Equity in Disability Benefits: Challenges Faced By Black Workers in Canada

Background and Purpose: Racialized individuals worldwide face discriminatory treatment, but Black people encounter an additional layer of racism and inequitable treatment rooted in societal color-coded classism. This study explored the experiences of racialized workers in Manitoba, focusing on workplace oppression and barriers to accessing long-term disability benefits. However, this presentation will include only the Black workers’ experiences. The objectives of the study included: 1). To understand the workplace lived experiences of immigrant workers in Manitoba; 2). To explore the extent of the usage of employment insurance among immigrant workers in Manitoba; 3). To examine access to long-term disability support for immigrant workers in Manitoba. The major questions were: 1). What are the workplace lived experiences of immigrant professional and non-professional workers in Manitoba? 2). When and how do immigrant workers access employment insurance benefits? and, 3). What are the barriers encountered by immigrant workers in accessing long-term disability benefits?

Methods: Hermeneutical phenomenological approach was adopted to understand the phenomenon experienced and the context of the experiences of racialized workers in Manitoba. Fifteen participants were recruited through flyers, snowball, and Facebook live advertisements. Nine participants were Africans, Four Asians, one North American, and one from the Caribbean. Participants engaged in sixty to ninety minutes individual interviews. MAXQDA software was used in data analysis using thematic analysis through Black feminism and transformative frameworks (Brewer, 2020; Creswell & Poth, 2018O’Reilly & Kiyimba, 2015).

Results: This phenomenological study reveals that systemic racism and discriminatory practices significantly impact Black workers, creating barriers to accessing long-term disability benefits even after working for several years. These challenges include biased decision-making processes, lack of awareness about available benefits, and bureaucratic hurdles that disproportionately affect Black individuals. The study showed potential policy recommendations and advocacy strategies to address these inequities to promote a more inclusive and just society. The study highlighted the urgent need for systemic change to ensure that all workers, regardless of race, can access the needed support to thrive.

Conclusions and Implications: The study recommended social work advocacy for easy access to long-term benefits for racialized workers, equitable treatment of workers and benefit applicants irrespective of gender and race, and humanistic practice for service providers. The study also suggested changes in policy around application process, wait time and optional long-term disability benefit opportunities. There is a gap in study on disability benefit accessibility for racialized communities. Therefore, future study requires mixed methodology for large samples on this social issue.