The future of work in shaping the employment inclusion of young adults with disabilities: a qualitative study

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-06-2022-0154
• Published date: 09 May 2023
• Date: 09 May 2023
• Pages: 75-91
• Subject Matter: HR & organizational behaviour,Employment law,Diversity,equality,inclusion
• Author: Arif Jetha,Ali Shamaee,Emile Tompa,Peter Smith,Ute Bültmann,Silvia Bonaccio,Lori B. Tucker,Cameron Norman,Cristina G. Banks,Monique A.M. Gignac

The future of work in shaping

the employment inclusion of young

adults with disabilities:

a qualitative study

Arif Jetha

Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Canada and

Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

Ali Shamaee

Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Canada

Emile Tompa

Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Canada;

Department of Economics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada and

Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

Peter Smith

Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Canada and

Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

Ute B€

ultmann

University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Silvia Bonaccio

Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

Lori B. Tucker

BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, Canada and

Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Cameron Norman

Cense LTD, Toronto, Canada

Cristina G. Banks

University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA, and

Monique A.M. Gignac

Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Canada and

Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

An inclusive

future of work

75

© Arif Jetha, Ali Shamaee, Emile Tompa, Peter Smith, Ute B€

ultmann, Silvia Bonaccio, Lori B. Tucker,

Cameron Norman, Cristina G. Banks and Monique A.M. Gignac. Published by Emerald Publishing

Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone

may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and

non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full

terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

The study was supported by a New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration Grant from Canada’s

Tri-Agency Programs Secretariat (NFRFE-2018-00873). Dr. Jetha’s salary is partially supported by a

Stars Early Career Award from the Arthritis Society (Canada).

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/2040-7149.htm

Received 14 June 2022

Revised 9 February 2023

Accepted 30 March 2023

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

An International Journal

Vol. 42 No. 9, 2023

pp. 75-91

Emerald Publishing Limited

2040-7149

DOI 10.1108/EDI-06-2022-0154

Abstract

Purpose –The world of work is changing and creating challenges and opportunities for the employment

inclusion of young people with disabilities. In this article, the perceptions held by young adults with disabilities

regarding participation in the future of work are examined.

Design/methodology/approach –One-on-one interviews were conducted with Canadian young adults

(ages 18–36 years) living with a disability. Participants were asked about their thoughts regarding the impact

of the changing nature of work on their labor market involvement and career aspirations. A thematic analysis

was performed to identify and examine emergent salient themes.

Findings –In total, 22 young adults were interviewed; over half held secure employment. Career aspirations

and work-related decisions were primarily shaped by a participant’s health needs. The future of work was seen

as a more proximal determinant to employment. Digital technologies were expected to impact working

conditions and create barriers and facilitators to employment. Participants who indicated being securely

employed held positive expectations regarding the impact of digital technology on their work. Participants

working precariously held negative appraisals regarding the impact of digital technologies on employment

opportunities. The role of technological and soft skills was critical to participating in a labor market reliant on

advanced technology. Participants reported barriers to developing job skills related to their disability and their

work arrangements.

Originality/value –This research highlights the importance of considering changes in the future of work,

especially the digital transformationof the economy, in the design of initiatives which promote the employment

inclusion of young adults with disabilities. Despite the significance of the changing nature of work, supporting

health needs and encouraging access to secure work arrangements also remain paramount.

Keywords Future of work, Disability, Young adults, Changing nature of work, Digital transformation,

Precarious work, Automation

Paper type Research paper

Background

The future of work, characterized by large-scale interrelated technological, sociopolitical and

environmental trends, is expected to transform all aspects of the working world and

contribute to employment and health inequities (World Economic Forum, 2021;Russek et al.,

2021;Schneider et al., 2017). Few studies have examined how the future of work creates

challenges and opportunities to sustained and inclusive employment for vulnerable groups of

workers, such as persons living with disabilities. Our study focuses on young adults with

disabilities at the early phase of their career who face barriers to entering and advancing

within the working world and indicate requiring workplace and policy-level supports for

sustained employment (Jetha et al., 2019). The future of work has the potential to dramatically

alter the working context to which young adults with disabilities are exposed and affect early

and long-term labor market inclusion.

The future of work is a dynamic topic that encompasses a diverse set of forces expected to

disrupt every industry, change work contexts and impact occupations and job availability

(Schneider et al., 2017;Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, 2020;

Russek et al., 2021;World Economic Forum, 2021). A prominent feature of the future of work

is the digital transformation of the economy which refers to the advancement and application

of diverse digital technologies. The digital transformation of the economy is occurring at a

faster pace when compared to past periods of technological adoption and can contribute to

the automation of work, changing the job task composition of occupations and an evolving

employer demand for workers with specific technical and soft job skills (Bick et al., 2020;

Manyika et al., January 2017;Acemoglu and Restrepo, 2020;Baldwin, 2019;Jetha et al., 2021).

The digital transformation of the economy can also contribute to an erosion of standard

employment opportunities and a rise in contingent employment (e.g. digital platform work

and gig work). The future of work can also be related to social (e.g. generational composition

of the workforce), political (e.g. populist sentiments) and environmental changes (e.g. climate

change) that have significant implications for workers (Jetha et al., 2021,World Economic

Forum, 2021;Russek et al., 2021). Of concern, workers who have previously faced

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