More Than 1 in 4 Canadians Has a Disability. Most Won't Tell Their Employer — Here's Why That Has to Change

More than one in four Canadians is currently living with a disability. And nearly half of them go to work every single day without saying a word about it to their employer.

Not because it doesn't affect them. But because they're genuinely afraid of what happens if they speak up.

That's not just a personal struggle — it's a workplace culture problem. And it's one that's long overdue for a direct, honest conversation.

The Numbers Are Bigger Than Most People Realize

According to the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability, approximately 27 per cent of Canadians identify as having some form of disability — whether physical, sensory, cognitive, developmental, or related to mental health or psychological wellbeing.

That's more than one in four people. But here's what makes that figure even more striking: just five years earlier, the same survey measured that number at 22.2 per cent. That's a rise of roughly 20 per cent in half a decade — a dramatic shift for something that doesn't typically fluctuate dramatically between surveys.