StatsCan't II

From the NS Accessibility Directorate

If you don't see the chart above, go to the webpage

Nova Scotia always comes out on top in the Canadian Survey on Disability.  In this 5 year survey, the target group is composed of all persons aged 15 and over (as of May 10th 2016, Census Day), and who reported having difficulty "Sometimes", "Often" or "Always" to one of the Activities of Daily Living questions on the 2016 Census of Population long form.

To  some of us, this is an opportunity unfolding.  Nova Scotia has an Accessibility Act which will ensure the complete integration of this large cohort into the life of the province.  Others won't see it that way.  You can almost hear the alarms going off:  "How can we possibly afford to support such a steep rise in the number who may not be able to work?"

This is an irrelevant argument, and forgets to account for all the economic and social benefits of increased access.  

Is there anything that will accurately reflect the dimensions of employment?  Here is a more detailed look at employment - a slightly different age group, settled in employment but from the same dataset:

According to StatsCan, the number of people with disabilities not in the workforce is less than the same number for those without disabilities.  It's a bigger proportion, but slightly smaller in absolute terms.

When those not in the workforce are eliminated for both groups, the unemployment percentage is very similar (10.9%, 6.8%):

In sum, people with disabilities are employed, pay taxes, go to restaurants when possible and are generally hard to distinguish from other Nova Scotians. 

BUT

The 'self-reported' angle got me wondering how this survey accounts for people with developmental disabilities.  It turns out that the survey uses one question to identify this category:

1. Has a doctor, psychologist or other health care professional ever said that you had a developmental disability or disorder? This may include Down syndrome, autism, Asperger syndrome, mental impairment due to lack of oxygen at birth, etc.

So does StatsCan call up residents of the Developmental “3” Group Home at CACL in Antigonish and ask this question?

Nope, StatsCan does not survey those living collectively and the survey, with dozens of questions in 45 categories is not geared to those with intellectual disabilities.

Persons living on a First Nations reserve were not included, nor were those living in collective dwellings, such as institutional residences...

This apparently includes many living in homes indirectly financed by Nova Scotia's Department of Community Services like DirectioNS member agencies and l'Arche.  Certainly many hundreds of our most vulnerable Nova Scotians. Adding them to the data might change profiles dramatically.

Although they are theoretically in programs to demonstrate the dignity of work (and they provide employment to staff and administrators), they aren't accorded the dignity of being counted as workers, and we know nothing about their demographics, health, education, work, or income.

Through DCS we spend a lot to help and support these folks.  A survey that doesn't account for such an important cohort is incomplete.  We need to know more, not less