Understanding Employment Barriers for Female Refugee's with Disabilities

1. Understanding barriers to employment for female refugees with physical disabilities Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, 2019

2. introduction • What is the current landscape of refugee settlement? • What does this look like in Vancouver? • Why should we assess the needs of this population?

3. Intersectional systems of oppression Ableism Sexism Racism & Xenophobia

4. Occupational perspective • Occupational Justice Framework • Importance of occupational participation as a newcomer

5. Research purpose To determine barriers to participation in employment for female refugees with physical disabilities living in Metro Vancouver

6. Objectives

7. Methodology • Exploratory qualitative pilot study • Face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth interviews • Conducted in participants’ primary language • Researchers supported by interpreters • Some participants also completed a follow-up interview

8. Research participants

9. Stigma & Discrimination Key themes Traditional Labour Market

10. Experiences with stigma & discrimination • In the workplace • As a barrier to housing • From the community in Vancouver based on disability • Lack of skill recognition (based on status as refugee, due to language barrier, and status as a person with a disability) • Systemic and from settlement workers/ service providers

11. Experiences with stigma & discrimination Participant 4: They [the settlement worker] tell me “there is a house like that, if you want to be in this house it’s ok, if no, do you want to sleep in the street?” I hear this words, it hurts me. I had my home, I had my life in my country. I didn’t came to here because I’m happy and I don’t have any problems... this hurt to hear.

12. Experiences with stigma & discrimination Participant 5: We all want equal access and we want to have those positions where we feel we are equals. And I think, you know, finding a job or a position when people are saying, “oh you’re [disabled].” And you know I’m a permanent resident, I’m a citizen, I have a BA. I’m educated and I moved to Canada. And you know the system unfortunately didn’t recognize everything.

13. traditional Canadian labour market is restrictive • Requirement of Canadian-recognized credentials, certifications & previous work experience • Minimal support from of Employment Services • Focus on existing job profiles • Lack of fit between opportunities and skill set • Financial barriers to pursue self-employment initiatives

14. traditional Canadian labour market is restrictive Participant 4: I looking for something that be in a public place that you talk to the other. That way me and [my husband] improve the English in the beginning. But for later, I still don’t know, but I hope to serve […] people with disability […] And later, working for my restaurant, or maybe start with the restaurant. Who knows? I don’t know about the future here. I don’t know how is it going tomorrow or next year, so it’s a little bit difficult.

15. Housing • Lack of accessible housing options • Pressure to accept inadequate housing • Challenges due to geographical location • Isolated from social supports • Inaccessible neighbourhoods

16. Housing Caregiver 2: They did not show us enough houses […] They would just say “oh, this is a very spacious house, this is very good, take it!” just to convince us. But when I went inside the house and when I saw for instance it’s two story house and there are stairs […] How would they go up the stairs? So, I would immediately refuse [...] We just saw two houses and both of them they were not suitable. So, we didn’t have choices actually.

17. Lack of information & cohesion across services Services to navigate: • Settlement Services • Housing • Language • Transportation • Medical • Disability-related/ Rehab services and equipment • Community – ex. Fitness, courses • Childcare • School system • Employment • Interpreter • Home care • Funding – ex. settlement, disability

18. Lack of information & cohesion across services • Settlement services are time limited • Long wait times • Complex needs are not considered by individual services • No focus on individual goals • Lack of required cross-referrals • Lack of cohesive services leads to reliance on informal supports • Lack of education for participants to enable independent navigation of system

19. Lack of information & cohesion across services Participant 4: “We ask about that, but we don’t get any information from anywhere. When we be here in [city], there is a person that works with the new people here, but when we ask him “oh, sorry, I don’t have information.” And right now there is no one work for us because we are here for two years and few months and we are permanent resident. Yeah, so I don’t find anyway to find information.”

20. English language as a gatekeeper • Language is an important barrier to • Employment • Accessing services • Public transportation • Difficulties obtaining interpreter services • Infrequency & limited availability of language classes • Need for alternative language learning activities

21. English language as a gatekeeper Participant 2: It is good to have it as a family doctor [who speaks the same language]. But then other appointments, specialists, they don’t give me any interpreter, so it is hard for us to communicate. Sometimes we bring my husband’s friend. He would do it with the phone or something like this […] They don’t know about the medical terminology, they are not certified interpreter […] they told us “if you want an interpreter you have to hire one”and it cost at least 50 dollars an hour.

22. Discussion “…because I was woman, because I [had a disability], because I was newcomer and because of my language.”

23. Recommendations • Enhance coordination of services • Increase supports to reduce language barriers • Provide individualized support • Educate to reduce stigma & discrimination • Policy makers, service providers, employers

24. Acknowledgements • All study participants • Graduate student research assistant: Anne-CécileDelaisse • Funding provided by:

25. References • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). (2017). Global trends: Forced displacements in 2016. Retrieved from http://www.unhcr.org/5943e8a34.pdf • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). (2018). Resettled refugees – monthly IRCC updates [Data file]. Available fromhttps://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/ 4a1b260a-7ac4-4985-80a0-603bfe4aec11?ga=2.152211385.1245748660.1524768217-625098944.1513973704 • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). (2018). Asylum claimants- monthly IRCC updates [Data file]. Available from https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/ b6cbcf4d-f763-4924-a2fb8cc4a06e3de4?_ga=2.214758929.70177481.1524861289-625098944.1513973704 • Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 105-117). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. • Stadnyk, R., Townsend, E., &Wilcock, A. (2010). Occupational justice. In C. H. Christiansen & E.A. Townsend (Eds.), Introduction to occupation: The art and science of living (2nd ed). (pp. 329-358). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

26. Contact information Suzanne Huotsuzanne.huot@ubc.ca • Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia • Co-lead of UBC Migration: https://migration.ubc.ca/home Perdita Elliott p.elliott@alumni.ubc.ca Leanne Fells lcfells@alumni.ubc.ca • MOT Students, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia