The disability confidence gap

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month. We encourage you to explore resources that support greater levels of accessibility in your organization and across employers in your network. The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) has released a new white paper revealing five major workplace accessibility gaps that employers need to address to support disability-confident workplaces. The paper has been released in conjunction with CCRW’s 50th anniversary. Read the executive summary with key takeaways below and download the full paper here.

In 2026, Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) marks its 50th anniversary. To celebrate this milestone and accelerate progress, CCRW is launching a national campaign to engage 50 employers to take the pledge to become Disability Confident Employers. The pledge is a practical commitment to remove barriers, strengthen workplace accessibility, and create consistent, respectful experiences for candidates and employees with disabilities. This white paper summarizes what business leaders told us about current practices, and where the largest gaps remain.

Key Findings

The findings point to a clear conclusion: disability confidence is built through straightforward systems that leaders can own and measure, including clear adjustment pathways, a formal process to surface and resolve barriers, accessibility reviews across the employment lifecycle, manager training, and regular consultation with people with disabilities that leads to public commitments.

• The 49% gap in workplace adjustments: Nearly half of leaders reported adjustments are not actively promoted or consistently provided¹. This creates avoidable performance and retention risk, and it signals that employees may not know what supports are available or how to request them.
• The 64% gap in barrier removal processes: Nearly two-thirds reported they do not have a formal process to identify, address, and remove barriers. Without a clear route and ownership, barriers are missed, concerns go unreported, and accountability becomes unclear.
• The 70% gap in lifecycle accessibility reviews: Seven in ten reported they have not reviewed accessibility across the phases of employment. This end-to-end blind spot can limit talent pipelines, affect advancement, and weaken inclusion commitments.
• The 70% gap in leadership training: Seven in ten indicated leaders do not receive training to address disability-related myths, misconceptions, and bias. Because managers shape hiring and day-to-day experience, this gap shows up as inconsistent practices and preventable friction.
• The 86% gap in feedback and public commitments: Only 14% reported gathering feedback from people with disabilities and then publicly committing to actions with clear owners and timelines. Without consultation and visible follow-through, trust declines and progress is difficult to measure.

These findings show that disability confidence is not built through onetime actions. It requires clear systems, defined ownership, and consistent leadership behaviours that make accessibility part of everyday work. As CCRW marks its 50th anniversary, the invitation to 50 employers is simple: move from intent to action. By taking the Disability Confident Employer pledge, organizations signal not just commitment, but readiness to implement, measure, and improve accessibility across the full employee experience.