The purpose of the Employment Community of Practice (CoP) is to bring together individuals and organizations from across Canada to address the persistent and significant gap in employment rates between Canadians with and without disabilities.
There are many employment initiatives and organizations at the provincial and federal level that can benefit from collaboration and create more coordinated services through CAN. The Employment CoP recognizes that employment equity for persons with disabilities is not a one-sided effort.
They strive to bring together organizations that are focus on supporting the employment objectives of persons with disabilities and employers looking to create more equitable employee recruiting, onboarding, and support practices. The Employment CoP believes that employment equity for persons with disabilities benefits all Canadians.
Anyone that is a member of CAN Collaborator Organization, or an approved CAN Collaborator Individual, can join this CoP if they have an interest in learning more about, and/or meeting with other experts in the field. Members are involved in enacting the business of the Network, as it relates to the priorities of the working group (as noted above).
In addition to these meetings, members who volunteer to get involved in an approved project can anticipate that there will be an additional two to three hours a month (approx.) commitment that is outside of required meeting times that is dedicated to contributing towards the work the project they are supporting, depending on their agreed upon role with the project. This time is dependant on the agreed upon work plan for the operating year and may fluctuate.
Please see Terms of Reference for the Employment Community of Practice for more information on the governance of this Committee.
The Employment CoP operates under the direction of two co-Leads. They provide leadership to the Employment CoP by:
Employment Co-Lead
Bianca is a certified Project Manager Practitioner (PMP) with previous experience in the insurance and fintech industries. She’s recently pivoted her learning and focus towards inclusion, diversity and accessibility with a particular passion for the inclusion and employment for the neurodiverse community. In addition to being Co-Lead on the Employment Community of Practice, Bianca is also an active member of the Business Advisory Council for Project SEARCH Toronto, a school-to-work transition program from youth who have developmental or intellectual disabilities
Employment Co-Lead
Fineen is an Accessibility Consultant in the Risk Advisory Services practice at BDO Canada, bringing both professional expertise and lived experience with disability to her work. She currently serves as Co-Lead of the Employment Community of Practice within the Canadian Accessibility Network, where she helps guide national, cross-sectoral initiatives to advance accessibility in employment. Recognized as an Emerging Leader in Accessibility by the Network in 2024, she has leveraged her lived experience to drive meaningful change.
Prior to joining BDO, Fineen was actively involved in Indigenous disability rights advocacy and employment service delivery at the national level, further strengthening her expertise in policy, inclusion, and accessibility best practices.
“We are the leaders of this movement because we live it. Our voices need to be heard.” – Judy Heumann
The CoP is currently working on the following initiative:
Review of Accessibility Standards Canada Employment Standard
If you would like to get involved with this initiative, or have a suggestion for a project, we invite you to connect with us at [email protected] and we will introduce you to the Project Leads.
The Employment Community of Practice is always open to recruiting new members who are passionate about advancing accessibility and who feel that their background and expertise could support the work of the Employment CoP.
If you are interested, please contact [email protected] and we will coordinate a time to speak with you about becoming a member of the CoP.
