13.8 – Work with Clients Living with a Disability

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) reflect on their own values and beliefs and seek to understand those of their clients. CDPs challenge their own assumptions and avoid stereotypes that may negatively affect the well-being of the client and the outcomes of career development interventions.In preparation to working with clients living with a disability, CDPs must be knowledgeable about the unique challenges and barriers specific to living with a disability and how it may impact expectations and access to work, education and training.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

P1. Identify challenges and barriers people with disabilities may be facing, for example:
- Recruitment procedures, e.g. complicated application forms, online channels
- Physical accessibility issues
- Discrimination
- Inadequate housing
- Discomfort with disclosing disability
- Lack of knowledge of accommodations needed
- Unfamiliarity with rights of persons with disabilities, e.g. employers’ duty to accommodate
- Working conditions, e.g. limited flexible working or job-sharing options
- Poverty
P2. Identify documentation, tools and resources available to overcome challenges and barriers, for example:
- Resources, programs and services designed specifically for persons with a disability
- Resources designed for employers to create an inclusive workplace
P3. Reflect on how the career development approach may be tailored to meet the client’s needs, for example:
- Explain legal protections relevant to the client, e.g. Canadian Human Rights Act
- Develop list of external health and support organizations
- Develop strategies to support client, job coaching, supported training, at-work assistance
- Develop pre-employment strategies and support, e.g. transportation
- Formulate strategies to improve workplace inclusivity, e.g. outline legislative requirements, review onboarding
  process, explain reasonable accommodations
- Collaborate with community partners that support persons with a disability

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

K1. Types of disabilities, e.g. vision impairment, hearing impairment, mobility impairment, mental illness, chronic
health condition
K2. Relevant legislation, e.g. Canadian Human Rights Act, Employment Equity Act, Accessible Canada Act
K3. Onboarding process and accommodation practices relevant to persons with disabilities, e.g. use of service animal,
inclusive policies and procedures, workstation modifications
K4. Reasonable workplace adjustments, e.g. role descriptions, hours or shift patterns, quieter areas of the office,
print on coloured paper
K5. Accommodations in the assessment process:
- Presentation or format
- Response format
- Scheduling/timing

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

CDPs serve clients with diverse worldviews. Clients’ worldviews may influence their career choices and decisions. CDPs must reflect on these worldview factors to develop culturally sensitive and effective interventions.

CDPs serve clients who may present with complex barriers and challenges, including those stemming from discrimination and systemic inequalities. Clients often navigate contexts where opportunities are limited due to these factors.

CDPs serve clients who may present with past experiences of trauma and exclusion that may affect clients’ trust in career services. CDPs should approach their work with sensitivity to these histories, fostering an environment where clients feel safe and supported.

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

Duty to accommodate: ensuring equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities is well-established in Canadian law and jurisprudence, it is expected that workplaces will provide accommodations, up to a point of undue hardship.

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

Shepard, Blythe C. & Mani, Priya A. Eds. Career Development Practice in Canada. Toronto: CERIC Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling, 2014. ISBN: 978-0-9811652-3-3.

Zunker, Vernon G. Career Counselling: A Holistic Approach 9th edition. Boston: Loose-leaf Edition, 2016. ISBN-10: 978-1-305-40106-8

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

Moderate risk: CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Routinely, regular course of procedure

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Moderate difficulty or complexity

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

A competent career development professional requires a minimum of one year of experience with at least 40 different clients, representing a broad range of individuals, including clients living with a disability.

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is unlikely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None