The 89th Acfas Congress, organized in collaboration with Université Laval, took place from May 9 to 13, 2022 under the Sciences, innovations and societies theme.
A full week of events and discussions on research and knowledge with more than 200 scientific symposia and Enjeux de la recherche, more than 600 free communications, about fifteen activities on the campus of Laval University or in the surroundings, and online and about ten Science-moi!
Several CIRANO researchers were present in various conferences.
As a source of research and innovation, health data is a common asset with great potential for improving care and social services. At the same time, this highly sensitive data requires robust rules and mechanisms to promote responsible and trustworthy practices by data trustees and users. Consequently, building a solid and lasting bond of trust with communities and populations requires the implementation of large-scale actions to promote the social and citizen acceptability of access and use of health data.
Professor François Laviolette, to whom this symposium paid tribute, spoke in this regard of the construction of "a healthy and serene social pact on our collective wealth represented by data", "a pact for which there will be trust, transparency, sufficient digital literacy and interpretability".
The objective of this conference was to contribute to answering several questions: how to understand and take into consideration the diverse and ever-changing concerns and expectations of Quebec citizens? What tools and methodologies should be deployed to build this social pact between populations and users of health data? What investments are required today to initiate and sustain such a large-scale project throughout Quebec?
Daniel J. Caron, professor at the École nationale d'administration publique (ÉNAP), Researcher and CIRANO Fellow, and Nathalie De Marcellis-Warin, professor at Polytechnique Montréal, Researcher and CIRANO Fellow, took part in a round table of experts on Health Data and Social Acceptability
Even today, people with disabilities represent one of the most disadvantaged groups in the Quebec labour market. According to the 2017 Canadian Disability Survey, there is still a 48% gap between the employment rates of people aged 20-64 with disabilities and those without disabilities. These differences persist despite the various laws, policies and measures implemented to support their preparation, integration and retention in the productive economy. In addition to questioning the effectiveness of these measures and policies, this state of affairs calls for a better understanding of the different realities that may disadvantage them at different times in their careers. This observation also leads us to propose new interventions that contribute to the development of a more inclusive labour market.
In order to report on the state of knowledge in this field, the Disability, Employment, and Public Policies Initiative (DEPPI) research team proposed the symposium entitled "Disability, Work, and Public Policies". This interdisciplinary and intersectoral scientific event aimed first of all to discuss the experiences of discrimination experienced by people with disabilities in employment or in the search for work, according to their age, gender, and socio-cultural background. This conference explored various themes such as the issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the interactions between the realities of sex, gender and work, the disclosure of disabilities, communication, and work-life balance. More specifically, it examined how these different elements influence the possibilities of obtaining and evolving in an employment environment that meets the needs and aspirations of people with disabilities and offers them the same professional development opportunities as others. Finally, the symposium discussed the different effects of existing policies and programs, as well as innovative practices on the search for and the occupation of a job by persons with disabilities.
Charles Bellemare, Professor at Laval University, Researcher and CIRANO Fellow presented the session DEPPI: A multidisciplinary research partnership to promote the employability of people living with physical disabilities
