Intersectionality, episodic disability and access to health services, community supports and employment in Canada

Throughout 2023, Realize worked with twelve national organizations serving people living with episodic disabilities to lead focused consultations within their respective communities. The focus was an intersectional examination into the living realities and various aspects of access barriers to health services, community-based organizations and employment for people living with episodic disabilities in the Canadian landscape. The participating organizations serve communities that provided unique intersectional considerations of gender, racial identity, faith community, health conditions, sexual identity, and age with disability.

(Partner organizations involved: Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention, Ase Community Foundation for Black Canadians with Disabilities, Asian Community AIDS Services, Canadian Multicultural Disability Centre Inc., CanAge, Communities, Alliances, And Networks, DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada Disability Empowerment Equity Network Support Services, Live Educate Transform Society, National Educational Association of Disabled Students, Pride at Work Canada, and YouthCO.)

The objectives of this initiative were:

1. To address the deficit of research on living with episodic disabilities through a disability-justice lens, led by people living with disabilities.
2. To examine the realities that diverse disability communities are navigating.
3. To better understand diversity in disability culture among subgroups such as youth, Muslims, 2SLGBTQIA+ folks and others.
4. To broaden perspectives on people living with episodic disabilities and work.
5. To examine access to and experience of health services and/or community-based organizations by diverse community members who are living with episodic disabilities.
6. To increase the capacity of employers to respond effectively to the challenges facing people living with episodic disabilities and provide appropriate accommodations.

This Executive Summary includes key findings, a summary of insights, and links to each of the 12 partner reports.