You Can’t Spell Inclusion Without a D is a podcast produced by the Ontario Disability Employment Network that looks at the power of inclusion, disability and employment, and the business benefits of diversity and inclusion — including disability-inclusive hiring — from all the angles.
Ep. 47: Disability Awareness in the Multigenerational Workplace
In offices and on Zoom, Slack or Teams calls around the world, there are four generations of people working side by side.
And they don’t all talk about disability the same way.
There are baby boomer executives who came up through the ranks before specific disability legislation existed; and when language that’s politically and socially incorrect today, was commonplace. For them, the word “disability” may still carry old weight and stigma.
Then there are the GenXers. They’re often managing a paren’ts health — perhaps a parent who has a disability — and their children’s homework, after work. For them, disability isn’t only a workplace topic.
And then there are the Millennials. They’re the generation born starting at the height of the modern disability rights movement. And for some, their schooling began after the first real disability legislation was passed.
And the GenZers. They talk about disability loudly in workplaces, publicly in person and on social media. They don’t whisper about disability. Because for them, it’s part of their identity.
In the workplace, the combination of multiple generations with different perspectives on disability can create real tension. And that’s what we’re exploring in this episode.
We’ve got three perspectives from both sides of the Atlantic for this episode on disability awareness in the multigenerational workplace: One from Canada, one from the U.S. and one from the U.K.
SHOW NOTES
Episode 47 transcript (PDF)
25 Aug 2026
Ep. 46: Instilling Disability Awareness Early in Childhood
Research shows, having the disability conversation with children is just as, if not more important than, the adult business and workplace disability-inclusion conversation.
One study by researchers at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain noted, “attitudes towards disability begin to form in childhood.”
The study says childhood is when we “first develop our first notions of justice, empathy and acceptance of difference.
There are a lot of parental and educational ways to instill positive disability awareness and acceptance of difference in kids. This sets the stage for workplace disability inclusion and awareness later.
One of the ways is through fostering a love of reading — while fostering disability awareness — through storytelling and children’s literature that’s inclusive.
That’s what Paul McAllister is doing. He has lived experience being one of those kids who was different. And he grew up to become the founder and publisher behind Monster House Publishing.
In this episode, Paul shares his story and perspective on why getting kids to become disability aware is so monstrously important for all of us.
SHOW NOTES
Episode 46 transcript (PDF)
Find out more about Monster House Publishing
University of Deusto study, Raising Awareness About People With Disabilities Among Primary School Pupils: Impact of an Educational Intervention
SickKidsHealth blog post, Facial Differences: Confronting the Challenges of Bullying
11 Aug 2026
Ep. 45: Bringing Project SEARCH to your Community
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs estimates that worldwide, there are between 180 million and 202 million youth who have a disability.
In Canada alone, there are well over half a million youth who have a disability — 546,410 to be more precise. That’s the figure from Statistics Canada.
Over 100,000 of these young people are what’s known as NEET — not in employment, education or training of any kind. And of those, 83,000 have been identified by Statistics Canada as potential employees.
There’s a unique program called Project SEARCH. And it’s playing a significant role in helping businesses make sure they have up-and-coming talent to fill roles while at the same time training youth who have a disability to succeed in the workplace.
In this episode — to mark the 30th anniversary year of Project SEARCH — we find out all about the program. It started as a recruitment and retention strategy in the health care sector, in Cincinnati, in 1996. There are now over 750 Project SEARCH sites worldwide, including 29 in Canada.
Why is it so important for businesses to get involved in Project SEARCH? What’s the ripple effect in a community when they do? And how can businesses bring Project SEARCH to the communities they serve?
Carolyn Mcdougall from Holland Bloorview Children’s Hospital in Toronto has some insightful answers to these questions, and others. She’s the Ontario and Canada Co-ordinator for Project SEARCH Canada.
SHOW NOTES
Episode 45 transcript (PDF)
Find out more about Project SEARCH Canada
Get in touch about being part of Project SEARCH: info@projectsearchcanada.ca
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