Employment and other opportunities for people with disabilities have become an increasingly important matter for governments and society as a whole. With these considerations in mind, the CEOs and business leaders on the COMPAS business panel were asked to identify the biggest barriers to hiring individuals with disabilities and the most effective initiatives that society should undertake.

By far the biggest apparent barrier to hiring people with disabilities is the perceived financial cost to business, as shown in table 1A. Among potential barriers to employing people with disabilities, by far the least important is any perception that people with disabilities have lower retention rates.

Panelists believe that Canada’s educational institutions have a major future role in providing better preparation for people with disabilities, including more opportunities for internships and other work experiences, as shown in table 1B. (See complete poll for table)

These are the key findings from this past week’s Internet survey of CEOs and business leaders on the COMPAS panel. The weekly business survey is undertaken for Canadian Business magazine under sponsorship of BDO Dunwoody LLP.

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