Instructions: Copy and paste the text of the questions you want to use onto your company’s letterhead. Update or delete any items appearing in square brackets or instructional text.
Part 1: Collection of Disability Data at [Organization Name]
What is the Pledge to Measure?
Inclusive hiring isn’t just about equity, it’s a proven strategy to unlock a talented, dedicated workforce that drives productivity, sparks innovation, and strengthens team morale. Organizations that prioritize accessibility see higher profitability, long-term resilience, and a stronger competitive edge.
That’s where Pledge to Measure comes in. Designed for businesses at any stage of their accessibility journey, the Pledge to Measure provides a structured, easy-to-use framework to track progress, report on disability inclusion, and celebrate success.
Created and launched in 2021 by Accessible Employers, operated by Open Door Group, the Pledge to Measure has already helped over 75 organizations representing nearly 100,000 employees build more inclusive workplaces.
As we expand Pledge to Measure nationally for the second year, even more employers will gain access to the tools they need to set benchmarks, increase transparency, and foster workplace equity, because accessibility isn’t just an expectation; it’s a Canadian standard for success! Learn more: PledgetoMeasure.org
What is [Organization’s Name]’s commitment to disability inclusion?
Instructions: Insert your organization’s diversity and inclusion statement or adapt the text below. The statement could capture what your organization has already done and how this initiative fits with your organization’s values.
[Organization Name] is committed to creating a welcoming workplace where everyone feels safe, included, and valued. For us, that means building a team that reflects the full diversity of the communities we serve. People with disabilities are a valuable part of those communities. They represent a larger group than many people think.
If we want to make sure our company represents and includes our community, we have work to do. The first step for [Organization Name] is to understand how many people with disabilities work for us right now.
Participating in the Pledge to Measure survey helps us understand baseline self-disclosure rates, so we can analyze the changes to our organizational culture year-over-year. We recognize that self-disclosure rates may be lower than we’d wish to see. Still, we hope through adjustments to our policies and procedures, we can build upon a culture of trust to enable greater disclosure in future years.
How many people in Canada have a disability?
In Canada, there are over 8 million people age 15 or older who have a disability. That’s 27% of the working age population. This includes many people who are able to work, but don’t have jobs. Poor representation at work is a result of obstacles people with disabilities face.
Sometimes barriers are physical, for example, offices that are not wheelchair accessible. Yet, barriers often come out of stigma and biases. For instance, an employer might believe that a person with a disability will not be as good at their job as someone without one. Or an employer may not provide a disabled person with time off for doctors appointments.
Why are we collecting data on disability?
Measuring disability inclusion in the workplace has shown to improve organizational culture, builds a competitive advantage, and demonstrates employer commitment to employing people with disabilities.
On the social side, it raises awareness that the collection and sharing of data helps shape evidence-based policies aimed at improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Furthermore, an organization’s choice to measure and report on disability inclusion can be an act of solidarity and advocacy against stigma of employing people with disabilities.
If we measure it, we can manage it. That’s how the saying goes, and that’s why we are asking for your support in taking part in this initiative. If we want to understand how far we have to go, we have to know where we are now.
Instructions: Opportunity to add in how your organization will use this data to create diversity and inclusion programming or to address gabs/barriers in your employment practices.
Why do you want to know whether I am a senior leader?
A shift to a more inclusive culture relies on leadership to profoundly steer the effort to unite the team around the organization’s guiding principles. Senior leaders have the influence to address stigma, create opportunities, and open pathways for feedback to improve trust and participation.
We know that when a senior leader shares their disability status, they combat the stigma people with disabilities face. They show that they have built successful careers. Their courage makes space for others to speak openly about it too.
Who should respond to the survey?
We are asking everybody on our payroll to complete the survey. That includes full-time and part-time staff, long-term or short-term contractors, interns, and individuals who are away on maternity or disability leave.
If you receive a paycheck from [Organization Name], please respond to the survey.
Instructions: Opportunity to customize the employment types to fit your organization.
What can [Organization Name] do to improve employment for people with disabilities?
Sometimes there are physical barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing spaces. Biases and attitudes can block people with disabilities from getting jobs. Stigma can also affect how they are treated at work and what opportunities they are given to advance in their career. Combined, these factors all affect job outcomes for people with disabilities.
Removing such barriers will allow people with disabilities to take part in the workplace on an equal basis with others. [Organization Name] might need to adjust our policies, our recruitment strategies, or our workspaces to be more accessible. We could also see changes to our company culture or how we communicate with staff.
We joined the Pledge to Measure to better understand the barriers we have created as an employer. More knowledge will help us be a better employer for our current and future employees.
Part 2: Collecting Employee Information
Why is [Organization Name] asking employees for information about whether they have a disability?
People with disabilities often face barriers in the workplace. They tend to have more obstacles to getting hired and promoted. Some people may have hidden disabilities they don’t talk about out of fear that the stigma will affect their careers.
[Organization Name] is committed to diversity and inclusion. To act on that commitment, we need to understand who our staff are. The Pledge to Measure will show us the current make up of our team. Staff who self-disclose on the survey will allow us to measure and track our improvement over time in employing people with disabilities and ensuring their representation in senior leadership roles.
Isn’t it illegal to ask employees for this private information?
Organizations can ask these types of questions as long as participation is voluntary and the intention is to improve conditions for groups who have experienced discrimination.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ensures one can’t be discriminated against based on their identity. “Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.”
However, organizations can gather information on their employees’ identities to support programs designed to improve conditions for individuals or groups who are/were disadvantaged because of their identities. This falls within “employment equity” or “ameliorative programs” under the law. That’s what we’re doing here.
You can choose “Do Not Want to Answer” if you are not comfortable sharing any personal information, but your responses will also be anonymous to protect your identity.
Instructions: The answers in the FAQ assume that an individual will be responding to the survey anonymously. If you are only keeping the results confidential via survey method #4: use of an HRIS system or survey method #5: direct check-in, please adjust this answer to say “confidential” instead of “anonymous.”
What will [Organization Name] do with the data?
Each year, we will track and report on our Pledge to Measure results.
The Pledge to Measure identifies four statistics in organizations of all sectors and sizes across Canada:
- The number of staff who disclosed disabilities.*
- The number of senior leaders who disclosed disabilities.*
- The number of employees in your organization.
- The number of survey respondents in your organization.
*Questions that appear on the survey.
Our data will be available on the Pledge to Measure website each year. You can also see how we do compared to other Canadian businesses.
Visit PledgeToMeasure.org in the fall to see our results.
Is the data anonymous?
Yes, [Organization Name] respects the privacy of our employees. The answers you provide in the survey will be kept anonymous and will not be used against you in any way.
Instructions: The answers in the FAQ assume that an individual will be responding to the survey anonymously. If you are only keeping the results confidential via survey method #4: use of an HRIS system or survey method #5: direct check-in, please adjust this answer to say “confidential” instead of “anonymous.”
How do I know my data is secure? Can Human Resources/People and Culture or the Pledge to Measure see my name with my answers?
Yes, [Organization Name] respects the privacy of our employees. The answers you provide in the survey will be kept anonymous and will not be used against you in any way.
Instructions: The answers in the FAQ assume that an individual will be responding to the survey anonymously. If you are only keeping the results confidential via survey method #4: use of an HRIS system or survey method #5: direct check-in, please adjust this answer to say “confidential” instead of “anonymous.”
What if I don’t want to self-identify?
We appreciate everyone’s support on this initiative. Still, you have no obligation to disclose this data. Choosing to self-identify or choosing not to will not impact your job security or future opportunities at [Organization Name].
Of course, we want to improve on our numbers over time, but that’s not all. A key goal of the survey is to help remove stigma around disability in the workplace. Reporting our numbers will help to improve upon organizational culture, to actively demonstrate our priority to hire people with disabilities and make the workplace accessible for everyone to.
We know that it can be difficult to self-identify. It may be even more challenging if you have a disability that is invisible in the workplace. We want to show that our company already employs individuals with disabilities, whether they are visible or not.
Instructions: The answers in the FAQ assume that an individual will be responding to the survey anonymously. If you are only keeping the results confidential via survey method #4: use of an HRIS system or survey method #5: direct check-in, please adjust this answer to say “confidential” instead of “anonymous.”
Why are we collecting information only about persons with disabilities? Aren’t diversity and inclusion important for other identities as well?
Instructions: This question is only relevant if using survey method #1: Qualtrics or survey method #2: paper ballots.
Of course! Many groups have faced discrimination for a variety of reasons. As an employer, we want to do our part to support all protected or equity-deserving identities.
The Pledge to Measure focuses only on one group – employees with disabilities – and is a Canadian movement to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities. By empowering employers to track and report disability inclusion in the workplace, we can increase transparency and confidential disclosures, set benchmarks, track progress, and drive greater equity in our organization for those with disabilities specifically.
Instructions: If you are using survey method #3: existing surveys, or survey method #4: use of an HRIS system, or survey method #5: direct check-in, please remove this question.
What do we mean by “disability?”
A disability is a condition that results when persons with such impairments encounter attitudinal or environmental barriers that hinder their full participation in society on an equal basis with others.
A disability is a condition that affects your mind or body. It could always be present or it could come and go.
A disability may stop you from doing the things you want to do. Barriers that get in your way could be:
- physical such as a curb or a heavy door,
- other people’s attitudes about you,
- the expected ways of doing things that are not easy for you.
A disability could be:
- physical – such as having a hard time using your legs or arms.
- sensory – such as not being able to see or hear.
- mental health – such as having emotions that limit your daily activities or being unable to be in control of your thoughts.
- learning – such as having a hard time with reading, writing or math.
- communication – such as needing technology to help talk with others.
- intellectual – such as needing help from others with everyday tasks like managing money and organizing time.
- cognitive – such as having a hard time thinking, remembering and doing things in order.
- functional limitation – such as not being able to walk very far because of a heart condition or being in pain a lot of the time.
How a disability could affect employment:
A person with a disability is defined by the Employment Equity Act (1995) and the Accessible Canada Act (2019) to include the following elements:
- long-term or episodic, AND
- disadvantaged in employment, OR
- see themselves as disadvantaged in employment, OR
- need accommodations or have been accommodated in the workplace.
Solving the barriers to workforce participation for people with disabilities requires adjustments to our policies, environments, and organizational cultures as well as open communication with employees.
Who should self-identify as a person with a disability?
Any employee who relates their experiences to the definition on the page before this should check “yes.” A disability might be visible or invisible, long-term, or episodic. You don’t have to use this label in your day to day life!
Should I self-identify in the survey if my condition has been accommodated at [Organization Name]?
Yes. If you have requested an accommodation at work, or have been accommodated in the past, answer “yes.”
Should I self-identify in the survey if my condition is invisible?
Yes. Many conditions or disabilities are invisible or undetectable by others. Answering this survey will not change that.
Should I self-identify in the survey if my condition is invisible?
Yes. Three in five people with disabilities have a condition that does not fit the “conventional” view of disability as continuous and unchanging. Their condition is episodic or, in other words, comes and goes. If you have an episodic condition, answer “yes.”
According to Realize Canada, “An episodic disability is marked by fluctuating periods and degrees of wellness and disability. In addition, these periods of wellness and disability are unpredictable. As a consequence, a person may move in and out of the labour force in an unpredictable manner.”
Should I self-identify in the survey if my condition is managed with medication or addressed by assistive technologies?
Yes. If you have a condition that is managed by medication or addressed by an assistive technology or other accommodation in the workplace, answer “yes.”
If I disclose my disability, could it be used against me, or will it affect my future career prospects?
We are only asking for general information in the survey (“if” you have a disability). We are not asking for details about your disability (“what kind” of disability you have).
Information will only be shared as a part of the numbers for the whole organization.
Instructions: The answers in the FAQ assume that an individual will be responding to the survey anonymously. If you are only keeping the results confidential via survey method #4: use of an HRIS system or survey method #5: direct check-in, please adjust this answer to say “confidential” instead of “anonymous.”
