HN Summary

•Disability-inclusive hiring resource: The Inspire, Hire, Train, Retain (IHTR) project, co-led by Holland Bloorview and Halton Healthcare with 10 partners, provides free online training materials in English and French to support disability-inclusive employment in health care.

•Wide uptake and impact: More than 400 participants from 66 health-care organizations have already used the co-designed guides, slide decks, and facilitator resources to improve hiring and workplace inclusion practices.

•Stronger, more inclusive workforce: By promoting equitable employment opportunities for people with visible and non-visible disabilities, IHTR helps address health-care labour shortages while enhancing workplace diversity and ultimately improving patient care.

“Training-in-a-box” prepares health-care managers to hire, engage and retain workers with disabilities by increasing knowledge on accessibility and instilling confidence for inclusion.

The “Inspire, Hire, Train, Retain” (IHTR) project, led by Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and Halton Healthcare alongside ten other Ontario organizations, offers a free online resource to help support health-care employers when it comes to disability-inclusive hiring and employment.  To date, more than 400 participants across 66 health care organizations have been trained using this resource. 

The co-designed and pilot-tested resource consists of a training implementation guide, facilitator’s guide, and training slide deck that can be used by any health-care organization to train their staff. The resources are available in English and French. Funding for the IHTR project was generously provided by the Government of Ontario and the Holland Bloorview Foundation. 

“People with disabilities and health conditions work and thrive in a variety of roles in Ontario health-care organizations, yet there is more to be done to ensure our policies and processes are truly inclusive,” says Tracey Millar, vice president, people and culture, Holland Bloorview. “The goal of IHTR is to create equitable employment opportunities in the health care sector that we know is experiencing labour shortages. This valuable tool spreads confidence and competency with human resources best practices that attract, train and retain individuals with disabilities.” 

Gabriella Carafa, a collaborative practice leader at Holland Bloorview, has helped steer the development of the IHTR training materials from the beginning. “As a person with a disability who has worked in a variety of health-care organizations, I have faced hiring and accommodation barriers. We need to work through these,” says Carafa. “When we prioritize inclusive employment in health-care organizations, everyone benefits – including patients. Individuals with both visible and non-visible disabilities are an integral part of the planning and delivery of health-care services and can help ensure that care meets patients’ real needs.”

The following healthcare and employment service organizations co-developed IHTR together with Holland Bloorview and Halton Healthcare:  Health Sciences North, The Hospital for Sick Children, Norfolk General Hospital, Sault Area Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Care London, St. Joseph’s Lifecare Brantford, West Haldimand General Hospital, Community Living Oakville, March of Dimes Canada, Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN).

“The IHTR training opened my eyes to strategies and resources that can help us all foster a more inclusive workplace. From rethinking how we design our job descriptions to ensuring our training programs are accessible to everyone, Inspire, Hire, Train, Retain provides a roadmap for creating policies and environments where everyone can succeed,” says Michelle Leroux, chief human resources officer, Halton Healthcare. 

“Co-design brings together a diverse range of stakeholders—such as service users, experts, and community members—to collaborate in developing effective solutions. This collaborative approach is exactly what IHTR embodies. By offering training to healthcare organizations, it not only creates enhanced hiring opportunities but also promotes a more inclusive workplace,” says Tracey Morrow, employment specialist, Community Living Oakville. “The training provides healthcare organizations with the tools to assess and refine their hiring practices, while simultaneously building confidence in hiring individuals with disabilities. As a service provider, this initiative opens up greater opportunities for people with disabilities to be hired and valued, fostering greater inclusion and diversity within the workforce.” 

Sign up for the next free online IHTR training session on Oct. 23, 2025.  If you have questions about the ITHR training materials contact Laura Bowman, project manager, Holland Bloorview at lbowman@hollandbloorview.ca.

By Carolyn McDougall, manager, employment pathways, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Carolyn McDougall is the manager, employment pathways at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.