Phenomenological Analysis of Disability and Employment in Five Countries
As researchers, we want to know how individuals and organizations manage to hire and integrate individuals with physical disabilities successfully. We want to learn from these success stories. We want to interview physically disabled employees; employers who hire people with physical disabilities; and co-workers who work with disabled colleagues so that we can more fully understand the conditions which foster the integration of qualified adults in the workplace.
The scope of this project covers five different countries: Canada, the U.S., the U.K., France and Belgium. Taking a multi-country approach will allow us to understand the experiences of disabled employees under different policy environments and cultures. The research will compare these experiences and suggest best practices for organizations. Finally, the rich data that we gather from many different participants will allow us to contribute to government policy discussions regarding inclusiveness, equity, and diversity for persons with disabilities in the workforce.
Interviews have been completed in Belgium, Canada, France, and the USA. Chloë Atkins and Isabelle Avakumovic-Pointon are currently finishing interviews in the UK, analyzing the data, and drafting articles based on the research conclusions.
Broadcastability Season 2 (Summer 2023)
“Broadcastability,” is a podcast by, for, and about disabled workers. Season 2 is hosted by Chloë Atkins and Isabelle Avakumovic-Pointon, and consists of interviews with disabled employees and entrepreneurs from France, Belgium, the US, and the UK.
Other Ongoing Projects
- Articles: Anti-ableism and health equity research – Chloe Atkins and Sunit Das
- Monograph: Disability and Vulnerability: A Historical Memoir of Vulnerability and Disability in Canadian (French, English & Indigenous) Families since 1600 – Chloe Atkins
- PhD Dissertation: “Embodying Invaliditet: Living (with) Disability in Habsburg-Administered Bosnia-Herzegovina and Independent Serbia, 1878-1914” – Isabelle Avakumovic-Pointon