About The Study

The Workplaces REVAMPED (Recognizing the VAlue of eMPloyees with Episodic Disabilities) draws together diverse stakeholders to forge social innovation partnerships with new employers and other workplace leaders in an effort to create a groundswell of awareness of episodic disabilities and employment.

Black people with disabilities remain the largest underemployed and unemployed community within Canada (2020, Statistics Canada). As researchers and project collaborators, the Ase Community brings to this project the subject expertise and understanding of the specific barriers faced by Black people with episodic disabilities navigating employment and career advancement.

Using a “For us, by us” approach, the Ase Community facilitated focus groups to capture the voices of Black people with episodic disabilities in the workplace to identify employment barriers, document success strategies and coping mechanisms, and build the capacity and knowledge of employers.

These critical insights were captured through:

Focus Groups

A final report with key findings, recommendations, and engagement strategies

The Ase Community is a collaborator on REALIZE Canada’s Workplaces REVAMPED (Recognizing the VAlue of eMPloyees with Episodic Disabilities) project.

Project Outcomes

Through this research, we aim to:

Identify structural and systemic barriers within employment and employee supports; document strategies for success and system navigation.

Increase awareness of episodic disabilities among employers

Increase the understanding of employers about the employment challenges related to working and living with episodic disabilities

Increase the capacity of employers to respond effectively to the challenges facing people living with episodic disabilities

Increase access to information and professional networking opportunities for small, medium, and large employers on leading practices in accommodating employees with episodic disabilities in the workplace

Increase the capacity of people living with episodic disabilities to communicate effectively about their lived experience

What is an Episodic Disability?

Episodic disabilities are chronic health conditions characterized by fluctuating periods and degrees of illness and wellness. These periods can be unpredictable in duration, types of symptoms and frequency of recurrence. This includes (but is not limited to):

Anxiety • Arthritis • Asthma • Bi-polar Disorder • Cancer • Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (including chronic bronchitis and emphysema) • Chronic Pain • Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis • Cystic Fibrosis • Depression • Diabetes • ALS • Guillain-Barre Syndrome • Epilepsy • Fibromyalgia • Hepatitis B & C • HIV/AIDS • Long-COVID • Long-Term Pain • Lupus • ME/CFS • Meniere’s Disease • Migraines • Multiple Sclerosis • Muscular Dystrophy • Parkinson’s Disease • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) • POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) • Repetitive Strain Injury • Schizophrenia • Substance Use Disorder • Tuberculosis

Learn More about Episodic Disabilities!