Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017: Concepts and Methods Guide
Appendix D – Survey indicators by questionnaire module

Table of contents

The list below includes descriptions of questionnaire indicators as well as derived variables (DVs) which combine different questionnaire items. DVs are created to assist researchers in making full use of the data available. 

For a complete list of variables, please refer to the 2017 CSD Data Dictionaries (codebooks).  For details on how to obtain the Dictionaries, please contact Statistics Canada’s Client Services or call 1-800-263-1136.

The Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017

Introduction – Getting started

This section describes the purpose of the survey and its voluntary nature. It also explains the nature of record linkage with the 2016 Census. 

A preliminary technical module then ascertains whether the person is responding for themselves or on behalf of someone else (proxy). 

Disability screening questions (DSQ)

Screener questions on the DSQ evaluate the presence and severity of 10 distinct types of disabilities related to health problems or conditions that have lasted or are expected to last for six months or more. Questions ask how often a difficulty limits daily activities for the following disability types:

  1. Seeing
  2. Hearing
  3. Mobility
  4. Flexibility
  5. Dexterity
  6. Pain-related
  7. Learning
  8. Developmental
  9. Mental health-related
  10. Memory

An “Unknown” type is also identified.

New for 2017 are questions on the age of onset and the age of limitation of each disability type.

Derived variables for the DSQ module include disability status, seeing disability indicator, hearing disability indicator, mobility disability indicator, flexibility disability indicator, dexterity disability indicator, learning disability indicator, pain-related disability indicator, developmental disability indicator, mental health-related disability indicator, memory disability indicator, unknown type of disability indicator and disability type counter.

Related DVs include severity class for seeing, severity class for hearing, severity class for mobility, severity class for flexibility, severity class for dexterity, severity class for pain, severity class for learning, severity class for mental health, severity class for memory, severity class for developmental, severity class for unknown, global severity score and global severity class.

An additional set of DVs provides age range groupings for age of onset and age of limitation for each disability type.

Episodic disabilities (EPD)

New to the survey content for 2017, questions in this module address whether respondents have periods of time when they are not limited by their condition, whether their conditions are getting better, worse or staying the same and the expected duration of their limitations. 

Main condition (MC)

This module is used to identify the main medical condition which caused the most difficulty or limitation to daily activity for the respondent. Respondents were able to identify up to two medical conditions that contributed to difficulties or activity limitations. New for 2017 is a follow-up question on accidents and injuries to differentiate between workplace, home, motor vehicle and sports related causes.

Main conditions are coded according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). 

Aids and assistive devices (AADH, AADV, AADM, AADL, AADA)

There are five modules covering aids and assistive devices. Respondents were streamed through these modules based on their disability type(s), as identified in the disability screening questions.

Questions were asked about any aids, assistive devices and specialized equipment that the respondent used and those they needed. Over 50 specific devices were included on the survey, including new technologies added for 2017 such as tablets and smartwatches. Respondents could also specify other aids that they used. Respondents who reported a need for a device that they did not have were then asked reasons for the unmet need. For persons with a hearing disability, questions were asked about the use of lip reading, sign language and sign language interpreters.

Derived variables include use of aids for hearing, the number of aids used for hearing, and whether needs for aids to help with hearing are being met; use of aids to help with vision, the number of aids used for vision, and whether needs for aids to help with vision are being met; use of aids to help with mobility or agility (flexibility or dexterity), the number of aids used for mobility or agility (flexibility or dexterity), and whether needs for aids to help with mobility or agility (flexibility or dexterity) are being met; use of aids to help with learning or a developmental condition, the number of aids used for learning or a development condition, and whether needs for aids to help with learning or a developmental condition are being met; use of aids to help with any condition, the number of aids used for any condition and whether needs for aids to help with any condition are being met; overall use of aids and number of total aids.

Medication use (MED)

This module asked about prescription medications that respondents took for their condition. Respondents are also asked about the impact of cost on their medication use.

Help received (HRE)

This module asked about the type of help that respondents received with everyday activities due to their condition. Respondents were asked to include help received from family, friends, neighbours and organizations, whether paid or unpaid.  Everyday activities include meal preparation, daily housework, heavy household chores, getting to appointments and running errands, taking care of personal finances, personal care, help with basic medical care at home and with moving around inside the home.

Areas of unmet needs were identified. Respondents who reported receiving help with one or more activities were asked additional questions about the frequency of help received and about the persons or organizations that helped them with their everyday activities. Respondents were also asked about out-of-pocket or direct expenses for help received for everyday activities in the past 12 months.

Note that this section concerns only “human” help, and not technical assistance.

Derived variables include whether needs for help preparing meals are being met, whether needs for help with housework are being met, whether needs for help with heavy household chores are being met, whether needs with help getting to appointments are being met, whether needs for help with personal finances are being met, whether needs for help with personal care are being met, whether needs for help with basic medical care are being met, whether needs for help with moving around are being met and whether the respondent needs help with at least one everyday activity. 

Health care services (HCS)

New for 2017 was a module that covered use of various therapies and social support services by persons with disabilities because of their condition. This included use of physiotherapy, massage therapy or chiropractic treatments, speech therapy, occupational therapy, professional nursing care at home, counselling services from a psychologist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist or social worker, support group services, drop-in center services or telephone information or support lines, addiction services, a tutor and other therapies or services. Unmet needs in these areas were also included.

Derived variables include whether needs are being met for physiotherapy, massage therapy or chiropractic treatments, whether needs are being met for speech therapy, whether needs are being met for occupational therapy, whether needs are being met for professional nursing care at home, whether needs are being met for counselling services from a psychologist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist or social worker, whether needs are being met for support group services, drop-in center services or telephone information or support lines, whether needs are being met for addiction services, whether needs are being met for a tutor and whether needs are being met for other therapies or services.

Education (EDU, EEX, EDB)

A set of three in-depth modules on education was included on the survey:

The first module (EDU) asked about recent and past school attendance, full-time or part-time status, and the type of institution attended. Respondents who were currently attending school or who last attended school in 2016 or 2017 were asked additional questions about requirements for modified building features, specialized transportation, assistive devices, support services modification to curriculum or additional testing time to follow courses. If a need was identified, respondents were asked if accommodations were made available to them.

The intent of the second module (EEX) was to determine the impact of a respondent’s condition on his/her educational experience and level of schooling. Respondents were asked about difficulties encountered while acquiring an education. Questions asked about the impact of having a condition on choice of courses or careers, type or location of school, additional expenses and length of time to complete studies. Questions were also asked about the perceived social impact of the condition in terms of exclusion and bullying.

The last module (EDB) addressed the highest level of education completed, location of study, and major field of study for the highest certificate, diploma or degree completed.

DVs include school attendance by institution and full-time/part-time status and additional years required to achieve present level of education due to disability. The major field of study was coded according to the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP Canada 2016). 

Employment

A detailed set of 26 modules examined the employment experiences of persons with disabilities. Respondents were streamed through different sets of modules based on whether they were currently employed, unemployed or outside of the labour force, as determined by the first two modules. 

All groups

This set of modules determined the labour force status of respondents – employed, unemployed or not in the labour force. This status determined the flow of questions for respondents throughout the remainder of the employment modules.

Respondents who had worked in the week prior to the interview were classified as being employed. This includes those who were absent from work because of an illness, illness in the family, vacation, shift work schedule, maternity/paternity leave or other reasons but still occupied a job.

Respondents who indicated that they were without work but available for work in the week prior to the interview were considered unemployed. This includes: 1) those who had actively looked for paid work in the past four weeks; 2) those who were absent from a job due to a temporary lay-off, seasonal lay-off, or injury or sick leave that was no longer covered by the employer, and 3) those who had arrangements to start a job within four weeks of the time of interview.

Respondents were classified as not in the labour force if they were neither employed or unemployed in the week prior to the interview.  That is, they did not have paid work, were unable to start in a job or business in the next four weeks due to school, illness/disability, personal and family responsibilities, or were not looking for work.

For employed population

This set of modules was targeted to those who had worked at a job or business during the reference week (the week preceding the interview). Employed respondents were asked questions about their current job or business, including their class of worker (employee, self-employed or working in family business without pay), reason for self-employment (where applicable), year job tenure began, type of industry, occupation, workplace size and presence of a union, hours worked, reasons for part-time work (where applicable), and whether or not their work is permanent. This group of respondents are also asked about any periods of unemployment.

Respondents were also asked about the impact of their disability on their work. This included whether having a disability limited the amount or kind of work they were able to do, and whether their condition affected their ability to change jobs or advance at their present job.

For unemployed population

This set of modules was targeted to those who had not worked at a job or business during the reference week (the week preceding the interview) but who were available to work. Questions covered the details of their job search and the barriers they faced in looking for work and information about their employment history, such as when they last worked. For those who had worked in the last five years (since 2012), questions asked about their most recent work or business, including hours worked, class of worker (employee, self-employed or working in family business without pay), type of industry and occupation.  

Unemployed respondents were also asked whether having a disability affected their ability to look for work and whether it limited the amount or kind of work they could do.

For population not in the labour force

This set of modules was targeted to those who were neither employed nor unemployed. Questions covered employment history, such as when they last worked. For those who had worked in the last five years (since 2012), questions asked about their most recent work or business, including hours worked, class of worker (employee, self-employed or working in family business without pay), type of industry and occupation.  

Respondents were also asked whether or not their disability completely prevented them from working, whether it limited the amount or kind of work they could do and whether there was some type of workplace arrangement or modification that would enable them to work. They were also asked about their ability to look for work and current barriers to looking for work.

All groups

This last set of modules on the theme of employment was asked of all groups: those who were employed, unemployed and outside the labour force. 

Two of these modules addressed retirement, including current retirement status, (completely, partly, not retired), whether respondents had ever retired and then returned to work, year of last retirement and reasons for retirement. 

The workplace training module dealt with job-related training provided or paid for by a respondent’s employer or company in the last 12 months of their current or most recent employment. Questions covered both classroom and on-the-job training. Work-related training that was not paid by the employer was also covered, along with barriers to training for those seeking it.

The employment modifications module asks about whether respondents required, or would require modifications or changes to their job to be able to work, including changes to duties or work arrangements, technical or human supports, or modifications to the physical work environment. Follow-up questions asked about whether the modifications or changes had been requested, whether they had been made available, and if not, reasons why accommodations had not been provided. Questions were also asked on barriers to asking for accommodations.

The labour force discrimination module asked about the respondent’s perception of disadvantage in the work force, such as being refused job interviews, jobs or promotions.

Employment-related DVs include labour force status, full-time or part-time employment status, year of tenure at current job or business, type of industry and occupation, year last worked and year last retired. 

Several questions from the employment modules also allow for the assessment of employment equity for persons with disabilities, as defined in the Employment Equity Act. For more details, including related DVs, see Appendix E.

Industry is coded according to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), both for 2017 and 2012.  Occupation is coded according to National Occupational Classification NOC) 2016.

General health (GH)

This new module for 2017 includes indicators of perceived general health, mental health and life satisfaction.

Housebound (HB)

This module, re-instated from the previous 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS), looks at persons with disabilities who consider themselves housebound and the reasons involved.

Veterans (VAC)

This new module for 2017 identifies veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces with disabilities as well as the year they last served. This module also identifies currently serving members who are living in private dwellings in Canada (keeping in mind that the survey’s sampling frame excludes current members living in collective dwellings, such as Canadian Armed Forces bases, and those living outside of Canada).

DVs include Canadian Armed Forces status and time of release from the forces.

Internet use (IU)

This new 2017 module looks at frequency and location of Internet use, types of Internet use, barriers to usage, the need for specialized software or other adaptations to access the Internet and any unmet needs for specialized software or adaptations.

Accessibility of government services (AGS)

This new 2017 module looks at any difficulties accessing government services by Internet or through other channels of communication because of a disability and identifies preferred methods of contact.

Sources of income (SNC)

This module asked about personal income received from various sources in 2016, including employment, self-employment, Workers’ Compensation, Employment Insurance or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, various types of pension plan benefits, various sources of disability benefits, social assistance and other sources.

More information

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Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2018

All rights reserved. Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 89-654-X

Frequency: Occasional

Ottawa

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