Canadian Council on Social Development 441 MacLaren Street 4th/e Floor/Étage Ottawa, ON K2P 2H3

Conseil canadien de développement social Tel: (613) 236-8977 Fax: (613) 236-2750 E-mail: council@ccsd.ca Internet: www.ccsd.ca

Bringing Down the Barriers:
The Labour Market and Women with Disabilities in Ontario

by Gail Fawcett

     

Primary data sources

Census

The Census, conducted every five years by Statistics Canada, provides national coverage of the entire Canadian population. It contains basic demographic information on the entire Canadian population. Additional information is collected in the "Census Long Form," which is distributed to one in five Canadian households. Additional data are collected from this 20 per cent sample of the population including the existence of activity limitations (disability) and socio-economic information. With its large sample size, the Census can be used to generate data at fairly detailed levels of geography. In this report, data are presented at the national, provincial, and Census Metropolitan Area levels. This report draws upon data gathered in the 1991 and 1996 Census. Questions regarding employment and income refer to the 1990 and 1995 income years.

National Population Health Survey (NPHS)

The National Population Health Survey, conducted by Statistics Canada, collects information related to the health of the Canadian population and contains a screening question for the presence of disability. A cross-section of general information is obtained by surveying all members of the survey households. More detailed health information is collected from one household member aged 12 or older who is followed over time as the survey is repeated every two years (beginning in 1994/95). In the first wave of this survey, this detailed health-related information was collected from just under 18,000 individuals.

Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID)

The Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics is an ongoing longitudinal survey that interviews each sample member annually over a six-year period. The longitudinal nature of this survey as well as the extensive data content allow analysis of issues related to the labour market and income, including low income and changes in income over time. The SLID also contains a screening question for the presence of disability. The first year of data gathering for the first panel of SLID was 1994. These data, however, refer to the income year 1993. In the first year (or wave) of the first panel, the longitudinal sample size was about 30,000.

Health and Activity Limitation Survey

The Health and Activity Limitation Survey (HALS) of 1991 remains the most recent truly comprehensive source of survey data on persons with disabilities in Canada. The sample for this post-censal survey was drawn using the disability filter questions contained in the 1991 Census. (A similar HALS was done in 1986 using the 1986 Census to draw the sample.) There were actually three different HALS performed in 1991: Adults in Households, Children in Households, and Adults in Institutions. The data contained in this report are taken from the Adults in Households Survey which provides information on persons aged 15 and older. The sample contains cross-sectional information on about 26,000 persons with disabilities and an additional 65,000 persons without disabilities. This survey permits the identification of disability type and severity level and contains extensive disability-related information on a wide variety of issues (employment, education, leisure, at-home, transportation, financial, supports and services, etc.).

General Social Survey, Cycle 10 (The Family)

The General Social Surveys (GSS) provide cross-sectional data each year on specific topics of interest for adults aged 15 and older. Typically, the sample size for these surveys is between 10,000 and 13,000 individuals. Cycle 10, gathered in 1995, contains detailed information on family relationships and the dynamics of these relationships. It also contains a screening question for the presence of disability and information on paid/unpaid work and balancing family and work.

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