Did you know that many persons with Canada who live with brain injury experience significant barriers to participation in federal elections? Those barriers show up in the voter registration process, communication of candidate platforms, voting, and in seeking and/or sustaining employment at Elections Canada. Brain Injury Canada is excited to announce a new research project focused on these issues. Duration of Project: Spring 2023 to late Winter 2026
Who is funding this work?
Accessibility Standards Canada is funding this work. The outcomes of the project will be communicated to the federal government and used to draft standards to facilitate accessible elections in Canada.
Why is this project important?
Brain injuries often result in disabilities with cognitive, physical, behavioural, and emotional impairments, which can have a devastating effect on an individual’s ability to participate meaningfully at home, in their workplace and in the broader community. There are currently no standards developed to support those living with brain injury, yet persons with brain injury represent approximately 5% of the Canadian adult population.
About the project goal
The purpose of our project is to identify barriers for persons living with brain injury that prevent them from fully participating in federal electoral processes, including voting, voter registration, accessing candidate platforms, and employment with Elections Canada. Our project involves an international scan for any policies or standards facilitating inclusive and accessible elections, as well as an accessibility review of election related communications and employment policies and procedures. Persons with brain injury will be engaged in virtual sessions to “re design” electoral practices with accessibility as a priority. Appropriate and fair compensation will be provided for all participants impacted by brain injury in these sessions. What are some of the project objectives?
- To identify the impact of the pandemic on the accessibility of elections and related activities in the electoral system for persons living with brain injury in Canada.
- To identify international best practices for accessible electoral processes
- To conduct virtual sessions in French and English, with Canadian’s who live with brain injury from across our country to identify barriers and potential ways to mitigate, remove and prevent barriers from participation in future elections and related electoral activities.
- To identify barriers to accessible and inclusive employment with Elections Canada for persons living with brain injury
- To review the accessibility of relevant print based materials
- To disseminate the findings of this study; using a variety of communication strategies to the federal government, to provincial and local electoral bodies, to the Canadian public, and to relevant international bodies
Who are the project partners?
Project partners include the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Neurological Health Charities Canada, Hydrocephalus Canada, and the Inclusive Design Center at OCAD University.
Ethics Disclaimer
This project has been reviewed and approved by the Community Research Ethics Board. If you feel you have not been treated according to the descriptions in our information, or your rights as a participant in research have been violated during the course of this project, you may contact the Chair, Community Research Ethics Board, at: Community Research Ethics Office (Canada) Corp. c/o Centre for Community Based Research, 140 Westmount Road North, Waterloo ON N2L 3G5; Email: [email protected]
