Project overview
Accommodating and Communicating about Episodic Disabilities (ACED) is a five-year research project bringing together researchers and community partners to develop evidence-based workplace tools, resources and training programs to support the sustained employment of people with episodic disabilities.
What are episodic disabilities?
Episodic disabilities are long-term health conditions that are characterized by periods of good health interrupted by periods of poor health. These periods of illness and disability may vary in severity, length and predictability. Episodic disabilities may also be invisible to others.
Some examples of episodic disability include depression, anxiety disorders, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s, colitis, hepatitis C, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, chronic pain and some forms of cancer.
Many of the most common chronic diseases in Canada and other developed countries can be characterized as episodic disabilities. Taken together, episodic disabilities are among the most common and costly conditions in Canada.
Why is this project needed?
Because episodic conditions are often unpredictable and invisible to others, with symptoms that fluctuate from one period in time to another, they create unique challenges in managing workplace disabilities. In particular, episodic disabilities present challenges to workers, supervisors, disability managers and human resources personnel in balancing:
- workplace health communication and the [...]