Inclusive Hiring Drive
Canadian Employers Invited to Create 10,000 New Inclusive Opportunities by 2026
Anonymous
Enabled Talent Canada has launched a national campaign asking every Canadian employer to create at least one opportunity for a person with a disability or from an underrepresented community — with a goal of 10,000 new openings by October 2026, according to Ottawa Sun. The initiative, called "One Company. One Talent.," covers jobs, internships, apprenticeships, mentorships, volunteer roles, and co-op placements.
The campaign targets businesses, municipalities, colleges, universities, nonprofits, and industry associations across Canada. Founder Amandipp Singh, a partially blind entrepreneur, says the push is not about checkboxes. "This campaign is not about quotas or compliance," Singh said. "It is about recognizing talent, opening doors, and creating opportunities that benefit both employers and jobseekers," The Province reported.
A Disability Employment Gap Fueling the Push
Canada has roughly 8 million people living with disabilities. Yet the unemployment rate for Canadians with disabilities stood at 7.6% in 2023, compared to 4.6% for those without, according to Daily Herald Tribune. Workers with disabilities also earn less — averaging $31.95 per hour versus $33.86 for those without. Meanwhile, Statistics Canada reported 505,900 unfilled job vacancies in mid-2025, pointing to a large pool of untapped workers.
Despite the Accessible Canada Act of 2019 — which aims for a barrier-free Canada by 2040 — progress has been slow. The federal government pledged to hire 5,000 employees with disabilities by 2025. By early 2026, roughly 4,000 had been brought on board, Sault This Week noted. Only 6% of employers identify inclusive hiring as a top priority, according to analysts at the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work.
How Enabled Talent Built Up to This National Moment
Enabled Talent has been building toward this campaign for over a year. In January 2025, it launched an AI-powered career platform in Brampton, Ontario. In October 2025, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown hosted the debut of "TARA," an AI voice tool for workers with vision loss, at City Hall. In April 2026, the company piloted a major project in Greater Sudbury — one of Ontario's highest-density regions for disability support recipients, Fort McMurray Today reported.
In May 2026, Enabled Talent held a cross-party MPP breakfast reception at Queen's Park during National AccessAbility Week. MPPs expressed interest in how inclusive hiring could reduce the cost of running unemployment programs by moving people from disability support into the workforce. Singh was also named 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Punjabi Chamber of Commerce in Toronto, Chatham Daily News noted.
AI Matching Aims to Remove Hiring Bias
Unlike awareness-only campaigns, "One Company. One Talent." uses an AI tool called Enabled Recruiter. It scores resumes based on skills, not formatting. Traditional resume formats can put neurodivergent or disabled applicants at a disadvantage. The AI strips that bias out of the first step, Woodstock Sentinel-Review reported. Enabled Talent also helps employers streamline workplace accommodations and build more accessible hiring processes.
Enabled Talent has also partnered with Algoma University to develop accessibility tools for students and graduates. The company has been selected for the UNICEF Startup Lab to lead inclusive employment innovation across Africa, signaling that the model could eventually expand far beyond Canada, according to The Whig.
Critics Warn Against Unpaid Roles Masking as Inclusion
Not everyone is cheering. Some advocacy groups raise a pointed concern: the campaign bundles volunteer roles together with paid jobs and apprenticeships. Critics argue that labeling unpaid volunteer work as an "opportunity" can blur the line between genuine career advancement and unpaid labor that exploits disabled individuals, Goderich Signal-Star noted. They say people with disabilities deserve paid, stable work — not symbolic gestures.
Some small business groups have also flagged concerns about the cost and complexity of workplace accommodations and the reporting requirements under the Accessible Canada Act. Structural critics add that AI matching tools can only go so far if employer attitudes still treat accommodations as a burden rather than a right. The campaign's true test, analysts say, is whether those 10,000 opportunities translate into lasting, paid employment, Paris Star Online reported.
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