Frequently Asked Questions

Not at all. Many organizations start measuring before they have a formal disability inclusion strategy. Measuring helps establish a baseline, identify opportunities for improvement, and better understand your workforce. You don’t need to have all the answers before you begin! 

Participation continues to grow each year. In 2026, 83 employers participated in the Pledge to Measure, representing more than 116,000 employees across Canada. For the latest numbers, visit our Impact page. 

The Pledge includes employers of all different sizes, sectors, and industries. Reach out to our team [PledgeToMeasure@OpenDoorGroup.org] and we’ll be happy to share examples of participating organizations that may be relevant to your sector or region. 

Yes. Disability inclusion matters in organizations of every size. Joining the Pledge gives you access to tools, resources, and guidance that can help you build accessibility into your business as you grow. You can also demonstrate your commitment to inclusive employment and become part of a growing community of employers. There are quite a number of micro businesses (1-3 people) who are already involved with the Pledge to Measure to showcase how self-employment is a positive approach to employment for many people with disabilities. 

Absolutely. Employers with remote, hybrid, field-based, and multi-site workforces regularly participate. The key is choosing communication and survey methods that fit your workforce and using existing channels to reach employees where they already engage. 

Participating in the Pledge demonstrates that your organization is committed to measuring and improving disability inclusion. It should be viewed as one part of your accessibility journey rather than proof that your organization is fully inclusive.  

Employers receive Pledge to Measure digital assets that can be used on websites, social media, and email signatures to show their commitment to this work and signals to employees, candidates, customers, stakeholders and funders that accessibility is important to your workplace. This includes an annual Leading Accessible Employer badge that many employers choose to showcase on their website or careers page, recruitment materials, email signatures, social media channels, internal communications or newsletters.  

You may not need to. Organizations that already collect disability data can typically use their existing processes to participate. The goal of the Pledge is to encourage measurement, track progress over time, and gather collective data across Canadian businesses, not create unnecessary work. Our team can help determine whether your current data collection approach aligns with the Pledge requirements.

Many disabilities are invisible, and employees may choose not to disclose them. In fact, most disabilities are not immediately apparent, and many employees do not share their disability status at work. Measuring helps organizations better understand their workforce instead of relying on assumptions. Organizations who engage with topics of disability through the Pledge alongside inclusive initiatives or policy development are likely to see increased disclosure rates, as the topic becomes normalized in the workplace. 

Depending on your participation method – you may not have to undertake a new survey if you’re already doing so on an annual basis. The Pledge can be tailored to fit within your existing annual survey planning. 

Participation rates are highest when employees understand why they’re being asked, trust how the data will be used, and see leadership actively supporting the initiative. The Pledge Toolkit includes communication resources designed to help organizations build awareness and engagement. 

Start by connecting disability inclusion to your organization’s values and employee experience. Leadership support, clear communication, employee resource groups, and sharing how the results will be used all help build engagement and trust. Employees are more likely to participate when they understand the purpose and see meaningful action follow. 

We recommend an internal communications campaign that explains: 

• Why your organization is participating. 
• What information is being collected. 
• How privacy will be protected. 
• How the results will be used. 

The Pledge Toolkit includes sample emails, staff communications, presentations, FAQs, and other resources to help you get started. 

No. Participation in the Pledge to Measure is completely free.  

The Pledge to Measure operates on an annual timeline with the ability to join at any time. The overall deadline for data submissions each year is early June, with data released publicly in mid-September. Employers can join any month of the year for the next annual iteration of the initiative.  

The process itself can be as minimally time consuming as you need it to be based on your capacity and whether you’ve surveyed your team before or not. Some build it into existing systems, events and procedures. Others keep it as a separate survey instance with messaging in a specific time period. It is designed with support from our team to keep the commitment doable for employers of all sizes.  

Yes. The Qualtrics surveys provided by the Pledge to Measure team can be completed using a screen reader, and our website and digital materials are all remediated and WCAG-compliant.  

If you’re not sure about whether your internal systems are accessible before using them for the Pledge, feel free to connect with us and we can review them with you. 

Not at all. There are many ways to collect data. Consider existing touchpoints such as team meetings, paper forms, kiosks, shared devices, or other communication channels already used by your workforce. The best approach depends on your employees and workplace environment. 

You do not send us employee-level data. Employers report only aggregate numbers, such as the number of employees who self-identify as having a disability and the number of senior leaders who do so. No individual employee information is shared with Accessible Employers.  

Protecting privacy is especially important for smaller organizations. We recommend sharing only aggregate results to us and back to your team and avoid any reporting that could identify specific individuals. Employees always choose whether to self-identify, and their decision should be respected. 

The Pledge collects aggregate data to understand disability representation across participating organizations and measure progress over time. This helps build a broader picture of disability inclusion in Canadian workplaces while protecting employee privacy. No personally identifiable employee information is required. 

We do not receive individual employee responses. Any data shared through the Pledge is reported in aggregate form and used for impact measurement and reporting purposes. 

Open Door Group’s servers are located within Canadian data centers.

The Pledge supports different data collection approaches, including the use of a third-party data collection service or can act as one for your organization. If using a third party is important for your organization, contact our team to discuss options and determine the approach that best meets your privacy requirements. 

To preserve the integrity and consistency of our measurement process, no artificial intelligence tools were used in the analysis, interpretation, or reporting of the data associated with this pledge. All findings were generated through established methodologies and reviewed by qualified personnel.