes were assessed using questions from the Washington Group /ILO Labor Force Survey Disability Module the ILO Labour Force Survey module respectively. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify socio-demographic characteristics and other related factors associated with labour market participation.

RESULTS

Among 4459 participants, disability was reported by 20.3% of women and 12.3% of men. Labour market participation was reported by 77.1% and 81.3% of women and men, respectively. Adjusting for demographic confounders, having a disability was associated with a lower likelihood of labour market participation (odds ratio 0.59, 95% confidence interval, 0.42-0.83, P = 0.001). These findings were similar in a modified model that looked at functional difficulties separately from anxiety and depression. Women, older participants, and those who were dependent on others were also more likely not to report participation in the labour market.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased recognition and understanding of functional limitations among smallholder farmers is vital for the success of economic empowerment programmes aimed at increasing labour market participation among the most vulnerable populations.

Applying an intersectional ecological framework to understand ableism and racism in employment among youth and young adults with disabilities

PURPOSE

Youth with disabilities often face many barriers in finding employment. A knowledge gap exists surrounding the experiences of racially minoritized youth with disabilities who arguably encounter multiple and complex forms of discrimination. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of ableism and racism in employment among racially minoritized youth and young adults with non-apparent disabilities.

METHODS

Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 racially minoritized participants aged 17-30 with non-apparent disabilities. Data were analyzed using a deductive thematic analysis approach informed by an intersectional ecological framework.

RESULTS

Themes that affected racially minoritized youth's employment included: (1) microsystems (i.e., individual barriers and facilitators to employment); (2) mesosystems (i.e., peers, family, disability, race/ethnicity, and work); (3) exosystems (i.e., workplace policies, healthcare system, educational institutions, community organizations); (4) macrosystems (i.e., ableism, racism, gendered discrimination and intersectional forms of discrimination); (5) the chronosystem (i.e., timing of obtaining employment, diagnosis and discrimination); and (6) ecological niche, which involved the extent to which work environments were safe and inclusive.

CONCLUSION

Applying an intersectional ecological framework facilitates our understanding of ableism and racism in employment among youth and young adults with disabilities. Further attention is urgently needed to minimize discrimination and enhance supportive, inclusive and psychologically safe, work environments for minoritized youth with disabilities.

Exploring racial disparities and inequalities among children and youth with acquired brain injury: a systematic review

PURPOSE

Racial minoritized children and youth with acquired brain injury (ABI) often experience multiple forms of discrimination. The purpose of this systematic review was to understand the racial disparities in health care among children and youth with ABI and their caregivers.

METHOD

Six international databases (Ovid Medline, Embase, Healthstar, Psychinfo, Scopus, and Web of Science) were systematically searched for peer-reviewed articles. Studies were screened by two researchers who also conducted the data extraction and quality appraisal. A narrative synthesis approach was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Of the 8081 studies identified in the search, 34 met the inclusion criteria, which involved 838,052 children and youth with brain injuries (or caregivers representing them) across two countries. The following themes were noted in the studies in our review: (1) racial disparities in accessing care (i.e., diagnosis, hospital admission, length of stay, rehabilitation treatment); (2) racial disparities in ABI-related health outcomes (i.e., functional outcomes and mortality rates); and (3) factors affecting racial disparities (i.e., sources in injury, insurance and expenditures, and intersectionality).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings reveal the concerning racial disparities among children and youth with ABI. Further research should explore solutions for addressing such racial disparities and solutions to address them.

Autistic Perspectives on Employment: A Scoping Review

PURPOSE

Inclusive recruitment and employment of autistic adults has garnered recent attention in research and policy. To address a need to better understand the experiences of autistic adults in relation to paid employment, we asked the literature, what are the experiences of autistic individuals (from their perspectives) in competitive employment?

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted to summarize and consolidate the findings across research to date. A systematic search and screen of the literature resulted in 32 relevant studies.

FINDINGS

Key study characteristics, participant demographics, and thematic findings are shared, along with considerations and recommendations for future research and practice. Six key themes were described by autistic participants across the 32 studies: (1) accessibility of employment, (2) workplace relationships and communication, (3) role alignment, (4) sensory needs and/or mental health, (5) colleagues' knowledge and beliefs about autism, and (6) family and community context.

CONCLUSION

It is anticipated that the results of this review will be beneficial for stakeholders engaging in discussions and decision-making across research and employment contexts.