Canadian Survey on Disability, 2022: Concepts and Methods Guide
2. Survey content: Themes, concepts and questions

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The Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) involves a comprehensive set of modules designed to provide a detailed portrait of persons aged 15 years and over with disabilities in Canada. The survey begins with a set of questions designed to identify respondents with a disability, their disability type and level of severity. Respondents who were identified as having one or more disabilities received subsequent modules, which included many indicators of social and economic participation as well as the types of supports and barriers encountered in the social and physical environment. All respondents receive a question on whether they self-identify as a person with a disability. Other new areas of survey content were added for the 2022 CSD to address emerging data needs such as questions on sex at birth and gender, cannabis use, accessibility barriers, social isolation, food security, homelessness, sexual orientation, self-identification of disability, and COVID-19. The 2022 questionnaire was developed following a content review of the 2017 CSD with subject matter experts and other stakeholders in order to identify data gaps and opportunities to collect comparable data. New content was implemented following consultation as well as qualitative testing in both official languages with participants across Canada. A complete list of the 2022 CSD questionnaire modules is presented in Appendix A.

2.1 Disability Screening Questions (DSQ)

The first component of the CSD is a questionnaire module called the Disability Screening Questions (DSQ). The DSQ involve a rigorous set of questions which are used to identify respondents with a disability. They identify ten distinct disability types and allow for the computation of a severity score for each disability type, as well as an overall severity score. The DSQ form the basis for calculating rates of disability across Canada among persons aged 15 years and over.

The DSQ were originally developed as part of Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) New Disability Data Strategy of 2010. At that time, efforts were initiated to create a new comprehensive instrument for the identification of persons with disabilities which moved more fully towards the social model of disability and improved the coverage of the full range of disability types. The DSQ were developed over a two-year period from 2010 to 2012. The questions were drafted following an extensive review of existing disability indicators used in Canada and internationally. Development involved several rounds of qualitative testing conducted to ensure the validity of each question. This was followed by two major quantitative tests, one with the Labour Force Survey and the other with the Canadian Community Health Survey, to assess the reliability of the DSQ on surveys with very different contexts. These tests established the reliability and the validity of the DSQ as an instrument for estimating the prevalence of disability in the adult population.^Note For a full discussion of the development of this measure, see Grondin (2016).

The DSQ were first used on the 2012 CSD. For the 2017 CSD, most questions remained unchanged. The only significant changes to the DSQ for 2017 involved the addition of questions for each disability type related to the age at which the difficulty or condition began (onset) and the age at which activity limitations began, and modification to adapt to an Internet-based questionnaire environment. Qualitative testing of all changes to the 2017 CSD questionnaire was conducted across the country, in both English and French, in 2015 and 2016. The DSQ module was not changed between 2017 and 2022. The full set^Note of questions for the 2022 DSQ module as well as all CSD modules can be viewed on the Statistics Canada website.

2.2 Identifying persons with a disability: ten disability types

The DSQ follow the social model of disability and require that a limitation in daily activities be reported for the identification of a disability—the presence of a difficulty alone is not sufficient. To identify persons with a disability, the DSQ first measure the degree to which difficulties are experienced across various domains of functioning and then ask how often daily activities are limited by these difficulties. Only persons who report a limitation in their day-to-day activities are identified as having a disability.

The DSQ use screener questions to comprehensively identify ten distinct disability types and to quantify the severity level of each type. Screening questions emphasize consistency of measurement across the disability types, including the presence of a long-term condition or health-problem lasting or expected to last six months or more.

The DSQ cover the following ten disability types:^Note

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

The DSQ also contain a question concerning any other health problem or condition that has lasted or is expected to last for six months or more. This question is meant to be a catch-all in case the 10 disability types did not cover the respondent’s situation. This question is associated with an 11th “unknown” disability type. That is, when respondents reported this other limitation but did not report any of the 10 disability types already captured by the DSQ, they were identified as having an “unknown” disability. Where there was both a limitation under one of the 10 known types and an “other” limitation, the latter was ignored.^Note

Operational definition of a disability for the CSD

For each of the 10 disability types, the DSQ always have at least one question on the associated level of difficulty (“No difficulty”, “Some difficulty”, “A lot of difficulty”, or “Cannot do”) and a question on the frequency of the limitation of daily activities (“Never”, “Rarely”, “Sometimes”, “Often”, or “Always”). To meet the definition of a disability for a particular type, the frequency for the corresponding limitation in daily activities must be “Sometimes”, “Often” or “Always” or, for persons who report being “Rarely” limited, it must be combined with a difficulty level of “A lot of difficulty” or “Cannot do”.

Table 2.1 below summarizes the combination of answers to the DSQ that are generally used to identify a disability. This approach applies to the majority of disability types measured on the DSQ.

It should be noted that in some situations, these criteria were modified. In particular, a person who reports having a developmental disorder is identified as disabled if the respondent has been diagnosed with this condition, regardless of the level of difficulty or the frequency of the activity limitation reported.

Another noteworthy exception is the “unknown” type, where the level of difficulty is not asked. A person will be identified with an “unknown” disability only if they reported being limited in terms of daily activities “sometimes”, “often” or “always” because of another health problem or condition not previously identified and if they have not reported any limitation under the 10 previous disability types.

Lastly, for disabilities involving seeing, hearing, mobility, flexibility and dexterity, which are measured with task-based questions, a response of “no difficulty” results in skipping the follow-up question on daily activity limitations. Thus, all “no difficulty” responses for these disability types are classified as “no disability”.

For full details on the specific questions and classification used for each disability type, see Appendix B.

Disability Self-Identification

A disability self-identification module was added to the 2022 CSD for all respondents, regardless of disability status according to the DSQ. This question cannot be used to identify disability according to the social model of disability which is the model used by Statistics Canada. It could be used to compare perceptions of personal disabilities against actual experiences of disability, as the number of persons who have a disability according to the DSQ will not necessarily match the number of persons who self-identify as having a disability. This could illuminate gaps created by disability stigmas.

2.3 Calculating disability rates in Canada

One of the primary objectives of the 2022 CSD is to produce disability rates among youth and adults in Canada, and to compare these rates to those recorded in 2017. These can be calculated by province and territory, for example, or by age group. Disability rates are calculated with the following formula:

(Persons with a disability / (Persons with a disability + Persons without a disability)) x 100

In order to provide such statistics, the methodology of the CSD required not only identifying persons with a disability but also producing estimates of the number of persons without a disability in Canada. Thus, the CSD drew two distinct samples of persons from the 2021 Census of Population:

1. Those who were filtered in by the census question on Activities of Daily Living (called the YES sample) and who would proceed through the DSQ in the CSD to determine if they have a disability, and
2. Those who were filtered out by the census question on Activities of Daily Living (called the NO sample) and who were automatically considered persons without a disability.

Details about these methods are provided in Chapter 3 of this guide.

2.4 Measuring the severity of disabilities

Usefulness of a severity score^Note

It is clear from research using the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability that disability severity is a strong predictor for labour force participation and personal income. Those with severe or very severe disabilities are also more likely to require supports such as workplace accommodations or aids, devices or specialized equipment.

The inclusion of disability severity is thus an important consideration in analyses of the participation of people with disabilities. The ready-to-use and consistent disability severity score and severity classes included in the CSD data files enable analysts to develop more accurate inferences about the situation currently faced by persons with disabilities. Researchers involved in disability policy can also use these important analytical variables for developing policies and programs to help persons with disabilities.

The Severity Score

The severity score developed using the Disability Screening Questions (DSQ) reflects the social model of disability. In addition to taking a person’s level of functional difficulty into account, this model also considers their subjective assessment of the impact of these difficulties on their daily activities.

For each of the 10 disability types,^Note a score is assigned using a scoring grid that takes into account both the intensity of the difficulties (no difficulty, some difficulty, a lot of difficulty, or cannot do) and the frequency of the activity limitations (never, rarely, sometimes, often, or always). If a person does not have a particular type of disability, a value of zero is assigned to the score for that disability type; in cases where a particular type of disability is identified, the score for that disability type increases with the level of difficulty and the frequency of the limitation.

A global severity score is then derived based on the scores calculated for all disability types. A person’s global severity score is calculated by taking the average of the scores for the 10 disability types^Note (i.e., the 10 scores are summed and divided by 10). Consequently, the more types of disability a person has, the higher his or her global score will be.

Severity classes

To make the severity score for each disability type easier to use, severity classes were established for each disability type.

The following severity classes apply to the score for each disability type:

1 = Less severe disability
2 = More severe disability

Four severity classes have been established for the global score that takes the 10 disability types into account:

1 = mild disability
2 = moderate disability
3 = severe disability
4 = very severe disability

It is important to understand that the name assigned to each class is simply intended to facilitate its use. It is not a label or judgement concerning the person’s level of disability. In other words, the classes should be interpreted as follows: people in class 1 have a less severe disability than people in class 2; people in class 2 have a less severe disability than people in class 3; and people in class 3 have a less severe disability than people in class 4.

The breakdown of persons with a disability across the four severity classes (based on global score, taking into account all disability types) is shown in the table below.

For additional information on the methods used to derive severity scores and severity classes, see Appendix C.

2.5 Creating a portrait of Canadian adults with disabilities

In addition to the DSQ, which identify disability types and severity, a further set of 44 questionnaire modules were developed for the more comprehensive Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD). The overall content of the 2022 CSD represents hundreds of indicators across many spheres of functioning and participation, allowing for an in-depth picture of the issues affecting Canadian adults with disabilities.

The survey included the following broad themes:

Sex, gender, and sexual orientation

Prior to the 2021 Census, some individuals expressed that they were not able to see themselves in the two existing responses of male and female on the sex question in the census. Following extensive consultation and country-wide engagement with the Canadian population, as well as testing of new content, the precision of ‘at birth’ was added to the sex question on the census, and a new question on gender was included.

In alignment with these changes to the census, and in order to better adhere to the priorities outlined in the Disaggregated Data Action Plan (DDAP),^Note the 2022 CSD added the new sex at birth and gender questions, as well as a question on sexual orientation. Taken together, these three variables allow for the identification of LGBTQ2+ persons, which include persons in one or both of the following groups:

• transgender and non-binary persons (e.g., persons whose gender differs from their sex at birth),
• LGB+ persons (e.g., persons whose reported sexual orientation is lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, or another sexual orientation that is not heterosexual).

The 2022 CSD uses gender to disaggregate and disseminate data, while the 2017 CSD disseminated by sex based on an open ended question (e.g.,: Are you…1) male, 2) female). These changes are consistent with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Policy Direction to Modernize the Government of Canada’s Sex and Gender Information Practices (2018). This change means that 2017 and 2022 CSD data are similar but not directly comparable. "Men＋" includes men, as well as some non-binary persons, while "Women＋" includes women, as well as some non-binary persons. For more information see Filling the gaps: Information on gender in the 2021 Census.

Sex at birth refers to sex assigned at birth. Sex at birth is typically assigned based on a person's reproductive system and other physical characteristics. Sex at birth may also be understood as the sex recorded at a person's birth (for example, what was recorded on their birth certificate).

Gender refers to an individual's personal and social identity as a man, woman or non-binary person (a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman).

Gender includes the following concepts:

• gender identity, which refers to the gender that a person feels internally and individually;
• gender expression, which refers to the way a person presents their gender, regardless of their gender identity, through body language, aesthetic choices or accessories (e.g., clothes, hairstyle and makeup), which may have traditionally been associated with a specific gender.

A person's gender may differ from their sex at birth, and from what is indicated on their current identification or legal documents such as their birth certificate, passport or driver's licence. A person's gender may change over time.

Some people may not identify with a specific gender.

Sexual orientation refers to how a person describes their sexuality. For example, a person may describe their sexuality as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual or pansexual.

Given that the non-binary population is small, data aggregation to a two-category gender variable is often necessary to protect the confidentiality of responses provided. In these cases, individuals in the category "non-binary persons" are distributed into the other two gender categories and are denoted by the "＋" symbol.

"Men＋" includes men, as well as some non-binary persons.

"Women＋" includes women, as well as some non-binary persons.

Similarly, given that the transgender, non-binary and LGB+ populations are small, data aggregation to a two-category LGBTQ2+ variable is sometimes necessary to protect the confidentiality of responses provided.

“Cisgender, heterosexual” includes persons whose reported sex at birth and gender are the same, and whose reported sexual orientation is heterosexual (i.e., straight).

“LGBTQ2+” includes persons whose reported sex at birth and gender are different (i.e., non-binary and transgender persons), or whose reported sexual orientation is lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, or another sexual orientation that is not heterosexual

Among persons with disabilities, the number of non-binary, transgender and LGB+ persons is particularly small. As such, in order to facilitate analysis by demographic characteristics, the main CSD data file in the RDCs includes the two-category gender variable and the two-category LGBTQ2+ variable. Researchers who wish to examine sex, gender or sexual orientation in greater detail or who wish to use these variables separately for purposes such as statistical modelling must request access to a separate, restricted CSD data file.

Disability characteristics

Survey measures included a range of important questions related to characteristics of basic functioning and impairment, including the age at which the difficulty or condition began (onset) and the age at which activity limitations began for each disability type and the main underlying medical conditions.

Supports and barriers

Other priority measures involved the types of supports that persons with disabilities are using to overcome their functional challenges. An extensive set of questions was asked about assistive aids, devices, or technologies, medications, support services for daily living and the use of various therapies and social service supports, barriers to accessibility and Internet use. Gaps in support and the specific types of barriers encountered in trying to get needed help were also captured on the survey, including the situation of being housebound. Other indicators included financial supports through various sources of personal income, including disability-related income sources such as Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) Disability benefits and private or employment-related disability insurance plans. New content in 2022 includes a module on accessibility barriers, which will be used to evaluate the 2019 Accessible Canada Act.

Education

Representing core data needs were questions on the educational experiences of adults with disabilities. Education indicators included current school attendance, highest level of schooling achieved and major field of study. Detailed questions also examined requirements for accommodations at school, unmet needs and other barriers encountered while acquiring an education, including additional expenses, extra completion time needed and any experiences of social exclusion or bullying.

Employment

In relation to employment as a core theme for the survey, many labour force participation details were measured, such as industry, occupation and hours of work, experiences of unemployment or being completely prevented from working, retirement details, job search methods, labour mobility and reasons for self-employment. Survey indicators also examined the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in relation to employment, accommodations needed, unmet needs and labour force discrimination that may have been encountered.

In addition, Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces with disabilities were identified on the CSD, allowing a portrait of disability among those who have provided Canadian military service.

The CSD also serves as a benchmark on issues of employment equity for persons with disabilities in Canada, as compared to the overall Canadian population. The survey allows for the identification of persons with a disability who meet the specific criteria in the 1995 Employment Equity Act. These criteria are outlined in Appendix D, along with the specific survey questions used to fulfill the Employment Equity definitional criteria.

2.6 Development and testing of thematic content

The 2022 CSD is designed to be as comparable as possible to the 2017 cycle. A content review of the 2017 CSD was undertaken in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to determine data gaps and obligations for continuous, comparable data between cycles. Detailed feedback was also collected from a broad cross section of subject matter experts and stakeholders. Findings from this consultative process formed the basis for new content development for the 2022 survey.

The 2022 CSD contains new content to address data gaps and emerging data needs, including harmonized content about gender and sex at birth as well as sexual orientation. Content on medicinal cannabis use was introduced in light of the legalization of recreational cannabis use in 2018, and content on COVID-19 was included following the onset of the pandemic in 2020. A module on accessibility barriers was developed in order to evaluate the 2019 Accessible Canada Act. Modules involving food security and homelessness were introduced as additional measures of poverty, and questions involving social isolation and self-identification of disability were also included.

The specific source for each survey question is specified in the 2022 CSD Data Dictionary, which will be available in the RDCs once the 2022 CSD Masterfile is released in winter 2024.

In 2017 and 2022, the CSD was collected using an electronic questionnaire (EQ). For both cycles, a series of similar testing operations were undertaken over a 15-month period. This involved both content-focused assessments of question wording and flows as well as technical testing of the new EQ survey application.

One final step was taken with respect to content development for the 2022 CSD: an in-depth review of 2021 Census variables for their potential analytical contribution to the CSD dataset through record linkage. Since the 2022 CSD drew its sample from the 2021 Census (see Chapter 3 for details), relevant information from the census could be combined with information provided during the 2022 CSD interview. This approach reduced the number of questions that needed to be asked on the CSD and provided for a richer portrait of persons with disabilities for CSD data users. These variables also allow users to compare persons with and without disabilities. Over 600 census variables covering 13 distinct subject matter areas were reviewed for potential linkage. Selection of the final census variables for linkage with the CSD (approximately 350) was based on extensive consultations with census subject matter specialists, disability policy researchers, CSD analysts, methodologists and client services experts.

2.7 Questionnaire modules

Listed below are the questionnaire modules found on the 2022 CSD. A full flow chart of the modules is presented in Appendix A. The complete 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability questionnaire can be found on the Statistics Canada website.

The 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability

• Introduction – Getting started
  • Purpose of the survey and its voluntary nature
  • Explanation of data linkage with the 2021 Census
  • Identification of respondent or proxy
• Sex and gender

  The section on sex was expanded to include gender in the 2022 CSD, reflecting increased inclusivity in terms of the gender spectrum and its affect on health.

  • Questions on respondent’s gender and sex at birth

  Disability screening questions

  • Six filter questions for internal testing purposes only (see footnote 5, section 2.1)
  • Disability screening questions for each disability type
  • Age at which the difficulty or condition began (onset) and the age at which activity limitations began for each disability type

  Episodic disabilities

  • Questions examining changes in condition over time (length of condition, level of decreased ability due to condition, needs met, and intensity of condition)

  Main condition

  • Questions about main condition (work-related, repetitive motion, and any secondary condition)

  Assistive aids, devices, or technologies

  Respondents are streamed through different assistive aids, devices, or technologies modules based on their disability type(s), as identified in the disability screening questions.

  • Assistive aids, devices, or technologies for hearing disabilities
  • Assistive aids, devices, or technologies for seeing disabilities
  • Assistive aids, devices, or technologies for mobility and agility (flexibility and dexterity) disabilities
  • Assistive aids, devices, or technologies for learning and developmental disabilities
  • Assistive aids, devices, or technologies for all disability types

  Medication use

  • Questions about prescription medicines taken for conditions lasting more than six months (frequency of medication, and ability to obtain prescription medications because of cost)

  Cannabis use

  • Three questions about cannabis use for medical purposes (with or without prescription) and frequency of use

  Help received

  • Help received with everyday activities
  • Areas of unmet needs for everyday help

  Health care therapies and services

  • Use of various health care therapies and social support services
  • Unmet needs for these therapies and services

  Education

  • School attendance—recent and past
  • Educational experiences related to disability (accommodations and unmet needs)
  • Educational background pertaining to highest level of schooling

  Employment

  Respondents are streamed through different employment modules based on whether they are currently employed, unemployed or outside of the labour force, as determined by the first two modules.

  • All groups
    • Labour market activities
    • Labour force status
  • For employed population
    • Class of worker
    • Self-employed
    • Job tenure
    • Industry
    • Occupation
    • Workplace
    • Usual hours of work
    • Part-time employment
    • Permanent work
    • Periods of unemployment
    • Employment details
  • For unemployed population
    • Looking for work
    • Past job attachment
    • Unemployed details
    • Periods of employment
  • For population not in the labour force
    • Past job attachment
    • Not in the labour force details
    • Labour market attachment
    • Periods of employment
    • Labour mobility
  • All groups
    • Classification of retirement
    • Retirement details
    • Workplace training
    • Employment modifications
    • Labour force discrimination

  Veterans

  • Service in the Canadian military, and year released from CAF

  Internet use

  • Questions about use of Internet in the past 12 months:
  • Using Internet for personal use
  • Interactions with government through Internet
  • Problem encountered when using Internet to interact with government
  • Other activities performed on the Internet

  Accessibility barriers

  This section was added to the 2022 CSD to reflect Statistics Canada’s and the Canadian Government’s commitment to the Accessibility Action Plan. The Accessible Canada Act aims to identify, remove, and prevent barriers to Canadians, ensuring our environment, operations, programs, services, and products are accessible to all, including persons with disabilities. An essential part of the Act is the gathering of data to support the implementation of expanded accessibility measures.

  • Experiences of specific physical barriers (building entrances and exits, floorplans, lighting and sound, public washrooms, wait lines, self-serve technology, announcements or alarm systems, signage, pedestrian infrastructure, ice or snow covered sidewalks, and/or other problems with sidewalks)
  • Experiences of specific social barriers (from family or friends, from service staff, from medical professionals, or from staff of government services/programs)
  • Difficulty communicating barriers
  • Barriers to Internet use

  General health

  • One question each, a self assessment of physical and mental health

  Housebound

  • If the respondent considers themselves housebound, what are the contributing factors

  Social isolation

  These questions were added to the 2022 CSD as social connectedness is a key contributor to quality of life, that can be affected by disability concerns. The questions include: feelings of companionship, of exclusion, of isolation, and assessing close social connections who you can reach out to for help and support.

  Sources of income

  • Questions about sources of income (income sources, receipt of pension plan benefits, receipt of disability plan benefits)

  Food security

  These questions were added to the 2022 CSD food security is an important determinant of physical and social health, and persons with disability may be disproportionately likely to experience these concerns. The questions pertain to food security concerns experienced by the respondent in the previous 12 months.

  • Frequency that budget could not cover food needs
  • Frequency that balanced meals were not affordable
  • Skipping or reducing meals due to cost
  • Feelings of needing to eat less, in order to save money
  • Feeling hungry because food was not affordable

  Homelessness

  • One yes or no question, asking whether the respondent had ever been without a secure and stable place to life

  COVID-19

  • Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on ability to meet financial obligations (for necessities)
  • Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on employment
  • Whether or not they tested positive COVID-19 at any point
  • Whether or not they have been vaccinated against COVID-19

  Sexual orientation

  • One question asking sexual identity

  Self-identification

  • Asking respondent if they identify as a person with a disability

  Appendix D lists the specific survey questions used to fulfill the Employment Equity Act definitional criteria, and Appendix E lists the extra question categories created during survey coding as well as the standard classifications used to create indicators for open-ended survey questions.

  A comprehensive description of all the variables available from the survey data is provided in the 2022 CSD Data Dictionaries (codebooks). For details on how to obtain the data dictionaries, contact Statistics Canada Client Services or call 1-800-263-1136.

2.8 Derived variables

In order to facilitate more in-depth analysis of the rich CSD dataset, over 170 derived variables (DVs) were created by regrouping or combining answers from one or more questions on the questionnaire. When possible derived variables from the 2017 CSD were replicated using the 2022 CSD data. Additionally, there were derived variables added to the file for new content.

A wide array of DVs were developed to capture the core disability indicators arising from the CSD’s Disability Screening Questions. These DVs include indicators of disability status and disability type, based on definitions used for the CSD (see section 2.2 for survey definitions of disability). DVs were also created to capture disability severity ratings and classes across disability types. In addition, the age of onset of each type of difficulty or condition, the age of limitation for each disability type, and the difference between these two ages for respondents were grouped into five-year age groups to facilitate use of these new data indicators.

Other DVs were created to facilitate use of the broad range of indicators for creating a portrait of adults with disabilities in Canada and their participation in society. These included DVs on the use of assistive devices, help needed with daily activities, needs for various health care therapies and social services, and areas of unmet needs for support with everyday activities. There were also several DVs created to reflect the coding of variables to standard classification systems at different levels of detail (official series and subseries levels). These included DVs for the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), and the National Occupational Classification (NOC). Other important educational and labour force concepts were also captured by DVs, such as school attendance status, labour force status, and full-time or part-time employment status. Finally, DVs on Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces were developed for users.

New Derived variables for 2022 CSD not present on the 2017 CSD file include grouped disability types, workplace accommodations, disability self identification, housebound, food insecurity scales, loneliness scale and accessibility barrier scales.

2.9 Linked content from the 2016 Census

The CSD drew its sample from 2021 Census long-form respondents (see Chapter 3 for details).

One of the mandates of the CSD is to provide disability rate estimates for various geographies, and also to compare characteristics of persons with and without disabilities. Therefore, as explained in more detail in Chapter 3, the CSD also drew a sample of persons without a disability from the census to be added to the survey database. The census linkage therefore is what allows data users to compare characteristics of persons with and persons without disabilities.

At the outset of the 2022 CSD interview, all respondents were told about the plans to link the CSD survey data with other administrative data sources.

All respondents with the exception of those who refused the data linkage, were linked back to their census long-form information. Linked information is kept confidential and used for statistical purposes only.

The specific benefits of a CSD-Census record linkage are reduced response burden for the target population of the CSD, access to useful information to adjust survey weights for non-response, which is crucial to providing valid estimates, and the creation of a comprehensive microdata file on persons with disabilities in Canada. Together, data from these two sources provide a detailed statistical portrait of persons with disabilities in Canada—data which are not available from any other source. These types of analysis not only support the legal framework and basis for the existence of the CSD, but provide tremendous benefit to the public by helping to inform disability and inclusion policies through sound analyses, increasing accountability of the Government of Canada and transparency of information for the Canadian public.

Just over 350 Census 2021 variables, covering 15 distinct subject matter areas were selected and linked to the final CSD file for 2022, both for persons with a disability and for persons without a disability.

The majority of variables from the CSD 2017 to Census 2016 linkage were also brought forward for the CSD 2022 to Census 2021 linkage. These areas ranged from socio-cultural variables, family and household living arrangements, core housing needs, education, employment & labour market activities, income and special indicators of low income (MBM).

New variables have also been added to the linkage for this cycle, such as additional sex and gender variables reflecting updated concepts of sex and gender, additional variables relating to immigration, Veteran status, ethnic origin and religion, income variables relating to COVID-19 emergency benefits and others, increasing the variables available to the CSD.

It is important to note that census variables refer to each respondent’s situation on the day of the 2021 Census, that is, as of May 11, 2021. Thus, for 2022 CSD respondents, users should be aware that in some cases, the respondent may have moved, had a change in the composition of their household, had a change in employment, or experienced any range of possibilities of change between the date of the 2021 Census and the date of the 2022 CSD interview. In other words, perceived inconsistencies can occur between census and CSD variables for similar or comparable content. In addition, some census data have undergone imputation processes or have been completed by members of the household other than the selected CSD respondent, which may also present as inconsistencies between data collected for census and for the CSD.

A complete list of the census variables and their specifications are provided in the 2022 CSD Data Dictionaries. Census variables are grouped by subject matter. Contact Statistics Canada Client Services for details or call 1-800-263-1136.

2.10 A special note about age data

Age is a core demographic factor of interest in the analysis of disability in Canada. When using age as a component of research with 2022 CSD data, or in combination with linked data from the 2021 Census, it is important for users to keep in mind the different reference periods involved. Section 6.2 of this guide provides an explanation of these survey reference periods. With respect to age, it is important to note that data collected from respondents in the context of the 2021 Census were collected on May 11, 2021 while data from the CSD were collected 13 to 18 months later, between June and November 2022. For example, CSD respondents who were 15 years of age at the time of the 2021 Census were 13 to 18 months older at the time of the CSD. In general, estimates about persons with disabilities disseminated by Statistics Canada will be based on age as of the reference date of May 11, 2021. With respect to particular research studies that may be sensitive to this time lag, data users will have the option of selecting an age indicator based on the 2021 Census reference period or an age variable based on the date of the 2022 CSD interview. Section 6.2 provides an understanding of the use of survey reference periods in relation to different types of data analyses that may be of interest to users.

2.11 Geographies

The 2022 CSD was designed to produce reliable data for each of the provinces and territories. Other geographic variables are also available in the 2022 CSD database, based on geographies from the 2021 Census, such as census metropolitan areas and Inuit regions. In addition, geographies will include health regions across Canada which represent administrative areas or regions as used by health authorities. However, users should note that not all CSD survey data can be cross-tabulated or analyzed at these more detailed levels of geography. Some data tables will be possible but the reliability of data estimates at these levels of geography will need to be examined on a case-by-case basis.

The 2021 Census Dictionary defines geographies relevant to the CSD. More details on health regions can be found on the Statistics Canada website.

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