You Can’t Spell Inclusion Without a D

Hosted by Ontario Disability Employment Network

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Oct 2026

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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.

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October 27, 2026Episode 4841 min

Ep. 48: Making the Journey: Little Mushroom Catering Company

Our 2026 season is winding down, and we’re starting the wind-down with an instalment of our occasional Making the Journey series. We thought it was a good way to end National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2026, which wraps up this week as October comes to a close. In Making the Journey, we have fireside-chat conversations with business owners and business leaders about their disability-inclusive hiring journey. Small businesses are the economic engine of Canada — 97.9% of employer businesses in Canada are small businesses with one to 99 employees. So that’s why we’re starting off our Making the Journey two-part series with the disability-inclusive hiring journey of one of those small businesses — Little Mushroom Catering Company in Cambridge, Ontario. Since 2012, Little Mushroom Catering company has won 100 awards including the 2019 Small Business of the Year from the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce. Their disability-inclusive hiring journey has played a role in all this. Don’t miss this engaging conversation with Christie Johnson, the Director of People and Culture at Little Mushroom Catering Company. SHOW NOTES Episode 48 transcript (PDF) Find out more about the Little Mushroom Catering Company Contact Christie Johnson: hr@littlemushroomcatering.ca

September 22, 2026Episode 4757 min

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)

August 25, 2026Episode 4628 min

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

August 11, 2026Episode 4536 min

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

July 21, 2026Episode 4454 min

Ep. 44: The Double-Edge Sword of AI

Whether you love it, hate it, embrace it or avoid it — or try to, AI is ubiquitous now. It’s an integral part of everything from manufacturing, to writing resumes, to recruiting and hiring processes. Including both screening out candidates and interviewing them. In hiring and recruitment in particular, AI is a double-edge sword. It can help level the playing field for job seekers, including those who have a disability. And it also can be a significant barrier. There’s no single reliable statistic that shows how many resumes are screened out by AI before they ever reach a human. But research shows, 87% of companies say they’re using AI somewhere in their recruitment process. AI can screen out candidates at scale — including in ways that may disproportionately affect job seekers who have a disability. At the same time, job seekers who don’t use AI — or who use it irresponsibly, risk falling behind in a market where the majority of both employers and candidates are already using the power of AI tools. In this episode, we explore these questions and more: Why do employment service providers and job seekers who have a disability need to use AI? What are the real benefits of using it? What can go wrong when AI is used poorly, irresponsibly or not at all in hiring and job-search processes? This is a engaging — and sometimes humourous — conversation with: Jesse Preston, Disability Employment Specialist for Epilepsy Toronto Jeff Waldman, the founder of ScaleHR SHOW NOTES Episode 44 transcript (PDF) TechXplore feature (June 2026) — AI hiring software screens millions of applicants, but new evidence shows racial bias can hide job by job Research study: Algorithmic Monocultures in Hiring

June 16, 2026Episode 431 hr 6 min

Ep. 43: The Intersection of Disability and Rural & Remote Communities

About eight million Canadians 15 and older have at least one disability. But there aren’t any statistics on exactly how many of them live in rural and remote parts of the country. Almost two-thirds of the 5,123 municipalities in Canada are consider moderately remote, more remote or most remote by Statistics Canada. In remote communities there are some distinctly different challenges compared to experiencing urban life with disability. For this discussion, we wanted perspectives from some of the most remote parts of Canada. So we picked the far northwest, and the remotest part of down east in The Maritimes. The Northwest Territories covers 1.1 million square kilometres, and much of it is remote. Down east, over 80 per cent of the province of New Brunswick is forest. It’s the most rural province of the three Maritime provinces — New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island — that have coastlines on the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean. Be sure to catch this conversation with: Denise McKee, Executive Director of the Northwest Territories Disability Council Shelly Petit, Chair of the New Brunswick Coalition of Persons With Disabilities SHOW NOTES Episode 43 transcript (PDF) Government of Canada report, Age-Friendly Remote and Rural Communities: A Guide ( HTML version | PDF version ) Canadian Association of Supported Employment report by Janet Morris-Reade for ASPECT BC, Building Fair Employment Services in Rural and Remote Communities in Canada Website — Northwest Territories Disability Council Website — The New Brunswick Coalition of Persons With Disabilities

May 19, 2026Episode 421 hr 23 min

Ep. 42: Making Mega Sporting Events Accessible

Twenty twenty-six is a big year for big sporting events. In February, there were the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games, in Italy. Then — the geopolitical climate aside — there’s the 2026 FIFA World Cup with matches being played in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada from June 11 to 19. And then there’s the twenty-third Commonwealth Games happening in Glasgow, Scotland from July 24 to August 2. Glasgow 2026 will be the biggest sporting event of the year in the U.K. All of these events happen in numerous venues in their host cities. With thousands of athletes competing. And thousands of people attending — and working at — the events. But there’s a huge issue with mega-sporting events such as the World Cup, the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games. Accessibility. From how they’re promoted to the built environment of venues they’re held in, how accessible are these kinds of mega sporting events? And what’s the lasting social impact of making them accessible and inclusive? That’s what we’re exploring in Episode 42. And we’re doing that with two guests who are two of the most authoritative voices on sporting events accessibility in Canada. Don’t miss this engaging conversation with Brad McCannell and Jenn Bruce, PhD! SHOW NOTES Episode 42 transcript (PDF) Read this article on The Conversation.com about how more Canadians are watching the Paralympics Read this article on sirc.ca by Paula Baker about the lasting social impact of inclusive creating mega-sporting events Sporting Information Resource Centre (SIRC) website Read the new SIRC blog Rick Hansen Foundation and becoming accessible

April 7, 2026Episode 4159 min

Episode 41: Making Tourism Accessible

In the first episode of our seventh season, we’re kicking things off on a “touristy” note, with a conversation about making tourism in Canada — and globally — more accessible. Tourism is one of the most important sectors of the Canadian economy. And the global one. In Canada, it directly employs more than 700,000 people. Globally, more than 357 million people. And tourism is almost two per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product. Globally, it’s 10 per cent of GDP — US$10.9 trillion in 2024. Against the geopolitical backdrop in 2026, the number of people internationally making Canada a tourism destination, keeps rising. In the 2025 summer tourism season, there was record revenue for Canada’s tourism businesses. In all, $58.96 billion. Destination Canada predicts annual revenue in the tourism sector will hit $160 billion by 2029. People from all over the world are coming to see Canada — and that includes people who have a disability. Which begs these questions: How accessible is tourism in this country? What are best practices in making tourism, and tourist attracts and businesses, more accessible? What are businesses and attractions in the tourism sector missing out on if they’re not accessible to both tourists and job seekers who have a disability? In Episode 41, a compelling national conversation about all this with these three guests providing their perspectives: Jasmine Qi, Workforce Development Director at Tourism HR Canada (Ottawa, ON) Shelley Petit, Chair of the New Brunswick Coalition of Persons With Disabilities (Fredericton, NB) Jamie Millar-Dixon, principal consultant at MacLeod Silver HR Business Partners (Vancouver, BC) SHOW NOTES Episode 41 transcript (PDF) Learn more about Tourism HR Canada , the New Brunswick Coalition of Persons with Disabilities and MacLeod Silver HR Business Partners UN Tourism, Ethics, Culture and Social Responsibility report (November 2025), Accessibility Guidelines for Tourism Businesses

November 25, 2025Episode 4056 min

Ep. 40: The Intersection of Disability and Poverty — Intersectionality Series Pt. 2

In our season six closer episode, we’re delving into the intersection of Disability and poverty. Both are on the rise in Canada. The Canadian 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability showed, 27% of Canadians 15 and older have at least one disability. That’s eight million people. And that’s up 5% from the previous survey in 2017. And, 2022 and 2023 figures from Statistics Canada show, over one million people who have a disability, are Canadians with low income. And that’s even higher for people without disabilities — almost two million people. So what’s going on in this country? And does it depend on where you live in Canada? It wasn’t until 2003 that Human Resources and Development Canada introduced what’s called, the Market Basket Measure (MBM). It’s basically calculated by adding up the cost of one basket of goods and services that a family of four needs for a basic standard of living…and establishing how much income they need for that one basket. But disability advocates say the MBM leaves out a big thing — additional costs, such as mobility aids, that people who have a disability, have every year. They’ve given the federal government a failing “F” when it comes to addressing the issues involved in the intersection of disability and poverty. Find out why…what needs to change…..and what motivates our two guests to advocate for change…in this compelling conversation with: Rabia Khedr, National Director of Disability Without Poverty Fabio Crespin, Senior Manager of Inclusive Employment at United Way Greater Toronto SHOW NOTES Episode 40 transcript (PDF) Disability Without Poverty website Disability Without Poverty’s 2024 Report Card Statistics Canada — Poverty and low-income statistics by disability status Statistics Canada — A demographic, employment and income profile of persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over in Canada, 2022

October 28, 2025Episode 3954 min

Episode 39: The Intersection of Disability, Blackness and Gender — Intersectionality Series Pt. 1

Again this year, we’re delving into disability and intersectionality to close out the show for our 2025 season. It’s a broad topic — there are many directions to approach it from. In part one of our two-part season ending series, we’re exploring the intersection of disability, Blackness and gender. It’s a convergence that makes for a compelling conversation. One published report said, “little is known about the experiences of Black Canadians with disabilities who will experience disparities in education, employment and entrepreneurship based on the intersection of anti-Black racism and ableism.” Then there’s their experiences within the Black community itself. When you role all of these things together, what are the main challenges, or barriers to inclusion, faced by Black Canadians who have a disability? And how significant is the gender aspect in all of that? How much does access to employment supports depend on whether you’re a Black man, or a Black woman, who has a disability? And how much does history and colonialism play in all of this? What needs to change? These are just some of the questions we explore with our guest Ingrid Palmer. Ingrid is a passionate human rights advocate, an inspirational speaker on diversity, equity and inclusion, and the Principal IDEAL (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility Leading to belonging) Advocate for Realize Canada. Catch this compelling conversation with Ingrid! SHOW NOTES Episode 39 transcript (PDF) Realize Canada website Ingrid Palmer’s speaker website Report — The Intersection of Blackness and Disability in Canada: A Brief Overview and a Call to Action Prioritizing Black Canadians with Disabilities in Bill C-22, Canada Disability Benefit Act — Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology