Lessons from the Diversity Partners Project: Using knowledge translation to strengthen business engagement strategies and improve employment outcomes for job seekers with disabilities

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Effective employer engagement strategies are critical to the provision of high quality employment supports for individuals with disabilities. There is a gap in both relevant research and knowledge surrounding these strategies. This article describes the knowledge translation (KT) activities of the Diversity Partners Project, which are designed to promote and contextualize a set of promising employer engagement practices to improve outcomes for job seekers with disabilities. OBJECTIVE: KT is an emerging area of study in the field of disability and employment. This article explores the role of capacity building in a knowledge translation intervention for employment service providers. CONCLUSIONS: Ongoing efforts on the Diversity Partners Project have involved KT principles as an integral part of the process. The target audience of the intervention has been actively engaged in the process from development to implementation to evaluation. Overall, frontline staff have been receptive and even eager for the on-demand, business-focused tools made available to them on the website, though broad adoption has been hindered by a number of factors.

Workplace Health Promotion in the Context of Aging Workforce in Europe

“…Demographic characteristics of human capital are changing (more intensive in developed countries) due to life expectancy increases, fertility restrictions, enhanced education and training needs, health care and public health innovations improving health, respectively mental and physical capacity to increasingly late ages [3,4]. Various reasons may be considered in relation to the aging workforce [5]:…”

“…• Financial: A lack of a proper pension plan and reforms of the systems of retirement in many countries left many people with debts or insufficient income from their pension [5].…”