Seven in Ten Canadians Say They'd Hire a Sighted Job Candidate Over a Blind One
Toronto, ON - 160A majority of Canadians (71%) say they would hire a sighted candidate over a blind one, if faced with two fully qualified candidates who were equal in all other aspects, according to a new Ipsos survey for the CNIB. Just 29% would choose the blind candidate.
The survey also found that many Canadians are unaware that people who are blind or partially sighted face significant challenges in finding employment. For instance, more than half (55%) don't know that the employment rate among people who are blind or partially sighted is half that of the general population. Only three in ten (31%) know that this is actually true, with Quebecers (40%) being the most likely to get this question right. Meanwhile a further 14% of Canadians think this assertion is false.
Other findings in the quiz included the fact that half (49%) of Canadians don't know whether workplace accommodations for blind or partially sighted employees are usually expensive. Three in ten (29%) know this isn't the case, but another 22% falsely believe that it is.
- Millennials (33%) are the most likely to wrongly think this is true, compared to 21% of Gen X'ers and 14% of Baby Boomers.
- Boomers (49%) are the most likely to say they don't know, compared to 39% of Gen X'ers and 40% of Millennials.
Three in ten (30%) Canadians aren't sure whether someone who is blind or partially sighted usually requires more time to complete tasks on the job than someone who is sighted. While four in ten (40%) know this isn't the case, a further 30% incorrectly believe that it's true.
- Millennials are most likely to get this question wrong: 40% mistakenly think it's true, compared to 30% of Gen X'ers and 22% of Baby Boomers.
Three in ten (28%) Canadians don't know if someone who is blind usually requires a sighted person to read their documents to them on the job. They don't - and while half (51%) of Canadians know this, 22% think that it's true.
Two in ten (22 %) Canadians don't know if someone who is blind usually requires a sighted person to guide them in the work environment. A majority (60%) correctly say this isn't the case, while 18% wrongly think that it is.
- Once again, Millennials show less knowledge about this aspect of working with the blind: one in four (26%) incorrectly think this is true, compared to 17% of Gen X'ers and 12% of Baby Boomers.
Some Canadians See Blind or Partially Sighted as Having Weaker Abilities
While a majority of Canadians believe that a partially sighted or blind person can perform a wide range of jobs just as well as someone who is sighted, there are some cases where most don't think this is the case. 160This proportion falls below the halfway mark for some of the most technical professions on the survey list, including scientist (41% say the blind or visually impaired can perform the job as well as someone with good eyesight; 29% say they can't; 30% don't know) and engineer (32% say the blind or visually impaired can do the job just as well; 33% say they can't; 35% don't know).
Many Canadian Unsure of How to Interact with Blind Colleagues, Concerned About their Safety
Canadians appear to have some degree of reservation about working with a colleague who is blind or partially sighted. Two in three Canadians (67%) agree (22% strongly/44% somewhat) that working with someone who is blind or partially sighted would prompt concern about that person's safety in the workplace. Quebecers (82%) are by far the most likely to agree (41% strongly/41% somewhat) with this statement.
Moreover, one in three (35%) disagree (8% strongly/27% somewhat) that they know how to interact appropriately with someone who is blind or partially sighted in a workplace setting, and six in ten (60%) disagree (25% strongly/30% somewhat) that they know where to find information about how to make their workplace more inclusive for people who are blind or partially sighted.
Further, just one in three Canadians (32%) believe (6% strongly/26% somewhat) they know what type of workplace accommodations are required for someone who is blind or partially sighted (68% don't; 30% strongly/38% somewhat). Millennials (38%) and Gen X'ers (34%) are significantly more likely than Baby Boomers (25%) to believe they know what types of workplace accommodations are necessary. At the regional level, Ontario residents (38%) are the most likely to think they know, followed by those in the Atlantic provinces (37%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (34%), BC (26%), Quebec (26%), and Alberta (25%).
Lastly, in a significant shift from the 71% who would choose to hire a sighted candidate over a blind one if all else were equal, seven in ten Canadians (72%) disagree (31% strongly/41% somewhat) that they would be reluctant to hire someone who is blind or partially sighted to do an important job (while 28% agree that they would, in fact, be reluctant). Those most likely to express reluctance are Millennials, at 36%, compared to one in four Gen X'ers (26%) and Boomers (24%). However, this finding appears to be a contradiction to the scenario presented in the headline of this factum, where most Canadians would choose the sighted candidate over a blind one, all other things equal. Moreover, those who have responsibility for hiring are more likely (39%) than those without this responsibility (27%) to say they'd be reluctant to hire someone who is blind or partially sighted.
Experience working with the Blind or Partially Sighted
With fewer blind or partially sighted Canadians in the workforce compared to those who are sighted, it is unsurprising that many Canadians don't know what the reality of employment is for those with vision loss. The survey found that as many as eight in ten Canadians (82%) have never worked with someone who is blind or partially sighted, leaving only 18% who either currently do or have worked alongside them in the past. Further, two in three Canadians (65%) say they don't personally know someone who is blind or partially sighted (35% do).
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between August 29 and September 1, 2016, on behalf of CNIB. For this survey, a sample of 1,009 Canadians from Ipsos' online panel was interviewed online. Weighting160was then160employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval.160 In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/ - 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Vice President
(416) 324-2002
Ipsos Public Affairs
[email protected]
About Ipsos
Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry. With a strong presence in 87 countries, Ipsos employs more than 16,000 people and has the ability to conduct research programs in more than 100 countries. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is controlled and managed by research professionals. They have built a solid Group around a multi-specialist positioning-- Media and advertising research; Marketing research; Client and employee relationship management; Opinion & social research; Mobile, Online, Offline data collection and delivery. Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999. www.ipsos.com
