Science popularization tools

In 2021, the Canadian government made a commitment to make childcare services more inclusive and accessible for children with disabilities.

But what did we really know about the situation at the national level? This is the question that a Cirris research team set out to answer…

Click here to view the full report.

Inclusive education is about adapting schools to the needs of students with diverse neurological profiles, such as those with autism or those with different attention or learning profiles from the majority, to enable them to reach their full potential and feel well-integrated.

A study carried out by a Cirris team has set out to design a model that clarifies the essential elements of school environments and activities that promote the participation and well-being of neurodivergent students and their peers.

This model is not a turnkey recipe, but a starting point for occupational therapists to work with school teams to co-create more inclusive schools for neurodivergent students. It encourages collaboration between all stakeholders to create more welcoming and adapted schools.

Read the full article here.

And for more information, visit the Inclusive Communities website.

Pressure injury complication is common among wheelchair users (Barrois et al., 2018; Le Fort et al., 2017). A review of the scientific literature (Umbrella Review) made it possible to draw up a list of all these risk factors, which were then categorized.

Another major finding of this review
It also revealed that the combination of several risk factors did not simply add up their effects, but could amplify the hazard, creating a single, larger risk factor.

In recent years, the issue of integrating and retaining people with disabilities in the workforce has undergone a transformation, in terms of both approaches and resources. Against a backdrop of labor shortages, the job-seeking population with disabilities appears to be a population pool that the Quebec government can capitalize on.

The Comité consultatif Personnes handicapées (CCPH) therefore commissioned a Cirris research team to produce a report on the employment situation of people with disabilities in Quebec. The aim of this document is to develop a lexicon of inclusive access and universal accessibility, as well as related terms. It also provides an update on legislation, programs and public measures concerning inclusive access and accommodation measures affecting employment in Quebec. Finally, it presents the main players and some of the issues involved.

The following ten infographics (in French) present key data from the report:

Universal accessibility* :

• The glossary
• The legislation
• The ecosystem

Literature related to CCPH’s 7 issues* :

• Statistics on people with disabilities (2017)
• Access to post-secondary training and internships
• Interventions for youth with disabilities
• Programs and measures for people with disabilities
• Support for the workplace
• Sustainable access to the civil service
• Impacts of the digital shift, AI and COVID-19

* Click on the links to access the full reports on the CCPH website.

Since 2007, the right to earn a living through freely chosen employment has been recognized in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Yet the employment rate for people with disabilities aged 25 to 64 is only 62%, compared with 78% for people without disabilities. In fact, many obstacles persist, preventing people with disabilities from accessing and maintaining quality employment. These barriers can be personal or linked to the physical and social environment. To make their business attractive and ensure that people with disabilities remain in employment, employers need to implement enablers and solutions to overcome these barriers.

Complete reference

Pr Jean-Sébastien Roy, Pr Kadija Perreault et Pr Luc J. Hébert

Are supervised group exercise programs as effective as the usual individual physiotherapy interventions?

DEPPI (Disability, Employment and Public Policies Initiatives) is a multidisciplinary research project that aims to improve understanding of the preparation, integration, access, participation and maintenance in employment of people with disabilities.

Its aim: to produce public policy recommendations for the employability of people living with disabilities that reflect the realities on the ground.

This infographic summarizes the main obstacles and facilitators encountered by participants in the study, the main findings and the recommendations made by the research team in response to the problems experienced by people with disabilities in accessing employment.

What is the walking exoskeleton? Who can use it, and why?

A research team from the Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (Cirris) working with the walking exoskeleton used at the Institut de réadaptation en déficience physique de Québec (IRDPQ) has created a comic strip in collaboration with cartoonist Martin Patenaude-Monette.

The comic strip aims to provide a better understanding of this technology and its use. It facilitates open dialogue on how the technology works and how it can be used, enabling users’ expectations of the technology to be better modulated.

Would you like to use BD in your environment? Contact us to discuss how we can help:
Margaux Simon (margaux.simon.1@ulaval.ca) or Noémie Fortin-Bédard (noemie.fortin-bedard.1@ulaval.ca)