Employment Resources

Use the following resources and advice for targeting inclusive employers to help you in your job search. If you don’t see specific job postings that match your skills in the resources below, think about targeting the organization for other opportunities. 

Mechanic working with apprentice in wheelchair at job siteDisability-specific Job Boards and Organizations

  • Lime Connect: matches university students and alumni with disabilities with full-time, co-op, internship and scholarship opportunities with some of Canada’s top corporations.

  • Career Edge: offers internships for alumni with disabilities in a variety of industries.

  • Specialisterne: connects individuals who identify as Neurodiverse (e.g. ASD, ADHD/ADD, OCD, anxiety, learning disability) with jobs in a variety of industries in Canada.

  • Diversity Canada: a job posting site dedicated to encouraging workforce diversity.

  • Job Opportunity Information Network: a community-sponsored job board for persons with disabilities in Ontario.

  • WORKink: provides career guidance and job postings for Canadians with disabilities.

  • Canada’s Best Diversity Employers: recognizes and lists employers across Canada that have exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs.

  • Discover Ability: a free online portal and resource funded by the government of Ontario that connects people with disabilities directly to Ontario businesses.

  • MentorAbility - provides a unique mentoring experience in which job seekers who self-identify as having a disability (Protégés) are matched with individual mentors (employers or business leaders) – to explore different career pathways and opportunities in their desired field of interest. The experience can last from 1 hour to 1 day long. Contact recruit@uoguelph.ca to get involved.

  • Connexions Weekly Newsletter - sent from the Ontario Public Service Accessibility Office. The intent is to support students and graduates with disabilities to find meaningful employment. 

  • JobsAbility Canada - an AI-driven virtual platform that connects job seekers who have disabilities to employers.

Finding an Inclusive Employer

Identifying organizations that already practice inclusive hiring is a good start in your job search, especially if you are concerned about discrimination. Recruiting a diverse workforce is on the agenda of many organizations. You will see equal opportunity statements similar to “We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from visible minorities, people with disabilities, women, etc.” on job postings. However, it can be difficult to know if these values are actively practiced or if they’re there to look good on paper. 

Do some digging and research the company’s diversity projects. Do they have things like working groups for employees with disabilities or awareness initiatives? Is there an HR representative who specifically works with minorities? What is the company’s policy on discrimination? Keep in mind that even if an organization does have good diversity policies, individuals within the company may not be as open so it’s a good idea to understand how the organization reacts to discrimination if there ever is a problem. Of course, the best way to get to know an organization’s culture is to get to know the employees themselves. Use your network to see if they know anyone in the company, or reach out to a new contact and ask about conducting an informational interview.