Engaging workers with disabilities in the financial sector: exploring promising practices through key informant interviews and a rapid literature review

Purpose This study explores the challenges, barriers and opportunities for engaging persons with disabilities in employment in the Canadian financial sector. Design/methodology/approach We situated this research within a critical disability conceptual framework to add to existing theories of employee engagement. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study of key informant interviews of the experiences of diverse persons with disabilities in the Canadian financial sector. Findings We found that the financial sector has the potential to be a leader in the engagement of workers with disabilities. Key challenges include corporate bureaucracy and a focus on aggressive growth that perpetuates ableist norms of individualism, self-reliance and competitive achievement. Key informant interviews indicated that opportunities for engagement can be fostered by committed leadership, inclusive corporate culture, supportive management, and respectful and responsive workplace accommodations. Originality/value This article contributes to the literature on opportunities for equity, diversity and inclusion at work through a critical exploration of the challenges and promising practices associated with supporting engagement of persons with disabilities in the Canadian financial sector and beyond.