DVD (Widescreen, Running Time: 52 Minutes)

The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is alarmingly high. Although these people offer a great pool of talent, they remain untapped and detached from the mainstream workforce. Effective career counseling, and perhaps more importantly, equity in career counseling, is a pressing issue. It is in this context that CERIC (the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling) produced this video.

A Difference of Ability examines the daily challenges facing people with disabilities and reveals the reasons why job-seekers and employers experience difficulty connecting with each other... and how that can be changed.

The road to employment can be tough, but many successful relationships have been forged between job seekers and employers. People who have found success offer powerful insights, practical solutions and strategies for those interested in improving the employment situation facing people with disabilities in today's labor market.

Using interviews with an eclectic group of people with disabilities, employers, rehabilitation professionals and others from across the country, A Difference of Ability is loosely divided into four sections:

Opening - An overview of the prevalence of disability in our society and the variety of barriers that they face and overcome on the road to employment.

Stepping Stones - Examines the variety of other life circumstances that need to be addressed to support people with disabilities to achieve career success.

Bridging the Gap - An examination of the kinds of the range of services and programs that can be available to help connect job seekers with disabilities to the workforce.

Taking the Plunge - Addresses the issues and concerns of employers and attempts to dispel their misconceptions.

No matter if it is landing your first job or forging ahead in one’s career, finding and maintaining meaningful, paid employment is a goal most of us share. A Difference of Ability sends loud and clear the message that employment for all citizens, regardless of a difference of ability, is a basic human need and right.

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Beautifully filmed, A Difference of Ability provides a sweeping overview of the landscape of disability and employment. While developed primarily to inform career counselors, this can be a great tool for anyone who needs to grasp the full spectrum of issues in disability and employment. It can be a particularly insightful tool for job seekers with disabilities or people newly hired into the field of employment services for people with disabilities - educators, job developers, etc.

At almost an hour in length, it can be a lot to absorb in one sitting. If circumstances permit, we would recommend showing each section separately with group discussions at the conclusion of each one.

Accessibility

English and French versions on the same disk. No captioning.
 

Diversity World Comment: This is one of the most beautifully-filmed videos that we have seen. Some of the language is a bit disconcerting (e.g. "wheelchair bound"), but most of it is just fine. While there are some wonderful appearances and comments by employers, we found the general portrayal of employers to be a bit awkward and stereotypical.