Working Toward Disability Inclusion – Perspectives from Research and Experience
Leaders & Advisors Session / 10:45 AM
Persons with disabilities are one of the largest untapped talent pools. This presentation will provide insights into why these workers’ knowledge, skills, and abilities are often underutilized, and what the main barriers are to their success. The speakers will offer nuanced guidance based on academic research from human resource management and organizational behavior, as well as highlight insights and personal stories based on lived experience.
Session Speakers
Dr. Catherine Connelly
Presenter / McMaster University
Dr. Catherine Connelly is a Professor and Canada Research Chair of organizational behavior at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She is the author of the book “Enduring Work” and has published over 65 other academic journal articles and book chapters. She has won over $4.7 million dollars in research funding to support her research on the experiences of Canadian workers, including workers with disabilities. Catherine was awarded the Globe and Mail “Changemaker” award in 2022, and her research has been featured on CBC radio and TV, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the National Post, and the New York Times, as well as several podcasts.
Dr. Catherine Connelly
Presenter / McMaster University
Dr. Catherine Connelly is a Professor and Canada Research Chair of organizational behavior at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She is the author of the book “Enduring Work” and has published over 65 other academic journal articles and book chapters. She has won over $4.7 million dollars in research funding to support her research on the experiences of Canadian workers, including workers with disabilities. Catherine was awarded the Globe and Mail “Changemaker” award in 2022, and her research has been featured on CBC radio and TV, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the National Post, and the New York Times, as well as several podcasts.
Dr. Catherine Connelly is a Professor and Canada Research Chair of organizational behavior at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She is the author of the book “Enduring Work” and has published over 65 other academic journal articles and book chapters. She has won over $4.7 million dollars in research funding to support her research on the experiences of Canadian workers, including workers with disabilities. Catherine was awarded the Globe and Mail “Changemaker” award in 2022, and her research has been featured on CBC radio and TV, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the National Post, and the New York Times, as well as several podcasts.
Wanda Deschamps
Presenter / Liberty Co.
Wanda is the founder and principal of Liberty Co – a consultancy focused on increasing neurodiverse employment with a special emphasis on autism due to Wanda’s own diagnosis at midlife. Her approach is centered on the IDEA (Inclusion-Diversity-Equity-Accessibility) framework and highlights inclusive leadership, entrepreneurial thinking and employee retention.
Wanda Deschamps
Presenter / Liberty Co.
Wanda is the founder and principal of Liberty Co – a consultancy focused on increasing neurodiverse employment with a special emphasis on autism due to Wanda’s own diagnosis at midlife. Her approach is centered on the IDEA (Inclusion-Diversity-Equity-Accessibility) framework and highlights inclusive leadership, entrepreneurial thinking and employee retention.
Wanda is the founder and principal of Liberty Co – a consultancy focused on increasing neurodiverse employment with a special emphasis on autism due to Wanda’s own diagnosis at midlife. Her approach is centered on the IDEA (Inclusion-Diversity-Equity-Accessibility) framework and highlights inclusive leadership, entrepreneurial thinking and employee retention.
A champion for inclusion, she enjoys speaking and writing under the banner of the Inclusion Revolution, a worldwide movement launched in 2018 to spearhead broader thinking about disability, especially disability employment. As part of this, Wanda is a proud advocate for women with autism, including as an advisor and participant in research into autistic women’s experiences in the workplace
Prior to founding Liberty Co, Wanda enjoyed a twenty-five year career in the philanthropic sector.
She gives back to the community and industry in various ways and was recognized as the Life Sciences Ontario 2023 Volunteer award recipient.
Wanda lives in Waterloo with her husband and two sons.