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Empower U: Learn to Access Your Disability Rights Training on Canadian Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its Optional Protocol (OP) training aims to increase awareness of how to address discrimination using more familiar Canadian human rights laws such as Human Rights Codes and the newer international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This is training for persons with disabilities by persons with disabilities. The training is part of a project funded by Employment and Social Development Canada and implemented by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) in collaboration with Canadian Multicultural Disability Centre Inc. (CMDCI), Citizens With Disabilities – Ontario (CWDO), Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) and National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS). Read more.
Getting and Keeping a Job - What makes a difference
Preparation of this booklet was made possible with support from Assiniboine Credit Union.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Tony Dolan, National Chairperson of CCD
Setting the Stage
People with Disabilities: The population in waiting
Marie Ryan, Chairperson CCD Social Policy Committee
Accommodation made all the difference to me
Tracy Odell
From mulberry leaf worker to the UN
Vangelis Nikias
Fit for work: The adventures of being an employee
Rhonda Wiebe
Legal Hearings: A new hard of hearing lawyer in Toronto
Leah Simeone
If you don’t succeed at first, try and try again
Marie Laporte-Stark
Collaboration at work
Shelley Ann Morris
Employment: It has been a blast!
Paula Keirstead
Finding my own voice
Susan Forster
Work that looks different
Diane Driedger
My thoughts on employment and people with disabilities
Harry Wolbert
Disability-related Supports
Dismantling attitudinal barriers: Career success
Gary Malkowski
Access to assistive devices - A key to successful employment
Mary Ennis
Career success beyond job survival
David Best
Facilitators and barriers as a hard of hearing translator
Mai Nhu Nguyen
My career journey – Persistence, perseverance and self-acceptance
Karen Tarry
A student perspective
Alena Wickware
Interpreting success
Alan Conway
Getting and keeping a job--what makes a difference
Anne M. McPhee
You are not alone
Carole Willans
Working with a hearing loss
Doreen Gyorkos
Building blocks to career fulfillment
Anu Pala
My employment journey
Colleen Watters
The importance of mentors
John Rae
Paving the way: self-advocacy as the foundation for success
Natalie Martiniello
Education and Training
Lifelong learning: A key to employment success
Gary Birch
Life as a blind cancer researcher
Dr. Mahadeo A. Sukhai
Training on the job program opened door to my amazing and interesting career
Yvonne Peters
Work value
Sandra Carpenter
Inclusive education: A key to future employment
David Martin
A continuum of services - the good old days!
Traci Walters
Managing to succeed
Neil Graham
Getting work on a silver platter
Marie-Josée Martin
Getting beyond pot holders
Nancy Blain
Getting and keeping a job in animal health technology
Audrey Thorhaug
A career path with local, national, and international destinations
Jim Derksen
Career pathway
Daniel Halechko
Forget the classifieds: Becky makes her own career!
Becky Brownlee
Getting and keeping a job
Amber-Joy Boyd
Supports for success
Teresa Beauregard
Uplifting encouragement is needed in employment
Deanna Ng
I want to work
Greg Plosz and Jay Plosz
Like everyone else!
Marie B.-Lemieux
Support for Entrepreneurs
Paper butterflies
Milli Flaig-Hooper
Employment success
Nora Carnegie
Miss Ability
Sarah Wilson
Attitudes
The can-do attitude
Claredon Robicheau
Work experiences
Monique Beaudoin
A career connects you to your community
Paul Young
A personal reflection on work
Emily Ternette
Disability achiever in the workplace: Based on my personal experience in the early beginnings of gaining work skills eventually leading to permanent gainful employment
Frances Sinclair-Kaspick
Accepting yourself is the key to a successful employment
Karen Lai
Getting and keeping a job – what makes a difference
Donna J. Jodhan
Taking charge of my career
Chris Stark
My employment story
Paula Ann Stewart
Keys to success: Doing a good job and enjoying the job
Derek Legge
Appendix
Literature review on measuring the relationship between disability and job retention/career progression
Canadian Centre on Disability Studies
NOTE: This project was funded in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of SSHRC.
Introduction
Tony Dolan, CCD Chairperson
Improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities has been among CCD's top priorities since the organization's earliest days. Our motto, A Voice of Our Own, signifies that we, people with disabilities, speak out about the issues which affect us, because we have unique experiential knowledge to contribute to the resolution of the barriers to our participation. After receiving over the years many reports, which focused on best practices related to the employment of persons with disabilities, in 2012, CCD asked Canadians with disabilities to write about the factors that had resulted in their employment. People with disabilities and their families responded enthusiastically and CCD compiled this anthology that shares the wisdom of some skilled and dedicated workers with disabilities about best practices in employment. As some readers may be new to disability issues, the anthology begins with a piece by Marie Ryan, CCD Past Chairperson and Chair of the CCD Social Policy Committee, who provides a synopsis of what it is like to live with a disability in Canada.
This collection of essays has much to teach Canadians seeking to include workers with disabilities in the workplace, because the authors tease out from their personal experiences the factors that promote employment for people with disabilities. In addition to individual commitment to getting and keeping a job, they identify a number of building blocks that support the employment of persons with disabilities: accommodation in the workplace, disability-related supports (including those provided by the organizations of people with disabilities), access to education and training, support during the transition from education/training to work, access to entrepreneurship opportunities, positive attitudes.
In their essays, contributors stressed the importance of accommodation in the workplace. Tracy Odell argued that accommodation can make the difference between a lifetime of working and a lifetime of living in poverty. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines reasonable accommodation as "…necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms".
The value of education and training was a theme in many essays. The analysis offered by Dr. Gary Birch in the following comment was echoed by other contributors: "In terms of keys to my success I think the biggest factor has been the training I received at university along with the opportunities for professional development training during my career."
For some authors, disability-related supports played a pivotal role in getting and keeping a job. A disability-related support is any good or service that aids a person with a disability to overcome a barrier. Mary Ennis identified assistive devices and information about technology provided by organizations of people with disabilities as key contributors to career success. John Rae focused on how mentors assisted him navigate barriers. The value of individuals with the capacity for promoting inclusion cannot be overlooked.
People with disabilities have developed a range of nonprofit organizations which play a vital role in assisting people with disabilities to secure and maintain attachment to the labour market. Authors recognized that organizations of people with disabilities are effectively assisting people with disabilities attain their employment goals.
Contributors described different models of transitional support that can lead to the attainment of employment. In some essays, family members were the driving force that cultivated a relationship with an employer on behalf of an emerging worker with a disability. Other individuals wrote about how they benefitted from the transitional support offered by community organizations. An important lesson to take away from the authors' experiences with transitional support is that there is no "one size fits all" approach that will address the needs of all jobs seekers with disabilities. A range of flexible options relevant to today's job market is what is required to overcome the high level of unemployment faced by members of Canada's disability community.
Entrepreneurship and self-employment offer the type of rewards that appeal to some people with disabilities. For example, Milli Flaig-Hooper, an artist with an intellectual disability, explained in "Paper butterflies" that with entrepreneurship, "she has support where she needs it, but is free to express her own creativity her way!"
Many of the authors stressed the importance of an individual's personal attitudes and they emphasized the contribution that determination, self-awareness, and flexibility play in attaining and retaining employment. Other writers recognized that employers' and colleagues' attitudes also influence employment outcomes. For example, Claredon Robicheau in "The can-do attitude" described how his employer's flexibility and the support of colleagues were factors in his success in the banking industry.
In conclusion, CCD invites Canadians to adopt the best practices presented in this anthology (many of them apply beyond the employment setting), because they will help us create together a more accessible and inclusive Canada.
Setting the Stage
People with Disabilities: The population in waiting
I am going to share my opinions and perspectives on living with disability in Canada in part by telling my own story – which as I am fond of saying would make a good Hallmark Movie of the week – given it has the many and diverse elements needed including pathos, drama, uncertainty, the triumph of a spirit and ultimately success.
I am a consultant Manager with Goss Gilroy Incorporated (GGI) and I have just finished eight years as the Chairperson of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities – whose main goal is to promote equality for persons with disabilities in all aspects of Canadian society, but this is not where I would have imagined myself 20 some years ago in 1987 when I was 27. My professional training at that time was as an Elementary and Junior High School teacher and I had been working for about six years, when I was struck by a very rare and devastating viral illness which for lack of a better description peeled off my nerves and rendered me paralyzed within four months.
It is important to note the very first lesson I learned as I descended into an unknown world – disability does not discriminate. Disability happens – to anyone at any time – at birth or through illness and injury – regardless of economic status, background, health, religion, sexual orientation, and culture. In that regard, there is no such group as “those people” with disabilities as at any time any one of you or your families, or friends, or colleagues and their children could be “those people.”
In July of 1987 – 10 days after I was married – I entered hospital and I came out seven weeks later – and did not walk again for 10 years. In between, I took a trip to the Mayo Clinic to see the specialist who had studied to that point about 60 cases of my disease in North America and his words were interesting – you need to begin to re-enter life.
The thought was overwhelming – as while I remained an independent thinker, I was completely dependent on others – my family and friends. My world – house, car, city, province - was relatively physically inaccessible and as a result of the less than positive perspectives and attitudes of those I thought were in positions of authority to help me – the world looked relatively abysmal. This is not unlike the world of many today – parents who are trying their best to raise their children with disabilities, individuals who grow up with disabilities, and/or who acquire disabilities and are trying to maneuver their way in a world of complex and often uncoordinated intimidating systems led by people who just do not see the realities of disability but are guided by policies which are not responsive to their needs.
In 1988 I had respiratory arrest and ended up in Intensive Care for four months. As was the case early in my disability – I was surrounded by the “cloud of negativity” and heard over and over the litany of – you will never breathe on your own again, never walk, never work, never have children. However, in each cloud, I met one or two rays of hope who were willing to support me on my road to independent living and success.
When I acquired my illness and disability, I exhausted my savings and became poor – and this is another reality of many who acquire disabilities, and many who grow up with disabilities and who do not have equitable access to education, do not have the support necessary to attend post-secondary institutions, cannot participate in the labour market. For many families who have children with disabilities – their reality can be specialists, meetings, constantly advocating for supports, managing systems to get the supports needed for their child, bills and financial drain.
One of the priority areas for CCD and indeed for disability organizations across this country is addressing the abject state of poverty in which so many people with disabilities live. Can you imagine living on less than less than $8000 a year – the low-end social assistance rate in our country today?
Can you imagine choosing to be poor because your supports are tied to income assistance and if you strive to rise out of poverty, you cannot afford your disability supports?
When I went home in early 1990, I had 24 hour care as my husband was in medical school and I was not going to ask my mother who was aging to come in and provide daily support. And yet all too often this is the expectation placed on family members.
My insurance ran out in two months and then what? I could perform no tasks on my own and I had sleep apnea over that period and sometimes would stop breathing 30 – 40 times a night so the 24 hours support was critical.
How about the call from the provincial Deputy Minister whose words were – “You are too expensive to be kept at home and so you have to return to an institution.”
You know what my first reaction was – to cry. Followed by a call to my lawyer who felt I should listen to them….followed by a call to a new lawyer who was willing to listen to me and a call to my doctors who would not support this direction, because it was a death sentence for me to enter an institution due to my compromised immune system.
Picture an 85 pound, immobile woman, with a trach, making the rounds to provincial politicians. I was blessed to have my education and be an excellent communicator even then – and I was not going away. There are many people with disabilities whose life circumstances do not enable this confidence and ability – and who have been so marginalized and excluded – they do not have the energy to do what I did. And to be honest – they should not have to.
I sat at one table with a group of Ministers – and when I heard – the best thing your husband could do is divorce you so he does not lose all his money – I backed away from the table and said – none of you care about me, we are leaving.
After weeks of battling I was successful in receiving the support I needed and I needed it for two years. The treatment I received from insensitive bureaucrats and politicians has motivated me throughout the years to speak about my experiences as an example of what can happen when people are provided proper support and not simply dismissed due to disability.
I lived on Social Assistance for about one and a half years. It was quite disheartening but made better by those working at the provincial health and social services systems who worked to understand my perspective. Disability robbed me of my mobility – but not my skills. Yet I quickly learned another life lesson – that for too many disability defines you.
When it was determined I was not going to be institutionalized – well, then the question was – what was I to do or from the perspective of those paying the bills, what were they going to do with me to lessen their costs. You see I cost government quite a bit of money over two years but you know what – I do not apologize for that. I was a productive contributing citizen prior to acquiring my disability and have been for many years since.
So what was I - the teacher - to do from my wheelchair and with limited mobility and agility?
If I were to leave it up to some of the government folk running programs for people like me, I would have been in upgrading and /or taking cooking classes. Not exactly appropriate for a straight A, top of the class scholarship graduate and teacher extraordinaire, do you think?
Please remember that having options is not the same as having choice, if the options are not the least bit appropriate to you, your life or your goals and objectives.
After four years of an arduous recovery, I re-entered life in late 1991. I was struck by the thought that the type and extent of my disability was going to prevent me from going back to teaching and so perhaps I was doomed to do nothing for the rest of my life as I had no other training - what else could I do.
Talk about self-deprecation – this might have been my most valuable lesson - we all too frequently are drawn into the trap of pigeonholing ourselves based on a degree, diploma, occupation or a lifestyle – and yet we have so much to offer if we look at our combination of skills and figure out how these can be applied.
I quickly learned that my education/ability were valuable to the community and so I fell into the world of volunteering. Those involved in the disability community were the experts - although after all these years, I qualify - but I had the needed ability to write, speak and strategize – skills needed to capitalize on the community’s knowledge and work it to our collective advantage.
Of note, it is interesting that in my time of greatest need, while fighting government bureaucracy, my assistance came from the disability community – to some degree I owe them the rebirth of my new life. They assisted me during my darkest moments. They did not define me by my disability but instead saw who I had been, who I was and what I could become.
My diverse volunteer work in the community gave me the confidence to pursue different career paths than I had originally intended. I sat on health boards, economic development boards, community boards – it was a busy time. My teaching experience, strength in the use of the English language, outgoing personality, gift of gab, led me to developing workshops, training packages and facilitation.
On re-entering the world of work – and initially employed by organizations for people with disabilities, I realized that unlike my four bleak years of recovery, that many people with disabilities struggle interminably and in some cases lose a life’s worth of potential - because of the lack of disability-related supports they need to become full and participating citizens. You see even now, after all these years and having been very successful, I rely on three significant disability supports – my cane, my walker and my wheelchair which I often fall into at the end of my very long days.
Let’s go back for a minute to my foray into the world of work as a person with a disability - what would you have offered me if you had seen this woman in a chair - would you have seen an asset, an opportunity or would you have determined my limitations because of who and what you saw?
Would you have questioned my abilities and capacities because you saw a disability? Would you have directed me to the program for “those people” or would you have seen me as one who could contribute and form a vital member of the public service?
So where did I go – well my skills and abilities were channeled into work as an independent consultant – from my wheelchair and with limited mobility. From there I became councillor with the City of St. John’s. Okay, so this was definitely a strange twist in my life as I confess I was completely a-political before disability. But it was the words of another community person who said I would be a good role model for young children with disabilities – to see that nothing was beyond their dreams that led me to try and much to my surprise, I was elected.
It was an amazing time for me as I quickly learned the inner workings of a political sanctum and I suspect we collectively could share stories. However, as I learned, so did those around me – both at the political and public servant level. The following term I ran unopposed for the position of Deputy Mayor. During my time as a municipal politician I was provided numerous opportunities to influence the physical environment and public policies in relation to disability. I was a rolling representation of what could be.
In 2001, I left politics as the only position left for me was Mayor and as my two children were in K and grade one, I chose to be more available to them during their early years – instead of spending endless evenings at openings, events, lunches and so on – you know the drill.
I once more entered the consulting business and two years ago joined GGI as a Consultant Manager working from the St. John’s office.
So – why did they hire this woman with a disability – who required accessible office space, sometimes has to work at home, does not go to the office if it is too slippery or icy. I can assure you it is not due to charity or a policy which says they have to. No one in my world says “Marie White” and “that poor disabled woman” in the same sentence. More likely they will say – amazing skill, wealth of knowledge, well known and respected across the community, government and private sector.
They would tell you about the woman with a disability who travels extensively – for work and for pleasure. The woman who turned 50 last year and went to Romania to celebrate – just because. And there again, a story was told. As I was an anomaly in that country – a person with a disability using a walker, as I do when I travel. I love to walk – having been an avid sports enthusiast prior to my disability and walk two miles every day and travelling – well it can be five or six miles a day.
Bucharest was a city still reeling from years of oppression – and I would guess people with disabilities are shut in their homes or institutions. Having been this close to being institutionalized, I can assure you that I do not equate it with anyone’s home. Does living in one room – sharing a room – for life describe home for you? Do not assume it is right for people with disabilities – indeed it is not.
Why have I told you my story – perhaps to paint a picture for you of the realities that were and those that still remain?
There are many people with disabilities who continue to be relegated to a different place in society - one which impacts their progress, their opportunities, their education and thus their employment. Some of us still face the role assignment – for persons with disabilities, even today, it is too often still about “the programs for you”. Some of us still battle historical notions of where people fit - but the truth is everyone fits somewhere.
People with disabilities are what I like to call the “population in waiting” – waiting to be seen as an integral component of the fabric of our country
There have been improvements across systems for many people with disabilities – with the institution of provincial poverty reduction plans, with some tax measures, with more attention to physical access, with the implementation of the Mental Health Commission, with the implementation of the Registered Disability Savings Plan, with improvements to CPPD access – with increased focus on many and varied disabilities but much remains to be done.
There is no doubt that the progressive changes that we have seen over the past forty years have come about because people with disability have spoken out and called for improvements. The disability community has been the catalyst for change.
With the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), we believe we are entering a new era where the focus, attention and action is on promoting, protecting and ensuring the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and promoting respect for their inherent dignity. CRPD is our new expectation.
We know things cannot change all at once. The CRPD talks about progressive realization and we are well aware that our rights will not be realized all at once. But equally true is our belief that we must move to this realization faster than we have over the past 50 years – relentless incrementalism just won’t cut it any more.
The CRPD ensures a disability focus beyond traditional departments and so all must have a disability lens. Beyond the inter-departmental focus, let me be very clear - disability is absolutely non-partisan. It transcends the lines we define as political; the platforms which define each party from each other. It is our collective responsibility to make social, economic, cultural, and political citizenship accessible and inclusive of all citizens of our country.
You have a leadership role to play – regardless of your title, regardless of your job, regardless of your political stripe and ambition – you can make a significant contribution to enabling an accessible and inclusive country.
In closing I simply want to remind you that everyone in this country who is born with a disability, those currently living with disabilities and those who will acquire disabilities in the future - will not necessarily become a well-known articulate feisty and now aging leader but by God everyone of them deserves the opportunity to participate and be the best they can be.
Accommodation
Accommodation made all the difference to me
What's the difference between someone able to work productively their entire life and someone who must live below the poverty line on disability support? Often, the only difference is the accommodation that a person has received to support their desire and ability to work.
In 1981 when I graduated from York University as a teacher of English and special education, the market for teachers was saturated. Instead of working in a classroom as I had imagined, I was offered the opportunity to work at Frontier College (Collège Frontière). The labourer-teacher philosophy of Frontier College lent itself very well to an environment where staff members support each other. The vice president of the college had a ramp built for me to enter the building and staff provided me with any attendant services I needed due to my physical disability.
In this environment, I was able to thrive – first as a literacy program coordinator, and eventually as their national trainer. How thrilling it was to travel coast-to-coast training local organizations to establish inclusive literacy programs! Looking back, I cannot imagine how that was even possible.
In 1987, I accepted a position with the Ontario government which was, at the time, setting up literacy programs. I was invited to apply on the basis of my work and reputation with Frontier College considering that the government programs now would be inclusive of people with disabilities, people who had been in conflict with the law, and people on social assistance. At that time, there was no program for providing attendant services in the workplace. In order for my manager to provide this service, she would have had to deduct from the budget funds that would go to community literacy programs in dire need of funding, and whose success was our raison d'être. Instead, I was offered the flexibility to modify my hours in the office and complete work at home where I could access attendant services.
A few years later, the provincial government established a central Accommodation Fund to provide accommodation to their employees with disabilities. No longer would my need for attendant services have to compete with the core business of my organization. At last, I was able to work as a colleague who would be seen to be making an equal contribution (since I could be at work all day long) and who was independently capable (since I would not have to rely on the good nature of my colleagues to provide assistance).
Without accommodation – both formal and informal – I would never have been able to work to my full capacity. I would have had to rely on social assistance, living below the poverty line. Accommodation is critical to enabling people with disabilities who are willing and able to work to do so. When it is centrally funded, it adds an extra level of dignity to the process and ensures that managers, through recognition of this availability, will not hesitate to hire someone with a disability who requires accommodation.
From mulberry leaf worker to the UN
The unemployment rate experienced by persons with disabilities, including the experience of those of us who happen to live in relatively advanced economies, remains high. Obviously, this makes the whole field of employment not just a matter of individual concern, but also, of public urgent interest, at least in my view. In the next few paragraphs, I will attempt to reflect on my employment experience which formally spans a period of over thirty years, and which touches on both of these aspects.
What one does, in addition to being a source of monetary remuneration with all that entails, has also come to almost define other significant life experiences and opportunities. Disability has, historically, increased the chance of nonparticipation and marginalization or outright exclusion. I am no exception.
Yet, as I reflect on my work experience now, once I overcome the inevitable “what-ifs” that might have led to different and even better outcomes, I am not unsatisfied. Currently, as a staff member of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), working to raise awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), I have a meaningful job.
My work has grown out of my reality; they are, as with most people, inseparable. As a young child, a member of a poor family, I carried out what are, in fact, labour contributions to my family’s economic survival. The two activities that come to mind are climbing our mulberry trees and cutting leaves for our animals, goats and a donkey, both of which played an important role in our subsistence. For a good part of my early childhood, we had no running water. My mother and I used to walk some distance, over uneven, challenging terrain to a common spring where we filled heavy tin vessels and loaded them on the donkey. For purposes of efficiency, we also filled smaller ones which we carried ourselves back to the house. Filling these vessels, loading and unloading them was physically demanding work. My blindness, though it caused me to do things a little differently, did not prevent me from doing the work.
The above experience, I think, informed my attitude toward attempting to obtain work later. I was also very fortunate to interact with other blind and other disabled people as we all tried to come to grips with the challenges of getting employment. This was very important in that it provided an understanding of the role of societal barriers, thereby, enabling me to place in perspective the difficulties I was to encounter.
Later, working as a researcher, as an adjudicator, or as a public policy analyst and manager, in addition to my education, my understanding of work as an activity always, whether obviously or not so obviously embedded in socio-economic contexts, including interests, was a great help. In other words, I always kept, or tried to keep, in mind that work is not just an individual activity but also a social one. And that is the way accommodation is best understood. As a blind person the practical barrier, though not the only one I have faced, has been inaccessible information. The fact is that managers, even in the context of strong legislative frameworks, tend, for various reasons, to deal with inaccessible information as a “normal thing”. I have tried to overcome this by reframing the “problem” from an individual one to a social one. In achieving this, peer support and associational involvement, at least in my experience, have been, undoubtedly, irreplaceable. That understanding, moreover, has been an asset I have brought to my efforts, including employment-related ones.
Finally, I’d like to emphasize the importance of adaptation to evolving environments and dynamics as a success strategy. As I think about it now, I am struck by the importance of adapting and learning new things. Adapting to an ever-changing technological environment is an obvious one. In my case, however, adapting both linguistically and culturally has been incredibly helpful. Without adapting to new things, I simply would not have succeeded.
Finally, returning one more time to the social dimension of work, I would draw attention to the lesson that remunerative employment is not just an individual concern. Its successful experience by all, including persons with disabilities cannot be achieved without appropriate public policy supports. And this cannot occur without social initiative concretized, not exclusively, but inevitably through government action.
Fit for work: The adventures of being an employee
To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure an opportunity to do it,
is a key to happiness.
~ John Dewey
“You will have this for the rest of your life.” It was 1974. I was 13 years old and freshly diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. Along with this pronouncement, I was forewarned of possible blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and multiple end-stage organ disease. Then, at 23, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. No one ever said anything about a future that involved living with chronic illnesses and yet also being employed. Perhaps it never occurred to any of the professionals attached to me in those early years that the two could go hand in hand, or even, that living with a disabling health condition could powerfully inform ways to be a productive, contributing citizen.
Multiple health complications, hospital stays, and 16 surgeries later, my employment history is a patchwork – night waitress at a truck stop, piano teacher, child care provider, accompanist, drama coach, speech writer, disability ethics researcher, choral conductor, house cleaner, policy analyst, community advocate, and adult educator. Currently, I coordinate implementing accessibility policies across government for the Disabilities Issues Office in Manitoba.
The obstacles I face as a person with invisible disabilities are considerable. Slowly I’ve realized that these barriers are both within and outside of me, inexorably intertwined, with one bearing a tremendous impact on the other. Part of the process of overcoming them involves taking the personal step of learning to accept that I am the round peg which will not fit into the square hole of an eight-hours-a-day, five-days-a-week work life. That isn’t easy – I want to be that person, but once I acknowledged this reality, I needed to take a second step and assert to my employers that a different work pattern could still produce advantageous results. It meant summoning up the vocabulary and esteem to declare that accommodating my needs involved more than a one-time investment, like building a ramp or creating an accessible parking space (Can’t see to drive anyway – the visual impairment kicked in fairly early.).
So what do I need from an employer? The key to a great working relationship lies in flexibility. In my research life, the concept of deliverables has been successful. I may not get into work every day, but I will get the work done, and done well. If any employer has any doubts about that, pay me when they see the final product.
The problem with deliverables and contract work is that there is no long-term security or benefits. Ideally, if an employer isn’t familiar with the quality of my work, we can start with the idea of deliverables but then move into a regular employment relationship once I’ve proved myself. Flexibility is still required – I had a very successful stint as a Community Health Sciences researcher at the University of Manitoba because I was able to work from home, fulfilling obligations with regular reporting sessions. My current position in the civil service allows me less flexibility in working from home, but more in terms of a job-sharing arrangement.
The most important part of flexibility is the understanding on the part of my employers that I also face internal barriers. Getting to work some days is a struggle. It can take tremendous effort to just get out the door in the morning. My joints hurt, my eyes are blurry, fatigue slams me against the wall, and it seems completely counterintuitive not to stay home. Pain, exhaustion and uneven blood sugars all play havoc with my self-confidence. But I love to work, and I want to get there and give it everything. I must not let doubts of my capacity interfere in what I know I do best. Having a supervisor and colleagues who recognize what it takes for me to get through that door, and celebrate the ambitions and accomplishments we all have as a team is the “ramp” that facilitates my success as an employee.
Undoubtedly I have bumped into attitudes where I know I have to be twice as industrious as the next person because preconceptions of my worth as a “disabled” employee need to be dismantled. But I also cannot succumb to self-pity or a sense of entitlement just because I have a disability. No one owes me anything if I can’t do the work, but I may need to do the work differently – including reconfiguring work time and work space in order to be the best employee possible. The key to success lies in my capacity to articulate clearly to my workplace what I need to reach my potential, and willingness on the part of my employer to embark on new ways of working together.
Legal Hearings: A new hard of hearing lawyer in Toronto
I am a 28-year old woman with moderate bilateral hearing loss and profound auditory neuropathy. My hearing loss is not easily corrected with hearing aids and other assistive listening devices; the sound signals are garbled by the time they reach my brain and thus my speech comprehension is drastically reduced. High physical and psychological stress exacerbates my hearing loss. I often lose hearing entirely when I am ill. I rely heavily on speechreading (lipreading) to understand speech. People must face me when they speak, and should speak normally. I often ask people to rephrase rather than repeat themselves when I do not understand a sentence. I don’t use sign language, and I compensate and integrate well into hearing society.
I focussed on my education as a survival tactic. At school, I often worked with groups promoting awareness of, and accommodations for, persons with disabilities. I became a lawyer in June, 2012. So far, my career has consisted of a ten-month paid articling internship, which was part of the requirements of becoming a licensed lawyer in Ontario. I worked on contract with the Government of Ontario as a lawyer-in-training. I did not self-identify during my interview, but contacted the office manager for accommodations before I began work. I e-mailed the manager the model of the telephone amplification device with the all-important two-ear headset which I would require in order to use the in-office telephone. The device was ready on my first day, and was invaluable to me.
I attended court regularly during my internship, which had its own unique problems. Firstly, the courts use a public announcement system to call lawyers into the court rooms, which I could not always understand. Secondly, the public announcements are frequent and loud, which can make one-on-one conversations in the halls and interview rooms of the courtroom difficult due to the background noise. Thirdly, while in the courtrooms, the court clerks and judges sit some distance from where the lawyers and clients stand, which can make it difficult for me to lip-read (especially when I do not have my glasses!) Introducing myself well in advance to court staff, and self-identifying as a person with hearing loss went a long way to help me adapt to the court process. I would always remain close to the courtroom, and court staff would come and get me if I was required in the room. Also, most courts have assistive listening devices, which were of good quality in some courts, and terrible in others. I had mixed experiences using these. However, to compensate, the court staff would inform the judge that I had hearing loss, and the judges frequently would demonstrate care in facing me when they spoke, and would speak up if requested. Overall, my court experience was positive, and I consider it a success.
However, I firmly believe that I have had successful experiences, in part because I DO integrate well in the hearing world. My speech is clear and only mildly accented due to intensive speech training as a youth. This is important for a job in which I frequently speak to clients and advocate orally in a public setting. Despite my insecurities about what I might be missing when others speak, I try to project confidence and fearlessness, in order to promote others’ confidence in me. I am not shy about self-identifying as a person with hearing loss and the ways in which I require accommodation, although I try to be careful about the circumstances in which I do so. I have no illusions about the fact that my employment success would be vastly different if I spoke with a pronounced “deaf” accent, and if my speechreading capabilities were less developed. I count myself extremely lucky in this regard.
If you don’t succeed at first, try and try again
My first self-advocacy success came at the school for the blind in Montreal, where I convinced the Grey Nuns and my parents to let me learn touch-typing rather than the piano. At that time, in the early 60s, girls who were blind were expected to stay at home or in institutions, play the piano or organ, and sing in the church choir. But after school, I wanted to leave home, be independent and live on my own, and go to university to earn a degree, and eventually find employment.
Getting my first full-time job as a rehabilitation teacher with a charitable organization was a breeze. I went for the first job interview in my life, and was offered the position on the spot. I was a bright 20-year old university student competing among my peers, in the early 70s when very few girls who were blind pursued a postsecondary education. So, I was quite a catch for the organization!
I then got married, moved to New Brunswick, raised a family of two children, and moved to Ottawa for my husband to pursue a career opportunity. During that time, I worked part-time on small government make-work projects, and finished my university degree in psychology.
The story was very different when I decided to look for full-time employment, as a 35-year old mother with a disability, once the children were at school. Frustration and disappointment were the name of the game, and plenty of tears and negative feelings. I sent dozens of letters with my CVs to specific competitions and to organizations, without positive results. I went from interview to interview having to deal with board members’ negative attitudes and stereotypes concerning persons with disabilities, lack of knowledge about the abilities of a candidate who is blind, like being asked how I could dial a phone or find my way around the office, and fears of working with a person who is blind and may not be able to pull her weight. I received very little accommodation during most of these competitions, mainly having to take tests orally, as computers were not yet available. I was told time and time again that I was qualified, but that I was second best in the competition, and that my name would be put on the waiting list for future consideration. And I never heard back from those employers again and wondered if I had fallen into oblivion in this dark pool of possible candidates.
Then, when I was finally offered a job, it was as a secretary with a charitable organization, a job for which I was not trained, but that career counsellors and others advised me to take in order to “put my foot in the door”. Then I had to take a second secretarial job to enter the federal Public Service. This was in the late 1980s when I had to deal with mountains of paper, with just the basic adaptive technology like a VersaBraille. I asked to be provided with a reader to help me deal with all the print material, which was approved in the end, but not before a vice-president said: “We don’t want to look as if we have to hire two people when we hire a disabled person”. I thought at the time, and still do, that taking these secretarial jobs was the wrong approach, that I was selling myself short, because it took a long time to climb up the stairs after putting my foot in the door.
When I finally became a full-time permanent employee, I had to work for several years on acting or developmental assignments, taking responsibilities for duties at levels much higher than my substantive position.
But, in the end, persistence and determination paid off. I earned a very good living having worked for several years in Employment Equity (EE), a field which is fraught with frustration and disappointment, but also with pride in achievements and improvements in accessibility and inclusion. I received such accommodations as paid leave for guide dog training, speech synthesizers and Braille displays, and flexible work arrangements like telework. On the other hand, inaccessible electronic communications, and computer applications I was unable to use, created constant frustrating struggles and the resulting advocacy efforts.
I have just retired as a senior advisor in EE, and I am proud of my 25-year career with the federal government. I hope that my small accomplishments will pave a smoother road for those who have disabilities and will soon begin their career.
My advice to you is: you will more than likely experience feelings of rejection and discouragement during your job search, and in the workplace, but keep plugging away at all the obstacles put in your way. Use your networks; it’s who you know that often makes the difference. Be your own self-advocate; be realistic but don’t sell yourself short. It will be all worth it in the end.
Collaboration at work
I have been employed in the nonprofit sector for the past twenty years. I worked in the employment field, helping job seekers with barriers to prepare for, find and keep employment. My current position with Volunteer Ottawa (VO) involves assisting our member organizations to recruit volunteers. I also manage a group of volunteer public speakers who represent VO in the community. Occasionally, I facilitate workshops for people looking for volunteer opportunities.
I was born with limited vision. Thankfully adaptive technology, education and a strong support system have helped me to conquer the barriers that vision impairment imposes. As I have some sight, my vision impairment creates very few limitations at work.
As a teenager, I felt excluded as many of my peers were already working and I was not. A wise high school guidance counsellor suggested that volunteering would be a good alternative. Her sage advice helped me to develop the skills, experience, references and above all, the confidence that I needed to eventually take my own place in the world of work.
Volunteering has helped me throughout my career. This, and research, attending numerous “information interviews,” participating in job search programs and networking also helped. Although it is a struggle sometimes, maintaining a positive, proactive attitude while job searching is vital.
At school and on the job, I was dogged by certain problems that seemed unrelated to my vision impairment. In 2006, I summoned up enough courage (and money) to have some testing done and confirm what I’d suspected – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Getting that diagnosis was like having been relieved of a great weight. I could now begin healing and adapting.
Thanks to expert advice, help from friends who also have ADHD, plenty of books and information, and a very healthy lifestyle, I am able to structure my workplace to fit my individual needs and succeed in working around the duo of disabilities that battle for hegemony at work and beyond. Colour-coding, large-print documents, checklists, work plans and electronic cues help me to stay on track and on task.
It’s not what helps me on the job, but whom. While a vision impairment is challenging, having an invisible disability is by far more pervasive and difficult to manage. Accommodation requires a collaborative approach from both employer and employee. We constantly negotiate the balance between the employer’s need for productivity and the employee’s need for accommodations. Everyone in the workplace will need some accommodation. A good manager and colleagues is the key to the success that I am enjoying at Volunteer Ottawa. My workmates love my talking computer, and they are OK with my using my digital recorder at meetings. My manager works exceptionally well with me, helping me to coordinate competing tasks, set priorities, create definite timelines and reach goals. My co-workers are patient when I ask more questions than most, seeking clarification on an assignment. We have adapted so well that sometimes we forget that I have disabilities.
Today’s workplace requires us to be more mobile and flexible. Frequent job and career changes are the norm. While my ZoomText software can be easily uninstalled from one workplace computer and re-installed in another, a much bigger challenge lies in educating my most important resource - the people. Those new job jitters can be compounded when disability is added into the mix. Often, those of us with disabilities are besieged by questions: Will they like me? Will they understand why I do things a little differently? Will they be willing to make the accommodations I need? Will they see beyond the disability as I do?
While progress has been made, the numbers of people with disabilities who have succeeded in finding and maintaining employment is woefully scant.
Employment: It has been a blast!
For approximately the first 20 years of my career I had chosen to work in the field of disability rights activism. This meant that I was employed by organizations created by, and run by, people living with disabilities and the irony of this is that my visual disability from birth was considered an asset! The majority of my positions and activities had to do with systemic advocacy concerning the rights or persons living with disabilities in our society. Having staff that lived the experiences of what we were lobbying for brought a great deal more credibility to our message. I had the privilege of doing this type of work at international, national, provincial and local levels.
By the time I decided to set up my own consulting business, Paula M. Keirstead Consulting, I had established a reputation regarding my advocacy, facilitation, interview and political strategy development and public education quite solidly so I felt confident in pursuing contracts beyond the disability arena that would require my honed skills. I honestly felt that my visual disability was considered inconsequential when being considered for contracts, except for the fact that if travel was involved I would require an accommodation.
My present job with Legal Aid Manitoba, that I have been in for one year, is a paralegal role in the administrative law arena and I provide one-to-one advocacy services, primarily in the area of Employment and Income Assistance (welfare). By the time I pursued this career move, frankly it was of benefit to Legal Aid to have more people who were willing to declare a disability on staff! The Manitoba Provincial Government's stats on the percentage of their employees who declare disability is dismally low. So the timing of having someone come forward with a well developed set of skills and expertise in the area of poverty law and advocacy who has a disability was perfect timing for everyone concerned.
Throughout my career the barrier that needed to be addressed in all my jobs was people's discomfort with the fact that my eyes are crooked and their uncertainty of exactly how much I could see. This discomfort was often expressed by over solicitous behaviour in trying to help me walk; and/or people looking over their shoulders wondering who I was looking at while in discussion with them. I found the best way to handle this was to just introduce my visual disability at the onset of our interaction and explain about my eyes being crooked and that I have no depth perception; and that I need a lot of light to manoeuvre independently, all with a bit of humour and finally that I would ask for assistance when needed. I did this with employers, instructors, work colleagues, clients or whomever I thought needed to know or was obviously struggling with the situation. This eased anyone's anxiety and people adjusted quickly.
The accommodations I needed were pretty basic and easily accommodated in all my work situations. I required 14 point Arial font print for documents; good lighting; the ability to move my computer and keyboard close to the edge of my desk for optimum usage and a travel expense budget in order to attend the meetings required in my job and/or to travel outside of the city. I don't have enough vision to drive. The way I presented this was to say that my employer could pay for my time on the bus where applicable, or, could pay me to travel and get my work done more efficiently. There were very few specific travel situations where my travel support was not approved throughout my work life.
I can honestly say throughout my career that I have never felt that a training opportunity or promotion had been denied me based on my disability. Overall I have felt valued and supported by my various employers for my skills and abilities. I realize how privileged I am to be able to say this and have greatly appreciated my opportunities to grow as a professional and do work that I love.
I firmly believe the key to my success is twofold. My willingness to raise and share relevant information about my disability and thus enable people to be more comfortable with me, while simultaneously raising their awareness about disability, has played a large role in obtaining and maintaining the positions I have had over my work life. The other just as important aspect has been people's willingness to be open-minded enough to accept my disability and to assess me by my merit.
I am convinced that what has enabled my employment experiences to be so positive has a great deal to do with the fact that the cross-disability, self-help advocacy movement has been actively working for over 40 years to change society's attitudes and acceptance of people with disability as contributing workers who have the same rights and responsibilities as other citizens.
It has been a blast!
Finding my own voice
Like many Canadians with disabilities, I am currently seeking employment. Yet as I reflect on my career, I remember a pivotal point when I realized that finding my own voice was the key to successful job accommodation.
Some years ago, I was offered a short-term contract with the province of Ontario. During the interview process I self-identified as legally blind. When we discussed accommodation I was told about a former employee who was also vision impaired. She now held a position elsewhere in government. It was thought the technical aids she used might interest me so a meeting was arranged. When we met I noted that she had less vision than I, but in both eyes. I have usable vision in one eye only. I concluded that the large television screen she used as a computer monitor wouldn’t work for me. When I reported back, I stated that I wouldn’t need this aid. I was cheerfully informed that the device was already on order and assured that I would love using it. I agreed to try it out. At first everything was fine. Then I began to get upper back, neck and shoulder pain, especially intense at day’s end. The pain was caused by straining to see around the large monitor so I took regular breaks from sitting down and the pain diminished.
When the pain began, did I raise my concerns with my employer? I am sad to say that I did not. At the time I was one of very few employees with disabilities in this department and I felt the precariousness of my position as a contract employee. What I had learned firsthand though was that each person’s accommodation needs can be different, even if both individuals share a similar disability.
In my next government position I was hired for a longer term contract for an internship opportunity in the human resources branch of a small ministry. This time I decided to be proactive. When Diane, my manager, and I discussed accommodation issues, I immediately requested that I be actively involved in the accommodation process and that the IT specialist and I work in partnership. She was a little concerned at first; she wanted to be sure that what I chose would be compatible with existing technology used in their office. I assured her that over the years I had learned what accommodated me and that the IT specialist and I would make a joint decision. So she agreed to my plan. This approach worked really well because I increased my knowledge of IT and the specialist learned about adaptive technology aids for those who are vision impaired/legally blind. It turned out to be a positive experience for all; because of my manager’s support, it also helped to integrate me as a new employee into the work environment and made the internship successful. This is the approach that I have used ever since, in jobs for government and in the community.
Work that looks different
Years ago, a colleague and I were discussing equality and what it meant for people with disabilities. She said that as people with disabilities, we do things differently, but we can still be equal. And in our society, different is generally seen as bad, not equal. This has resonated with me since then as I have worked towards accommodations in my working life. Different but equal, sums up my journey — particularly looks different, but equal.
Our society is still caught in the Protestant work ethic of hard work that one does in front of others. For example, if you sit in your chair at the office for eight hours, you are seen to be doing your job. However, if you do the same amount of work, but it is done at home, or done lying on the futon in one’s office, that isn’t work — it looks different.
For me to work to my full potential as a person with fibromyalgia and a cancer survivor, I work mornings as the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) Provincial Coordinator at home. This allows me to use my morning energy when I am the freshest to work on paperwork rather than to waste it taking transit to my workplace. I work afternoons in the MLPD office. Both my home and MLPD offices are equipped with a couch, so that I may rest throughout the day and also work lying down. These accommodations enable me to maximize my ability to work with the limited energy and the level of pain that I have.
In the past, I was not able to obtain these accommodations. In fact, one nonprofit in Winnipeg offered me a job about 10 years ago, but when I asked to work part of the time at home, due to fatigue and pain issues, they said, “On no, you have to be in the office to be part of the team. Now we have to interview all over.” I didn’t get the job. Are teams only composed of people that we experience in person?
The job accommodations have worked out well. It took me awhile to ascertain what the best ways of working were. It’s not always easy to figure out what you need when you first acquire disability, and employers are not trained in knowing how to figure this out either. I’ve done a lot of learning through trial and error, through fibromyalgia flare-ups and people laughing about the couch in my office. It’s not how it looks. The question is: “Was that work done?”
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My thoughts on employment and people with disabilities
As an advocate and someone living with a disability I would like to dispel the myth that people with disabilities do not want to work. Well, we do! We want to work and make a meaningful contribution to our communities like other Canadians.
All provincial and territorial governments in Canada have made policy commitments in support of social inclusion. Employment happens to be one of the "measurements" of inclusion in Canadian society. Unfortunately, people with disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed and living in poverty as nondisabled Canadians.
My own personal experience has been somewhat mixed. I have spent the last 22 years supporting persons with disabilities in various positions (counsellor, outreach worker, respite worker, etc.). Each position has not been without its challenges and barriers to overcome.
What are some of the "factors" which end up contributing to a successful job search or work environment? There are what I'd refer to as the three A's (awareness, attitude, and accommodation) to getting and keeping a job.
Awareness: Awareness is a really good place to start. It always helps if an employer has an awareness of disability issues. Sadly, there are many who still don't understand our issues. And while much headway has been made over the years, public education must remain a priority for disability advocates.
Attitude: I have found that this is still the greatest "barrier" for many people living with disabilities to overcome. It is also the least costly to correct. I believe that the first step in a successful employer/employee relationship is for the employer to believe that you can do the work. It is important for the employer to see beyond your disability in order to see the abilities which you bring to the table.
Accommodation: I happen to have epilepsy, which means that I cannot drive a vehicle. For me, accommodation has been the greatest challenge to getting hired or promoted in my field. Sadly, there are many employers, even in the disability field, who refuse to make those workplace accommodations.
I believe that having a job is still the best means of getting out of poverty. However, for people living with a disability employment isn't just about earning an income. It offers more than just an income; it offers to us a sense of belonging and value as full citizens.
I have yet to meet anyone with a disability who did not have something to contribute to their community. The Manitoba government says that hiring someone with a disability is good for business. I agree. It not only makes good business sense, it's the right thing to do!
Disability-related supports
Dismantling attitudinal barriers: Career success
Mr. Malkowski continues to work tirelessly for the educational and vocational rights of people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. He has undertaken countless initiatives to improve the lives of Deaf Canadians through his involvement with numerous organizations. Gallaudet University is proud to honour an alumnus whose ground-breaking and far-reaching work has done so much to benefit the Deaf and hard and hearing communities by awarding the degree Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, to Mr. Gary Malkowski. (Dr. Alan Hurwitz, President, Gallaudet University, Commencement Speech, May 2011)
My life has had many valleys and mountains, each filled with stepping stones to where I am today. I have held jobs from farm worker to bartender, summer camp counsellor to American Sign Language and Deaf culture instructor, peer student advisor at university to vocational rehabilitation counsellor, director of the Social Services Development at The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) to MPP for York East in Toronto (where I pioneered disability and accessibility legislation in my private member’s bill that led to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act – AODA), special advisor to the president and CEO of CHS to the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Gallaudet University, Washington DC. Through these experiences, my 22 years working at CHS (1985 to present), and my five years as an Ontario MPP (1990-1995), I have deepened my understanding of myself as a Deaf individual and grown in my commitment to work towards a Canada that champions all differences and disabilities, a Canada that celebrates Deaf Canadians, embraces our culture, and values our languages.
With my lack of speech intelligibility and residual hearing, and my poor speechreading skills, my childhood, adolescence and early adulthood were marked with being bullied and confronting serious attitudinal barriers created by my own family members, my teachers and counsellors, and even my classmates, peers, and colleagues. The bullying included psychological harassment, negative gossiping, teasing, insulting, being stared at with an air of contempt, name-calling, uttering hurtful and inappropriate comments in front of friends and colleagues, etc. I felt unsafe, disrespected, afraid, ashamed, embarrassed, and humiliated. I was made to believe I was worthless, and incapable of learning, working, participating or contributing anything to life – either in school, work, the community or society.
Discrimination against me has been in the form of audism which is defined as discrimination based on a person’s ability to hear. The term audism conveys beliefs that hearing people are more intelligent, capable, well-developed, qualified, and successful than Deaf people who use a signed language or hard of hearing people who use a communication device that will help them to hear better. Audism, like other forms of discrimination, is often disguised in sentiments of concern for safety. Such audist attitudes are built on the faulty premise that if a person is Deaf or hard of hearing, they cannot communicate. The ensuant logic is that these individuals will encounter or create health and safety issues in the work place and/or at school. This perceived lack of ability to communicate is used as a justification for attitudinal barriers that influence involvement in what most Canadians take for granted. For example:
- You cannot be involved in sports because you are Deaf.
- You cannot be involved in highly skilled leisure activities because you are Deaf.
- You cannot drive because you are Deaf.
- You cannot be a teacher, a lawyer, or a doctor because you are Deaf (although there are such Deaf individuals in each of those professions in our country).
- An employer should not hire you because you are Deaf.
I grew up in this negative and unsupportive environment which was riddled with attitudinal barriers that resulted in low expectations from educators, family, and society and assumptions of entitlement, privilege, superiority and advantage for hearing people based on hearing ability alone. This system led me to believe that I could not learn or achieve higher education or a successful career. In other words, I could not achieve anything. As daunting as the future seemed, I knew from an early age that I wanted to make a difference in society.
Although the CHS champions the lives of Deaf people today, it was still finding its footing in its understanding of the abilities of the Deaf community in the early 1970s. During that time, I was informed by a counsellor there that I could not work a summer job or a part-time job during my high school years. I was encouraged to hold off on developing any kind of work skills or gaining any work-related experiences until I graduated from high school. The reasons provided had to do with a perceived lack of language, communication, and literacy and, of course, the unfounded fears about health and safety. Today I recognize that the counsellor’s underlying assumption was that I could not do these things because I was Deaf.
Over time, CHS changed dramatically and provided the kinds of supports I needed to move ahead in my career path. Supported by the Ministry of Community and Social Services, CHS Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) provided me with pre- and postemployment supports in the form of information gleaned from career and work assessments, supportive career and vocational counselling, work experience via summer jobs and part-time work, and funding for attending Gallaudet University where I received an undergraduate degree in social work and psychology and a Masters degree in rehabilitation counselling, specialization on Deafness.
There were other key tools and supports that contributed to my endeavours to find, secure and advance a successful career path. For example, role models were instrumental in my overall development as a Deaf professional. At the E.C. Drurey Provincial School, CHS, the Ontario Association of the Deaf (OAD), and the Canadian Association of the Deaf (CAD) I was introduced to successful Deaf professionals and, although unconscious at that time, I began to build a sense that I, too, could be a successful professional. Then, at Gallaudet University, I was taught about the challenges facing Deaf people and introduced to coping skills to deal with attitudinal barriers – not only those I faced, but those faced by Deaf youth in high school, postsecondary education, and workplace settings as well.
There were other types of supports during the years I was growing my career. For example, through CHS I developed self-advocacy skills as well as experience working in the community. The OAD, the CAD, and the ARCH Disability Law Centre encouraged my interest in human rights issues by providing me with tools to build a deep understanding of human rights in Ontario, the whole Canadian context, and worldwide. As time went on, these organizations and Deaf professionals encouraged me to participate in groups involved with disability, human rights, and education issues at both the provincial and federal levels. Then in my years as MPP (where I held my only “job” in a predominantly hearing organization – the Government of Ontario) I was Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship responsible for Human Rights, Employment Equity and Disability Issues and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education where I was instrumental in procuring an amendment to incorporate American Sign Language (ASL) and la langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) as “languages of instruction” under the Education Act in Ontario.
From Deaf professionals, CHS, CAD, OAD, Gallaudet University and the ARCH Disability Law Centre I have learned four important steps that can either support those seeking employment or enhance a career already in motion. These steps involve Learning, Planning, Deciding and Doing.
- Learning: Believe you can learn whatever you need to know regardless of others’ perceptions of your abilities.
- Planning: You are not alone. Make use of available systems to support the development of your career plan (e.g. a VRS counsellor/employment support at CHS).
- Deciding: Use information to set priorities, become aware of social and job trends, and evaluate pros and cons.
- Doing: Learning, planning and deciding are only the initial steps. You must DO IT! Effort and hard work go a long way to making a career plan successful.
While I continue to see improvements in the overall awareness of many individuals in society, I continue to observe audism in the form of attitudinal barriers that result from the uninformed beliefs held by government as well as other power-yielding individuals such as medical professionals and educators who refuse to accept what scientific research has confirmed over and over again – that signed languages are as real as any spoken language, that people can learn signed languages and learn using signed languages, and that one’s ability to hear has no relation to intelligence or the ability to learn and work. As for signed languages, rather than being recognized as grammatically complex, they are devalued in that they are perceived as forms of communication incapable of “really” expressing complex or abstract thought. This misconception runs so deep that the mere ability to produce a spoken language is perceived as an indicator of greater intelligence. Hearing professionals often take no time to learn about their Deaf clients/patients. They believe my language will ruin chances of achieving successful careers, maintaining friendships, connecting with family, and being an autonomous individual and responsible citizen. It might seem counterintuitive to think that many professionals steeped in science will refuse to accept the science concerning the abilities of their Deaf clients/patients, but they do. They refuse to recognize that we are as capable as hearing individuals when we are not bombarded by the barriers they create for us.
Employment is consistently ranked as the number one concern among persons with disabilities. This is no different for Deaf individuals. Working at CHS, I am constantly involved in working with, and advocating for, culturally Deaf, oral deaf, deafened and hard of hearing individuals. We have found that the vast majority of our clients experience difficulty in securing full access to government and nongovernment services; suffer from unemployment, underemployment, and employment barriers; experience daily discrimination, suffer marginalization and abuse; have mental health or addiction issues; have inadequate literacy skills; and, for many children, are in public schools where neither their teachers nor their peers can communicate with them. In addition, significant attitudinal and systemic barriers exist in the expectations, perceptions, beliefs and behaviours of employers regarding the employability and capability of Deaf people.
The statistics in my own province, Ontario, are staggering.
- Between 2002 and 2011 there has been almost a 70% increase in those on Ontario Disability Support Program: Income Support (Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services).
- 42% are underemployed. 37.5% are unemployed. (Canadian Association of the Deaf)
- According to Dr. Gerald Buckley (President of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Vice-President of the Rochester Institute of Technology), the enrollment of Deaf Canadians in university programs in the United States has declined from 122 in the late 1990s to 14 in the fall of 2011.
- According to Dr. Alan Hurwitz (President of Gallaudet University in Washington, DC – the only liberal arts university for Deaf people in the world), enrollment by Deaf Ontarians has declined from 90 in the early 1990s to 11 in the fall of 2011.
CHS has observed the following additional trends from the replacement of VRS with the Ontario Disability Support Program: Employment Support in late 1998 and the subsequent changes as a result:
- The cost of social assistance for Deaf and hard of hearing recipients has increased.
- Additional public costs have developed for mental health care, housing and other health-related costs.
- Substantially fewer youth with significant hearing loss are entering higher education or apprenticeship programs.
- Large numbers of youth with hearing loss have inadequate literacy and other skills to enter the workforce.
- Significantly larger numbers of Deaf and hard of hearing citizens are becoming entrenched in the social assistance system.
These worsening statistics warrant serious consideration of the barriers that exist for Deaf people in Canada. For example, where are the Deaf high school graduates from Ontario? Are they in Canadian universities? There are no universities in Canada where signing students have access to professors who use a signed language. Do Deaf students have interpreters at Canadian universities? There are no interpreter training programs in Canada that prepare ASL-English or LSQ-French interpreters to work in education settings – either elementary, secondary, or postsecondary.
Considering the abundance of information, knowledge and research about the plight of Deaf adults’ employment, one might assume that this awareness alone would make a compelling argument for dramatic changes for Deaf individuals in Canadian society. It does not.
The VRS model of the 1990s resulted in a huge majority of Deaf and hard of hearing persons completing postsecondary education and being successfully placed in jobs of leadership in business (e.g. CEO of CHS), leadership in government (first Deaf elected MPP in Canada), leadership in professions such as teaching, medicine, law and counselling, leadership in higher education (professors at Canadian universities), and the list of different professions and occupations goes on.
During this time too, there was a wide range of pre- and postemployment supports including grants for higher education. The cost may have been significantly higher than the average person for training or career supports; however, due to the vast majority of Deaf and hard of hearing individuals that ended up working, governments benefitted and reliance on social financial assistance decreased.
According to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), Centre on Employment (2011), “After graduation more than 94% of deaf and hard-of-hearing RIT/NTID graduates who have chosen to enter the labour market have found jobs in business, industry, government, education and other fields.” Canadian students were part of this statistic. However, with the decrease in Canadian students attending this institute (from 122 in the late 1990s to 14 in the fall of 2011) we do not have the statistics regarding Deaf college/university graduates studying in Canada.
With attitudinal and systemic barriers playing a significant role in the low employment rates in disability groups generally and the decrease in education and employment within the Deaf community specifically, there is no doubt that people in power and employers need assistance to understand how to create supportive environments for all persons with disabilities. There is an urgent need for multipronged approaches which include working with educators, the business community, the general public, disability groups and their families as well as key integrated service providers in order to develop best practices for working with persons with disabilities, persons with hearing loss, and Deaf persons.
Access to assistive devices - A key to successful employment
When I entered the workforce many years ago, I was unaware that I had a hearing loss. I sensed on some level that I was different from my friends, and certainly had been labelled “deaf” on occasion; but I still didn’t comprehend – at least consciously – that there might be something amiss. It had taken me several months to find employment, another issue beyond my realm of understanding. After all, I had always been considered “bright,” “well-organized,” and a “hard worker”; but for some reason, the job offers were not forthcoming after countless interviews. Finally, however, my diligence was rewarded with a full-time position with a speech pathologist.
Shortly after I began work, the speech pathologist discovered my hearing loss during a test run on a new audiometer, an instrument used to measure the hearing acuity of some of his clients. From there it was an appointment with an audiologist who confirmed a very severe hearing loss, for which there were no adaptive devices (e.g. hearing aids) available at that time. I was 19, and it was another ten years before I was able to purchase a hearing aid for my “good” ear and an additional four years before one became available for the other ear. In the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, advancements in technology in some areas were rather slow. The early ‘80s, however, did bring volume-controlled telephones to my attention, another blessing during my quest to hear well. In the ‘90s, I discovered frequency modulation (FM) systems, a type of wireless technology that helps people better understand speech in noisy situations.
Over the years I lived in a number of different cities and consequently had occasion to spend numerous hours engaged in employment interviews. They proved a bit more fruitful after I acquired my first hearing aid, with a definite improvement following acquisition of the second. But interestingly, no matter how keen potential employers seemed during the first, and in many cases second, interview, when I advised them of my hearing loss and the fact that I would need a telephone equipped with a volume control, their negativity showed through. In those early years, as well, I encountered at least one hearing “specialist” who prescribed the wrong type of hearing aids for me because they were less visible to others than the ones I had originally worn. Those were a difficult four years!
Personal hearing technology can be quite expensive, particularly in those cases where the hearing loss is severe and an FM system is required to support the ability of the hearing aids. They can set this writer back $8,000 - $10,000; and the hearing aids at least, need to be replaced every four or so years. Often there is no financial support available for these devices; so many people try to hang on to them long after new ones are needed.
While gainfully employed, for the most part, over all those years, it was a challenge in the first place, to find work and in the second, to pursue more responsible positions. Slowly advancing technology, negative attitudes, and the high cost of assistive devices all had to be addressed. And it wasn’t until the early ‘90s when I began working within the disability community, itself, that I was able to keep informed of the availability of services and technology and how to address the barriers a hearing impairment often presents.
During the ‘90s and through the first decade of the 21st century I worked mainly within the area of human rights as they pertain to persons with disabilities. My experience over those two decades has been vast – positions of trust at the provincial, national, and international levels, including several years of “hands-on” work on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Today I co-ordinate a provincial peer support program for older adults and seniors and also contract my services as a consultant, working primarily with grassroots organizations mandated to ensure access and inclusion to the community and society of people with diverse needs. Key to my work – now, as well as over the past two decades – has certainly been access to assistive devices; but, more importantly, access to the information required to make informed decisions about my needs.
Over and above anything discussed herein, however, what really made a positive difference for me in the area of employment was the tremendous work being done by organizations of and for persons with disabilities. Without the knowledge that comes from the lived experiences that is found within disability organizations, I and people like me across the country and around the world would not – and will not – accomplish the things we are capable of and become contributing members of society. I will be forever grateful to those organizations and the people who work within them for their guidance, strength, and willingness to share their stories and lives. They have served me well.
Career success beyond job survival
The measurement of career success depends upon the values used, and what it is being compared to. Recent reports show that there is a continually high rate of unemployment within the Canadian disability population, but the reasons for this are often misunderstood, and the expectations for career success are often misrepresented. Surveys show that about 75% of blind Canadians are unemployed, and about 20% live below the poverty line, which I suppose makes me a success, but compared to sighted colleagues my career progress has not achieved expectations. Discrimination in the workplace, intentional or subconscious is very real, and understanding your disability and how you interact with the world, will create a positive shift in perceptions.
After graduating from university with a degree in computer science, which at that time I was told is not an appropriate career choice for a blind person, I started my first job as an IT specialist for Air Canada in 1981. My university experience taught me that I had to be assertive and independent if I was going to succeed in the job market, as the support services for blind persons did not meet my expectations. My first job taught me to be innovative and resourceful, so as to resolve workplace challenges and be productive, if I expected to pursue a meaningful career. I had to deepen my technology, social, and education skills. The first challenge was to understand the strengths and weaknesses of my disability, and accept those situations I could not change. Learning from the experiences of others will minimize workplace struggles, frustrations, and disappointments. Secondly, to move beyond job survival, I had to become an expert in those resources that would build upon my weaknesses. That is, learning to use technology and human resources to maximize opportunities. Thirdly, to be respected and valued in the workplace, I had to cultivate human relationships that would support my workplace needs.
Access to the latest technologies, and the ability to put those technologies to work, was a critical factor in career success. I created my own Braille/speech screen reader software, and a computer hub to connect my adaptive equipment to the many host systems that I had to work on. This was achieved by connecting with the leading adaptive technology manufacturers, and working with the best engineers in the industry. They helped me to resolve workplace issues, and I helped them with design and testing of new adaptive devices. Although a challenge in the 1980s, this task would require a great deal more effort due to the increased complexities of technologies today. A deeper understanding of access technologies, and knowing the experts that provide them, is critical in getting the job done.
Social networking, and connecting to real people, is also very important to achieve career success. We are all dependent on one another, in some way or another, and being independent means knowing when to ask for help. Creating an effective support network takes time, and an understanding of which people are reliable. I made it a point to get to know business leaders, who had the authority to make decisions and influence others. I supported human resources diversity initiatives, mentored colleagues, and attended employee activities where possible. Recent paradigm shifts in society’s attitudes, and government accessibility legislation, has made this career challenge easier. However, although social networking is easier, social connecting with real people is much harder. The shift toward the virtual office, has had good benefits for disabled professionals, but has also brought new workplace challenges. A deeper understanding of colleagues’ values will create trusting and respectful relationships, which will advance career success.
Ongoing education, not only in your career choice of skill expertise but in many other areas, is critical to career success. Keeping current in your company’s business strategies, client values, and global trends is very important in planning career moves. I have found self-study techniques (online education, webinars, e-books, etc.) to be most effective in keeping up-to-date. Unfortunately, inaccessible office software tools and training materials have made education a major challenge, and requires a great deal of effort. Service organizations need to take on more of a leadership role, and responsibility, in supporting the educational needs of disabled professionals in the modern world.
The key attributes in my career success are flexibility in adapting to change, and a high level of comfort in using the tools of the job, and in people skills to build meaningful relationships. I have had many disappointments along my career path, but the ability to evaluate expectations has allowed me to resolve conflicts and overcome barriers. Disappointment is really just unmet expectations, which results from unreasonable desires or misleading information. If I have been misled then I will stand my ground, but if I had unreasonable expectations then I will modify my strategy. Over the past 32 years I have had the opportunity to work, as an IT specialist, for five major Canadian corporations. In addition to my IT skills in mainframe and PC software design/development, I have gained project management skills, workplace diversity management skills, website user interface design skills, and accessibility consulting skills. As an IBM employee, I currently work on global web development projects, which allow me to interact with people all around the world. As a blind Canadian, I have had a very successful career, with many learning opportunities and challenges. As Pierre Elliott Trudeau once said, "Be ready when opportunity comes; luck is the time when preparation and opportunity meet." This, I believe, is the key to career success. For more information see my personal profile at http://www.davebest.info.
Facilitators and barriers as a hard of hearing translator
Finding and keeping a job is important, not just for recent graduates, but also for those making a career change. It can feel like going through whole new motions with whole new challenges in a whole new field – again.
I completed a Bachelors degree in psychology in 2005, and after realizing I didn’t like any of the short-term counselling-related jobs I held, it took a while before finding my new calling. I’ve been a research associate at the Adaptech Research Network on and off for the past 10 years. I write, edit and translate texts, collect data for our studies, develop, administer and validate questionnaires, analyze the results, prepare presentations for conferences and publish our findings in various media.
It turns out that the task I enjoy most is French translation: it fits both with my interests and skills, not to mention it partly removes some of the barriers I face as a hard of hearing person. My work is done on computer and I like to communicate through e-mails. School has obviously been challenging, and I wasn’t aware that accommodations existed until my last year of high school. These accommodations have improved my quality of life, and since then, I’ve been requesting them whenever possible. One thing that helped me at work is Quebec’s Employment Integration Program which provides financial assistance to the employer to cover a portion of your wage and the cost of needed accommodations (that’s how I met my new best friend, the FM system). This has truly facilitated my entry into the labour market and has also positively impacted my everyday life. It also helps that the Adaptech Research Network, where I am employed, conducts research involving college and university students with a variety of disabilities in Canada. So, the availability of accommodations, understanding and support in the workplace? Checked, checked and checked.
While searching for translation contracts or jobs, I realized the biggest barrier was the general ignorance about what I can do: a few people think hearing has something to do with writing. Interpretation and translation are two different things! And let’s not forget the fear of disclosing my disability but having to reluctantly do it during an interview, at a job fair or a cocktail party, where conditions aren’t ideal for people with hearing impairments. I’ve sometimes lost potential clients or employers after telling them that I am hard of hearing, but I try to convince them to give me a chance and to let me send them a sample of my work. First impressions are hard to change, but it is worth it.
In the end, what really makes a positive difference is to be given that one opportunity to prove yourself to an employer and to fellow employees. If you have the opportunity to find that first job in your field of interest, act as if it’s the most important thing in your life. I’ve acquired precious experience and I now know people who will vouch for me as a worker and as a translator, and this has expanded my network. Employers and clients just need to be open in hiring people with disabilities based on what we can do, rather than based on their perceptions of what we can’t do.
My career journey – Persistence, perseverance and self-acceptance
Karen Tarry
In 1999, through my networks, I was hired as a casual status employee within the public sector which soon became a term position. About three years later, I became a permanent employee and have been doing this job ever since. The work involves planning and managing projects, research and writing.
In the mid-1980s, after completing high school I went through vocational testing at my local hospital. I had a series of neuropsychological tests to help determine an appropriate career path and to identify my specific strengths and weaknesses. The test results concluded that any office job would be ideal because I would be sitting and not moving around too much. Following that evaluation, I took a one-year administrative secretarial course.
Around the same time, I inherited some money from a family friend, which was transferred into a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP). For this reason, I was not eligible for the employment programs offered by Vocational Rehabilitation Services when I completed my course. Without professional support or advice to learn to deal with my disability in the workplace, I stumbled through the work force and faced several physical limitations which were not identified in the testing I had at the rehab centre. These included an inability to work quickly, remember what was said and multi-task. I was fired from one job after another, including my very first job. It didn’t matter that I had a strong work ethic and persevered. The toll on my self-esteem was devastating.
I had some success working in the public sector doing clerical work, but it consisted of short-term contracting (six months or less). Much of that work was through the employment equity programs that were in place at the time.
I went through a long period of unemployment from 1995-1999 after working as a receptionist at a high tech firm for about three years. I obtained the job after registering with a local employment program for people with disabilities and it was my first permanent and long-term position. However, I was let go when they downsized.
While I was unemployed, I worked as a volunteer in the disability community for a variety of organizations, offering communication services (research and writing) which I am still doing today. From these opportunities, I was able to rethink my career choices and switch to jobs that make the most of my strengths. I am very grateful to the disability community for supporting me through this time and helping me change my career path.
Because I have some short-term memory issues, I absolutely must write instructions down, so I always carry a notebook with me. I also use e-mail rather than talking to my supervisor about what is expected in a task. This way, I have a record. I also ensure that I am never in a fast-paced high pressure work environment.
In terms of on-the-job training, it has always been available to me. However, I have never had a significant promotion, except when I left my current job for about a year and a half for an assignment elsewhere. I have tried to compete for various competitions, internally and externally, but have yet to be successful.
When I face challenges at work, I have a strong network of supporters who I can confide in. I also try to think positively. There is no doubt that I am very fortunate compared to many others I know who have my disabilities who cannot work and struggle to make ends meet on a pension. I strive to focus on what is good in my life. And I have a lot to be grateful for, which is what really matters. Work is only a small part of my life.
Vigilance in sticking to work that I know how to do and feel confident about is key to my career success. I also try not to be too hard on myself when I make mistakes. My 15 year involvement in the disability community has been helpful too because it connects me with others who have had similar experiences and makes me feel supported. I also have made lots of friends along the way. I am someone who keeps going. I believe it is important to have perspective and to persevere, but more importantly, to be realistic and know what I am capable of and accept, rather than work against, my limitations.
A student perspective
My name is Alena Wickware, and I currently work at the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA) in a student summer contract. I do administrative and receptionist duties, such as answering and responding to phone calls, e-mails and visits in our office. I make referrals to other programs and services where necessary, maintain association records, fund raise for events, collect and distribute publications and resources for our members.
When I was called in for an interview, I knew from the start what I needed in order to do my job here at CHHA. I have moderately-severe hearing impairment bilaterally (in both ears) and use hearing aids to help me understand lip-reading with my residual hearing. I was open with my prospective employers about my hearing loss, and asked for some specific accommodations if they were to hire me. I let them know that I am comfortable using an amplified telephone (up to 50 decibels was sufficient) in addition to using the TTY machine in our office whenever necessary. Although I do use the phone in our office for official business, I am most comfortable corresponding by e-mails and do this whenever I am able. I have discussed with the other staff in our office my communication needs, such as making sure they have my attention before beginning to speak, to look at me directly while talking, as well as speaking clearly at a relaxed but natural pace. In all cases, my co-workers and bosses have followed every accommodation asked and, in my experience, the best way to ensure your success in the workplace is to know what you need, and to have the courage to ask for it.
I remember, in other volunteer and work experiences, some of the reactions I would receive when I would indicate that I prefer to correspond by e-mail (especially in cases where I had no access to amplified phones or a TTY). Some people were surprised and would enquire as to why. I would always reply honestly, stating that this was my preference as I live with a hearing impairment. Most of the time, people were happy to work with me on my terms.
As I am just beginning my career in social work, I have struggled with self-consciousness and worried that I will be passed over in the job market due to being hard of hearing. I remember struggling to learn even basic French, and I know that this may limit my qualifications in this field.
In response to this, I began learning American Sign Language (ASL) to assist both professionally and personally. I am very passionate about advocacy and developing universally inclusive workplaces, schools and public environments, and I know that having ASL as my second language is an asset and valuable tool in this field.
I find having a unique second language has been of great benefit as there is only a small number of social workers who have this language at their disposal, and I am proud to know ASL. Having personal experience and professional knowledge in my field of choice has helped me to find this great opportunity here at CHHA, and I now know that I have many skills that will carry me forward in my career. Despite my concerns, I am happy to say that being hard of hearing has not stopped me or hindered my search for employment, and I know that I will continue to make a difference in the lives of the people I work for.
Interpreting success
I worked for three years as a translator and twenty-seven as a conference interpreter. As a translator, I did written translation from French to English. As an interpreter, I did simultaneous interpretation between those languages. Work settings included both houses of Parliament, parliamentary and Senate committees, public hearings, commissions of enquiry, and internal meetings of public servants.
I had to be able to read the texts I translated or consult the documentation provided for interpretation assignments. I used two Dictaphones to read the texts I translated and record the texts I dictated. As an interpreter, I relied on colleagues to read me certain kinds of information before computer technology allowed me to Braille the texts I needed to have with me. Four Seeing Eye dogs have been important mobility aids. When it became available an accessible cellular telephone was indispensable.
I had help with computer training when I started using that technology, but I was often left to solve problems when I learned to use my adapted cellular phone.
I had a good career as an interpreter and was not interested in the management positions above my level.
The keys to my success were - hard work, tenacity and a willingness to advocate for myself.
The most positive difference for me came about when supervisors and colleagues showed that they believed in my ability. When a new job description indicated a need for interpreters to have excellent vision, colleagues quickly pointed out that I did a good job without it. My supervisor also insisted that she really wants me to freelance now that I’m retired.
Getting and keeping a job--what makes a difference
Finding a balance has been a lifelong challenge for me and back in the days of shift work, managing a large house, three young children and a huge extended family, I have to admit, I rarely succeeded.
Things really got out of balance when I began experiencing low back pain a couple of years into my hard-earned career as a Registered Nurse. I was assured that by keeping fit and strengthening my back muscles, all would be well. I tried everything from exercise to chiropractors to medication but the pain never left me. I lightened my workload by transferring to pediatrics and I reduced my hours by job sharing, but I was never pain free. In 1995, my back suddenly seized up completely and my legs would not work. I spent a week lying on the couch with one knee on the floor and crawling to the bathroom on my hands and knees because I was unable to walk. A cat scan revealed I had herniated one disc and ruptured another in my lower back. I didn’t have any feeling in my feet and numbness was creeping up my left leg. Surgery was recommended and the offending discs were removed. And still, the pain remained with increasing periods of exacerbation. After 15 years as a nurse, I was permanently unable to return to work. The loss of my profession was almost more unbearable than the loss of the feeling in my legs. Who was I if I wasn’t a nurse? What would I do?
The next few years revolved around my pain and the treatments. A series of nerve blocks into my spine finally diminished the pain in my legs but the back pain remained and the feeling has never returned to my feet and one leg. I have had to learn to live with it and accept the fact that I cannot work. Fortunately I had an excellent doctor who supported me throughout the tough times and advocated for my CPP Disability benefits. Two years after my surgery I started receiving the disability pension. This made a huge difference in my life. I was able to find a balance and gradually increase my activity while managing my symptoms and chronic pain. This allowed me to get out in the community more, meet people and get involved in volunteer work. I became involved in a Heart Health project that resulted in developing smoke-free public places legislation province-wide. Participating in this valuable work made me feel I still had something to contribute and it gave me hope that I could do more.
I have tried working at a number of jobs. I delivered a number of quit smoking courses as an entrepreneur but then the government took this over and put me out of work. I tried full-time contract work but my symptoms flared up so bad, I had to quit before the project ended. I worked part-time at a family resource centre but the hours were fixed and did not allow enough flexibility to meet my needs when things flared up.
I currently work 11 hours a week in my own community and it is perfect. My job is flexible so I can work at home when I am not feeling up to going out. I keep in contact with my CPP-D worker in order to keep receiving my benefits even though I earn more than the maximum allowable amount. Being able to work while still receiving my benefits has given meaning to my life and as long as I maintain a balance it is working for me. I need a certain amount of rest balanced with work and play. And this all fluctuates as my condition worsens and the pain exacerbates and recedes.
I was given the opportunity to attend the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association National Conference in Charlottetown in 2006. While I was identified as being hard of hearing as a child and began wearing hearing aids in my 20s, the conference was the first time I really acknowledged the challenges I face on a daily basis while living with hearing loss. Being aware of my limitations and being able to communicate them to others has helped me achieve even more in my life. The phone is my biggest challenge and while I have a Bluetooth enabled phone at home, processing what I hear still presents a challenge to me. Fortunately, communicating online has become the norm so most of my contacts are made there, simplifying my life even more.
Today, I am very active in my community. I sit on a number of boards, play a musical instrument, sing in a choir and help coordinate a number of community events. I attend workshops and conferences to further my education and to network with other people in my chosen fields whenever I can. All these experiences have helped me develop skills to increase my value as an employee.
Isolation was the single most debilitating aspect of my disability. Getting out, sharing my story and helping others has been the key to recovering my sense of who I am and what I have to offer. Author Rebecca Falls says “One of the valuable things we can do to heal one another is to listen to each others’ stories.” By acknowledging our vulnerabilities we gain strength. By sharing our stories we help ourselves and others. By working together we can conquer all. It’s all about finding a balance.
You are not alone
Carole Willans
Here is my contribution, as a member of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association. My name is Carole Willans, and I am a hard of hearing lawyer with 31 years of experience. I have a profound bilateral hearing loss, the result of a household accident at age 4. I have worn two powerful hearing aids since age 5, until I replaced one with a cochlear implant less than a year ago. A graduate of the Faculty of Civil Law of the University of Ottawa, I was called to the Quebec Bar on May 1, 1981. Before getting a license to practice, lawyers must first complete articling, which involves on-the-job training under the supervision of a lawyer. It can be very difficult to find articles for anybody; it is doubly difficult for lawyers with disabilities, and when the lawyer has a communication disability such as hearing loss, well the odds are really stacked against you. I discovered this quickly as doors slammed in my face over and over again in 1980 as I was approaching many, many law firms all over the province of Quebec. Despairing of ever finding articles and of ever getting back my investment in years of studies, I made a conscious decision to hide my hearing loss – and quickly I found an excellent articling position in my home town. Then started almost ten years in private practice being quite successful in chasing clients and the bottom line, until the day in court where a “bad-hearing-day” caught up with me, and I had to make a judge repeat his question several times, to finally end up writing it for me. My career in private practice died that day, though it did continue to sputter for a few more months, until I was finally “let go”.
This led to a time of profound despair, with two young children in tow, and a husband only moderately successful in his own law practice. To this day, I cannot recall quite how it happened… however I somehow connected with Marilyn Dahl, and the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA). The first step was for me to realize that there are many Canadians living with hearing loss (I was not alone!). CHHA hired me as its Executive Director, and I learned all the skills that lead to solid adjustment and resilience as a person who is hard of hearing and successful. In addition, I had a wonderful soapbox to advocate for the rights of Canadians who are hard of hearing – and my hearing loss was an asset! This involved a lot of advocacy vis-à-vis the federal government and the following year, in the context of the National Strategy for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities, I was hired as a counsel at Justice Canada. From Day One in my home department I was open about being hard of hearing and have received much respect and recognition for my achievements. I have worked in criminal law, constitutional law, intergovernmental and external relations, and have always been active in promoting an accessible workplace in the federal government for persons with disabilities. Being open about my hearing disability, being clear and fair in my expression of what I need in order to do my job, being determined to help others – all these things have seen me through a wonderful, challenging and rewarding career. My key messages are: resilience begins with the realization that you are not alone and the help you need is there provided that you are open to expressing your needs; and, helping others helps you best – because it is in reaching out to others that you build a better place for all (and that includes you!).
Working with a hearing loss
I was employed as a Teacher’s Aide in the Holy Spirit Catholic School division for several years when I lost my hearing very suddenly due to a blood clot in the back of my neck. I was at work balancing school attendance records when this took place and left work to go home due to the fact that I couldn’t clear the blocked feeling in my ears.
I ended up in the hospital for approximately three or four weeks due to balance problems and having the blood clot dissolved. The ear specialist had told me that in three months time I would be fitted with a hearing aid – but was later told that I would not be a candidate for an aid as I was severely hearing impaired and wouldn’t be able to function in the outside world! I went home to battle the loss of ability to walk normally, and at the end of four months, went to talk with my principal, explain my situation and hand in my resignation, as I was on medical leave at the time.
It is the support that I received from him that gave me the courage to continue working - mostly one-on-one with children in grades 1 to 6 – with no hearing and relying on speechreading. My principal said that the children and staff would just have to learn to speak directly to me which would allow me to speech-read. He gave me great encouragement as he felt I still had a lot to offer to the school.
The workroom where I completed assignments in class preparations for teachers was equipped with a hard of hearing accessible telephone and a flashing strobe light fire alarm. I was assigned a buddy to inform me of any emergency situation. Staff and students were made aware of my hearing problem and were most co-operative. At no time did I receive any prank situations that so often take place to someone who is unable to hear.
I have my degree in Speech Arts which involved learning the formation of all speech sounds for the theory part of the degree. I was therefore very lucky to be able to become adept at speechreading conversation.
After a period of two and a half years I was finally fitted with a hearing aid that transmits sound through bone conduction. It worked well in one-on-one situations but was a challenge in group and auditorium sessions. I relied on an assistive device, in those instances, which helped to a certain degree.
Hearing aids are a wonderful invention but most certainly do not replace the hearing that is lost. The individual has to decide whether he wants to be involved in the community or become a recluse in his home. I chose to continue working and being involved as I enjoy people. I am very grateful to the individuals who never gave up hope on me and encouraged me to stay active.
This is my wish for all hard of hearing individuals also!
Building blocks to career fulfillment
My name is Anu Pala. I work with the Neil Squire Society in both of our employment programs, Virtual Employ-Ability and Job Focus, as a workshop facilitator and career coach. We support people with physical disabilities to explore career options, maintain wellness and obtain suitable employment.
I consider myself to be a dedicated and loyal employee who loves variety, getting involved with projects that allow me to stretch and grow, and enjoy work that enables me to inspire, empower and help others reach their full potential.
I lost my vision over twenty years ago. At first, I was at a loss for where my life and career would take me, however, with time, adjusting to my new world, I was introduced to JAWS, screen reading software that enables blind individuals to access the computer through keyboard and sound. This opened me up to a whole new world of possibilities.
Over the years I have had a number of jobs primarily in the nonprofit sector and radio. Some of the barriers that I encountered include:
- Access to print material (brochures and other documents with complex formatting)
- Utilizing software that was not accessible with JAWS
- Lack of exposure and knowledge of specific subject matter.
I overcame these barriers by firstly feeling comfortable in my own skin and coming to terms with my vision loss. By doing this, I was able to confidently discuss my needs such as requesting communications and resources electronically. Developing positive relationships with colleagues also helped especially in cases where electronic formats were not available. The only way to overcome lack of exposure and knowledge is to become proactive and take advantage of the many resources that are available online and through other outlets. And that is what I did. With regards to lack of exposure and knowledge, at first I used to fake it till I made it. In one particular incident, this totally worked against me. Having experienced what I did, I learned very quickly the importance of leaning on others, even my manager. I learned that asking for help from upper management can be empowering and also lessens the stress and burden. Asking for support does not lessen you as a person; it holds you accountable for your actions and enhances your level of professionalism.
I have been very fortunate to have worked with employers who have supported my professional development. At times I was offered training and other times I approached my employer. The types of supports were not always financial. Sometimes it meant allowing me to take periodic days off to attend class as well as allowing me to maintain a 4-day work week.
Although I do not consider myself to be successful yet, I firmly believe that my positive attitude, ability to develop and maintain relationships, desire for adventure and openness have been the keys towards my career development as well as professional and personal growth. Maintaining employment has enabled me to improve my quality of life, travel the world, pamper myself and maintain my personal needs but most of all it has allowed me to participate in the mainstream and work in a field where I have the opportunity to give back. I will never forget the days when I was seeking career direction and the people who supported me in my journey, and now I have the opportunity to pay it forward.
My employment journey
My employment journey began in earnest following graduation from the University of Manitoba (U of M) Faculty of Social Work with a Masters degree. Since most of my research up to this point was in the disability field and it was a keen area of interest, I chose work which centred on disability policy and research.
The majority of my employment experiences have been in the nonprofit sector where wages are generally lower than in public sector organizations. I was a disability researcher, the coordinator of National Access Awareness Week in Manitoba, a disability consultant in the Faculty of Social Work at the U of M, and a coordinator of disability-related conferences and events. Most of my positions have been contract opportunities with little job security and no benefits, but I was working with people I knew and in a field with which I was comfortable. Contract work also allowed me job flexibility and I could work from home, but the downside was that I was responsible for covering the costs of disability accommodations (including hiring a person to assist with formatting reports and other documents, a task I find difficult due to my blindness.) Other disability-related expenses included transportation (in situations where Handi-Transit was unavailable) and screen reader software. A screen reader verbally reads the screen using voice software so that a blind person knows what is on a computer screen. Another disadvantage of project or contract work is that when contracts or funding run out, unemployment is the result. Contractors are also ineligible for Employment Insurance.
A few of my employment opportunities were longer term and came with job security and benefits. In one such position, I coordinated a mentorship program for students in U of M’s Faculty of Social Work.
Whenever I became aware of job vacancies within government or larger disability organizations that matched my skill set, I submitted applications. More often than not, if I was successful in obtaining an interview, the issue of required job accommodations had to be dealt with. I think most employers understood the need for screen reader software to enable me to perform my duties, but I was also told that I had insufficient experience for some positions. For example, I once applied for a home care coordinator vacancy. The interviewers were worried about how a person who is blind would go on home visits and assess client needs. I had carefully thought-out answers to their queries; nonetheless, I was unsuccessful in obtaining the position.
Moving forward to the present day, I currently work as a policy analyst in Disabilities Issues Office (DIO), Province of Manitoba, a position I have held for the past three years. I coordinate the implementation of disability policies across government, oversee the DIO’s participation in Manitoba Access Awareness Week, represent the DIO on community and conference planning committees and prepare ministerial assignments. I work in a setting where my needs for disability accommodations are met, there is flexibility in working hours, and I have wonderful colleagues who are empathetic to my disability-related needs as they arise. This is my dream job and I have the opportunity to work in the field of disability policy in an area which continues to be my passion.
The importance of mentors
Every young person must confront the inevitable question, "what would I like to do with my life?" This question is not easy for any young person, and is even tougher for we who have a disability, as our options are assumed to be somewhat more limited.
In my early days, I had two ideas, law and teaching. Back then, getting required books in a format a blind person could read was even a greater barrier than it is today, so I decided this route was unattainable, though subsequently I met other blind lawyers and sometimes wished I had pursued that idea. By then, I had realized the practise of law and what was portrayed on my all-time favourite television show, Perry Mason, had little in common with the job of a lawyer.
Next came teaching, but shortly after I entered university, jobs in teaching in general, and in secondary school history in particular, dried up and I had to think again.
My name is John Rae. I am a native Torontonian, whose vision deteriorated gradually due to retinitis pigmentosa.
Far too many individuals who grow up with a disability must overcome the effects of a well-meaning, overprotective home environment. I was no exception, and three individuals who I will call "mentors" played an important role in my transformation from a meek and overprotected young person to the individual I became, and I greatly appreciate the friendship, support and counsel that each provided me.
To begin to break out from my overprotective upbringing, I left home to attend the Ontario School for the Blind (now the W. Ross Macdonald School), and later went on to a checkered career at the University of Windsor. There I met the late Gerry Gaughan. Gerry was a unique person, blind and white, who spent many hours in the blues clubs of Detroit. I think I learned more about life from the time I spent with him than from anyone else I ever met.
Next came Mike Yale, through whom I acquired my job as a community organizer with the Blind Organization of Ontario with Self-Help Tactics (BOOST), and jumped feetfirst into community organizing. That opportunity came at a pivotal juncture in my life, and was my real entry point to what became my life's involvement in disability and broader human rights work.
The third was the late Barbara Earle, who believed I could suddenly change from being a prominent member of the disability rights movement to an unbiased civil servant, an idea that provided even her with some difficulty in convincing officials in the Ontario Ministry of Labour to accept. But fortunately, for me, she also believed in me, persisted, and I joined her team in 1980 and unexpectedly began my 24-year career as a civil servant with the Ontario government, where I served in a number of positions.
Having these three individuals who believed in me made a big difference in helping me to get started, and once hired, the Ontario government's Job Accommodation Fund provided me with access to the equipment and personal readers that I needed to perform my various positions. This central Fund ensured that needed job accommodations were not paid for out of one's own program budget, but rather, from a central fund that all Ministries could turn to cover accommodation costs for their employees with a disability. This removed any question of cost from hiring and retention decisions.
As employees, I believe our experiences can play an important role in helping those who are now striving to determine their life's careers, and today, it is expected that everyone will have more than one career during one's working lifetime, so this assistance is even more critical today than it was when I was growing up.
Paving the way: self-advocacy as the foundation for success
I have always envisioned myself working in the area of disability (particularly visual impairment and blindness). As a client of the MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Center, I had access to an employment counsellor who assisted me in finding work that reflected my interest in the disability field, and who, after I completed my diploma at Dawson College in 2007, initially facilitated my introduction to the Adaptech Research Network. At the time, there were no employment opportunities at Adaptech, but I approached Catherine Fichten (one of the co-directors of the team) with the hope that they would keep me in mind in the future. They did, and I have been working at Adaptech each summer since then.
The Adaptech Research Network is comprised of researchers and students who examine the experiences of postsecondary students with disabilities across Canada. With the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and provincial funding from the Fonds Quebecois de la recherche sur la societe et la culture (FQRSC), the Adaptech Research Network researches the barriers that hinder, and the factors which facilitate, the success of these students both in completing their studies and in obtaining employment upon graduation. Our research is disseminated in a variety of publications and shared with service providers and other professionals at various conferences. My time at Adaptech has not only enabled me to gain relevant professional skills, but has also allowed me to establish a name for myself and network with others in the field – an opportunity that will continue to open doors.
My work at Adaptech required me to acquire completely new skills. The RAMQ program in Quebec provided me with the adaptive technology and software I needed, and I immediately requested training on Excel and other computer programs from the MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Center. The Employment Integration Program in Quebec also contributed to my success at Adaptech, by providing funding to defray some accommodation-related costs. Within a few weeks, I was not only completing my own work, but also supervising the work of another summer student and coordinating a large research project.
Though I have always been blind, I was mainstreamed into the regular school system from the start, and these early experiences have been invaluable. I have learned what I need to succeed in an environment that is not necessarily designed to be accessible, and I gained the ability to communicate and advocate for myself early on. I encourage parents of blind and visually impaired children (as well as their teachers) to recognize the importance of these skills, as they are the building blocks for later success. If I had never learned Braille as a child, for instance, I would have to memorize each of my conference presentations, and I would be unable to refer to my notes while still facing my audience. Instead, I am able to work and perform on an equal footing with my colleagues.
My success with Adaptech is due, in part, to my employers who recognized my dedication and interest and who gave me an opportunity to try my hand at something new, and also, to my own ability to organize and access the services available to me. I am fortunate to have an employer who understands diversity and implements the principles of universal design, though our research findings indicate that many students with disabilities experience employment discrimination and confront a number of accommodation barriers. Though much work must still be done to level the playing field, self-advocacy and continual public education are the keys to a more inclusive society.
Education and Training
Lifelong learning: A key to employment success
I am a complete C6-C7 quadriplegic injured in a car accident in 1975. I have been working since 1988 when I started as the director of research and development for a large national not-for-profit society, the Neil Squire Society. In 1992, I was appointed the executive director of that same organization as well as continuing in my role as the director of research and development. Currently I continue to be employed in these positions. My work over the years has primarily involved report writing, computer programming, grant writing, e-mail, and participation on a large range of boards and advisory committees and travel.
Initially the most important barrier for me was physical access with my wheelchair both into the building and in and around my workstation area. Fortunately, this kind of access has always been available through my employer. Given the type of work I do the most important accommodation that I require is access to computer technology. In the early days of my career I used hand splints as my method of inputting information on a keyboard. As voice input technology improved I adopted using Dragon NaturallySpeaking as my primary method of inputting information into my computer. My employer pays for it and ensures that I have the most up-to-date Dragon voice recognition technology. In addition, my employer also provided initial training on this technology and continues to provide ongoing training when needed, especially when an upgrade of either my computer technology or my voice input technology takes place.
Another important accommodation for me in my career has been that my employer has provided me with a large degree of flexibility over the time of day during which I put in my full day’s work (I work a full-time equivalent work week.).
After my injury I was fortunate to receive both the financial and emotional support I required to attend university and obtain both my undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and subsequently my PhD in biomedical engineering. This investment in my education and training has been invaluable in not only obtaining employment but getting employment in an area where I had great interest and passion. This has been fundamental to my ability to maintain employment and indeed advance along my career.
In terms of keys to my success I think the biggest factor has been the training I received at university along with the opportunities for professional development training during my career. Another very important factor is that I have paid careful attention to my health and wellness which is supported by my employer both through the provision of extended health benefits and the flexibility to deal with any health issues as they arose in appropriate fashion.
Life as a blind cancer researcher
I am a cancer research scientist. My responsibilities include developing a set of novel cancer gene panels, to be used in clinical diagnostics in a cancer centre; managing a research team; collaborating with physicians, health care professionals and researchers; mentoring students and trainees; and developing and writing project proposals, reports and papers. My career, including my training as a doctoral student and a post-doctoral research fellow, focuses on increasing our understanding of the causes, diagnosis and treatment of leukemia.
I was born with cataracts, and function with a significant visual impairment. The juxtaposition of my disability with my career choice distinguishes me among my peers in the scientific and disability communities. I have had a lifelong love of science, and never considered any other career path for myself. I hold the distinction of being one of the very few biomedical researchers in Canada with a visual disability, and one of the even fewer who, although born blind, made that career choice, maintained it throughout my education, and succeeded at it afterward. In my experience, students with disabilities often shy away from science careers - not for want of aptitude or interest, but because of a lack of encouragement, and even active discouragement, from teachers, parents, peers and their support network. I encountered significant resistance to my educational choices, but the encouragement I received from a number of teachers and professors who were shining examples of how to do mentorship right more than outweighed that negativity.
While my desire for a career in cancer research was strong, my success relied on my willingness to turn my education into an education for others - peers, faculty, and the post-secondary system at large - and to ensure that they understood and respected my career choice, and were equipped to support it. Mine was, in many ways, a test case for all students with disabilities who choose to come after me - as, particularly during my PhD and postdoctorate, together, my faculty supervisors, the departmental and university administration, the hospital environment in which I work, and I, confronted, discussed and resolved issues of feasibility, liability, academic integrity and intellectual property, accommodations in the form of adaptive technology and assistance to perform the scientific experimentation, and modification of project and responsibilities to match my skill sets, in order to ensure that I could succeed on my own recognizance in my chosen career.
In some ways, I cannot compete with my sighted peers - I cannot perform experiments quickly on my own; I cannot do surgery; I cannot do fine manipulation because of my poor hand-eye coordination. I decided early in my career that I would focus on that which I can do well, that I would be observant, and that I would bring a holistic and integrated approach to my job: The skills I developed in other aspects of my life would be applied in novel ways to my work environment. Over time, as a result, although scientific research is seen as egalitarian, I have become sought after, nationally and internationally recognized and awarded, and appreciated as a leader within the laboratories in which I have worked. This approach, more than any other, is key to my success, and will help me to obtain further opportunities in the future.
Important to acknowledge is the thought that I didn't have to be here. My success was not ordained, legislated, or identified through employment equity practices or affirmative action. I am a cancer research scientist because I wanted to be one, worked hard to gain skill sets and make that dream a reality, have excellent mentors, and a willingness by all parties to be creative and flexible in the pursuit of this goal. This is a very personal argument for and definition of what constitutes success in employment, but it is one I believe we can all benefit from remembering.
Training on the job program opened door to my amazing and interesting career
Throughout high school, I was encouraged to pursue a university education. I never questioned this idea, and in fact, had big dreams of a professional career following my education. When that day came (in the mid 70’s), I got a big surprise. The world work was rampant with stereotypes, misperceptions and outright negative attitudes about the potential of a blind employee.
This was an important awakening for me. I always believed that as an individual, I could dispel any misunderstandings about blindness and prove that I was competent and capable. However, I was completely unprepared for the overwhelming and entrenched beliefs held by employers about blind people.
Those employers that I did manage to speak to didn’t ask me about my qualifications or education. Instead they worried about how I would find my way to the washroom, who would want to have lunch with me and would I be safe! They told me about their elderly relatives and how hard life was for them when they lost their sight. I was advised to go to the CNIB where they knew how to help blind people. These last words set off a fierce resistance and rage in me and perhaps were the flames that ignited my political awareness of disability rights.
By some good fortune I heard about a telephone counseling position with the Saskatoon Community Aid Resource Centre. I presented myself to the director who turned out to be an American draft dodger with some pretty progressive political views about community development. He was interested in my background, but maybe even more interested in the fact that I might qualify for some training on the job funding, which could save his little organization some money.
And so I was hired an placed on a training on the job program jointly funded by my employer and the Saskatchewan government. This opportunity turned out to be the ticket I needed to join the work world and begin my career journey. I learned daily work skills, how to get along with colleagues and how to design strategies to overcome workplace barriers. But probably the greatest asset I gained was learning to work with many community groups, all working to make this world a better place. It gave rise to my social consciousness, taught me about the evels of inequality, and started me down a career path of social work and human rights law.
Thanks to many people who believed in me, I have enjoyed an amazing and interesting career. But my deepest gratitude goes to Bruce McKee who, motivated by a strong sense of justice and perhaps some training on the job dollars, gave me the chance to show that I was capable of earning my own keep and contributing to society.
Work value
I was probably about 11 or 12 at the time, living in a disabled children’s institution, when one day, a bunch of us were taken to tour a sheltered workshop. Now, for those of you who don’t know, sheltered workshops were places that people with disabilities ended up working, doing piecework and only got paid for their labour up to a maximum that would still qualify them for the disability pension. In those days it was 10 or 20 dollars a month – maybe even less.
We were taken in and given the tour. People with various disabilities were working at various tasks, depending of course, on the disability. There was a group of people with relatively mild cerebral palsy or musculoskeletal disabilities or back injuries, in wheelchairs, sitting at a table sorting nuts and bolts. The tour lady was saying “…today everyone is working on a contract to create small packages of hardware for the retail industry. We’ve had all different kinds of contracts – such as greeting card packages - over the years….” I stopped listening.
She then took us to the area where more ambulatory people with disabilities were working on looms, making rugs or place mats. Her drone was more animated then. The people on the looms looked a little more satisfied, but as I said. I’d stopped listening.
What I was saying to myself was “there is no way I’m going to end up here.” I realized then that society had very low expectations for our future.
My mother, on the other hand, did not. I remember on the first day of kindergarten she was saying (she denies this was out loud, but as far as I know, I cannot read minds) “Well maybe you won’t grow up and have a family but you could be an accountant! You have a brain.” This was remarkable in several ways. Firstly, women didn’t work as accountants. They were teachers or secretaries or nurses. Secondly, I realized that Mom, even though all females were expected to aspire to raising families, didn’t think of that for me, which was, in a strange way, kind of liberating. Thirdly, I think this is where my math block comes from. Too much pressure too soon.
So anyway, back to my story.
>From that day on I vowed to go to “normal” high school and then on to college. If you did not have a degree – even then and this is over 40 years ago – you couldn’t get a good job and I couldn’t physically do the types of jobs that the non-degreed do. I did go to College with the help of the Ontario Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) program. They gave me an IQ test – which I did well on because I’d had three or four before – I scored high in art, journalism and social work. VRS agreed to sponsor me for social work because art was too uncertain and when I looked into journalism there was a mandatory photography component which I could not do.
I finally graduated from college with a degree in social work and was the only student in my class of able-bodied social workers who had a job before she even graduated! But really, it worked like this. I got my first job in the Family Benefits office (disability pension) because they shared space with VRS and I think my VRS worker pulled some strings to at least get me an interview. I was interviewed by a panel of three people and did really well. One guy wanted me for sure, I found out later, but another panelist who held the final decision was less sure. She said she went home and prayed that night. I have mixed feelings about that but you have to remember that in those days, people with disabilities weren’t even in the Human Rights Code, and the word “accommodation” meant motels, hotels, rooms or housing.
Unlike some, I did not stay in government, but then went into community to help set up the first (and still the only) Independent Living Centre in Toronto. A few years later, an opportunity came up in the Ontario government’s Handicapped Employment Program. This program radicalized me to a rights-based approach to accommodating disability in the workplace. We were responsible for setting up a centralized Accommodation Fund to avoid people with disabilities being disadvantaged by moving to smaller Ministries in Ontario.
I have had several jobs since then both in government and the community, and have worked pretty much my entire working life. But to conclude, I attribute my employment success to Mom, VRS, luck and the one thing all my jobs had in common, a disability angle.
Inclusive education: A key to future employment
When I was a young guy living in Edmonton in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I was sent to a segregated school for children with disabilities called the Glenrose School Hospital. In those days, this is where all children with significant disabilities were sent to school, because it was common belief we needed a special environment with medical supports available. Few people thought we could actually attend a mainstream school with nondisabled children.
Besides nurses, doctors, and various therapists, the Glenrose employed social workers whose job it was to help students plan for their future lives as adults. I will never forget one appointment I had with my social worker when I was about 13 years old. During the visit, we talked about the idea of me getting a job after I finished school. His response to me was that it was highly unlikely I would ever be employed because of my disability. The message was clear. He was telling me I should forget about employment as part of my future. Today, this story sounds shocking. In the early ‘70s though, the social worker was reflecting the reality of most people with disabilities. Society had low expectations of individuals with disabilities and employment opportunities were rare.
In 1975, my father was transferred to Winnipeg by the military. I quickly learned this would mean attending a regular school for the first time in my life. Unlike Edmonton, Winnipeg was already abandoning its segregated schools for students with disabilities and I was enrolled in a neighbourhood school to take grade 9 classes.
This had a profound impact on my psyche. I did well in school and realized I was equal to my peers academically. My confidence grew and my dreams for the future began to take shape. Being integrated with children without disabilities taught me I could compete with them in many ways and could do many of the things they could do.
As I went through the remaining years of public school, entering university became my goal. When I graduated from grade 12, I received support from the Vocational Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Program to attend university. This cost-shared program between the federal and provincial government covered my tuition and book expenses. It enabled me to develop skills and self-confidence that have proven immensely valuable over the past 30 years during my career in the disability advocacy movement and now as a Manitoba government employee. Through the taxes I have paid and income assistance I have not needed, the investment made to send me to university has been repaid many times over.
It is fortunate I went through school when I did, because I had the opportunity to be integrated with nondisabled children and was educated like any other student. If I was born a generation earlier, I likely would have never known what it is like to be with nondisabled peers. This would have affected my development and my potential for employment in the mainstream world. It was critical I learned I belonged with everyone else and that I had what it took to be a contributing member of society. I wonder what the social worker who told me to forget about employment would say to me now if we ever had the chance to meet again?
A continuum of services - the good old days!
At the age of 10 my body began to behave strangely – swollen knees, wrists, elbows, ankles, fingers, toes and shoulders. Even my jaw bone was affected and I could hardly chew. I could barely walk or dress myself and use my hands. I was immediately hospitalized and after many tests I was diagnosed as having Still’s Disease – an autoimmune system disability. For 7 years I spent more time in the hospital than at school. I was lucky to escape the pain and went into a remission from age 17 – 26. Finally some relief!
By age 26 my life had changed substantially. I was married to a South African and living in South Africa during the 1980s. South Africa was in a state of emergency and other countries had implemented embargos and sanctions to pressure the South African government into dismantling its racist apartheid system.
One joint at a time began swelling, three or four times its normal size. One day there was a bomb threat at the mall where I usually shopped and at a local daycare. I said to myself, “I’m out of here!” There was no doubt in my mind that my physical turmoil was directly related to my environment and the political turmoil! Stress often triggers major flare-ups for people with autoimmune system disabilities. I was not well and decided to return to Canada. I was hospitalized shortly after my return home.
A few weeks into my stretch at the old Wellesley Hospital in Toronto a social worker met with me and after reading my file concluded that I should be referred to the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services’ Vocational Rehabilitation Services (a federal/provincial cost-shared program). She explained to me that physical work and stress are at the root of my out-of-control flare-ups and that I really needed to rethink my career aspirations. She said that I needed a job where I didn’t have to overburden my body and that the program could help me with my employment journey.
Shortly after I was discharged from the hospital I received a call from the Vocational Rehabilitation program (often referred to as Voc Rehab or VRS by consumers) and was informed that the first step of the process was for me to undergo an assessment. The assessment included a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment which is a questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. I wasn’t thrilled about taking a test but it was part of the program and I would not be able to access any supports unless I participated in the assessment.
Even before the testing, the counsellor assigned to me wanted to come out to my house and see how I functioned as a mother and homemaker. I was surprised that this fell under their purview but was told that my role as a homemaker and mother was considered an important vocation as well and they believed that they could assist with developing strategies and acquiring assistive devices that would make my life less stressful and ultimately reduce pain and fatigue. I was starting to feel confident because there were people who understood my situation and I no longer felt alone with my disability.
Soon after, I participated in the MBTI assessment. Interestingly enough, the results of my assessment indicated that I would do very well in “social/human services” or “graphic design”. Based on these results the Voc Rehab program would support a plan moving in either direction. At that time, I couldn’t get my head wrapped around the graphic design recommendation whatsoever so I chose a path to social/human services. Helping people always brought me joy. I remember my counsellor telling me that a management position in the social service sector would probably be my best bet for a career option. I consider this time and support was a major turning point in my life. I now felt a sense of focus and direction. Even though this period of time in my life was before my introduction to the Independent Living movement I was definitely in control of the process. There were Voc Reb counsellors who had disabilities including the manager of the program. This may have been a factor in the consumer control I felt within the delivery of the services.
Immediately my Voc Rehab counsellor and I agreed that going back to university for a career in social services would be ideal. I was able to have some university and some college courses transferred to Brock University. Voc Rehab provided moral and financial support that helped reduce or eliminate barriers along the way.
About a year into my career journey there was an advertisement in the local paper for a “coordinator” of a recently formed organization called the Niagara Association for Physically Disabled Persons. They specifically stated that they encouraged people with disabilities to apply. I talked to my previous Voc Rehab counsellor who was now the manager of the program, Gerry Tullio, and we both agreed that this would be a great job for me. I ended up getting the job and Gerry ended up being one of my personal references. The Voc Rehab program continued to provide support for my transition into employment and job retention issues as required. They knew that just getting a job didn’t mean that the disability disappeared and the barriers would go away.
Shortly after I started my job consumers turned the organization into the cross-disability Niagara Centre for Independent Living (NCIL) and I became its first executive director (a management job in social/human services)! A Voc Rehab counsellor (Desa Boric) assisted me at various times while I was adjusting to my new employment. I remember an assessment and assistance for a scooter, splints, proper seating for my office and so many other things but most importantly their moral support was everything to me. The Voc Rehab program often worked jointly with other Ministries to ensure access to other funding programs. I knew that whenever I faced a barrier or needed some advice they were only a phone call away.
After four successful years at the NCIL I felt confident enough to apply for the national director of the Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres (now Independent Living Canada). I couldn’t believe that I was the successful candidate! None of this would have happened if I didn’t have the support and encouragement from the Voc Rehab program and their employees along the way and also my peers at the NCIL.
Slowly over the years the Vocational Rehabilitation program was transformed into the Employment Assistance for Persons with Disabilities (EAPD) program. Each province had the flexibility to create and shape their own program as long as it fit with the basic principles of the EAPD program.
Through my personal experience and advocating for others, employment programs including EAPD, Opportunities Fund and other mainstream employment programs drastically changed over the years and interventions were provided on a much shorter term basis - the success indicators were focussed on the “number of people who got jobs”, the quicker, the better. Many people with disabilities have more than one disability. For example, I live with my physical disability and I have chronic depression. Many of the people served needed to provide the service agency the success indicator numbers quickly. Many of the people were individuals who did not face multiple barriers. The term “creaming” became very popular over the years. It means programs that take only the people that are basically job-ready and didn’t need any major interventions and in many cases accommodations. Employment funding was attached to the number of people who got jobs! Program staff could not spend a long time with individuals facing multiple barriers.
Many of the others who needed a longer journey of support were deemed ineligible for most employment programs. Suddenly, interventions that made a world of difference to a consumer and were key to eventually moving into a paid employment opportunity – such as finding an accessible apartment, leaving an abusive relationship, figuring out how to buy a car for transportation, getting a driver’s license, taking anger management classes, etc. – were not activities that were considered employment success indicators.
As the retired national director of IL Canada, I remember far too well all the battles we fought in order to explain to policy makers and government officials that many people with disabilities cannot move directly into competitive paid employment. Eventually, after 21 years since I started at the Niagara Centre for Physically Disabled Persons, my mind and body were tired and constant flare-ups were becoming the norm again. Now I knew it wasn’t just the physical demands of a job that caused major flare-ups; it was the emotional demands as well.
The good news is that I did have over two decades of a wonderful employment journey and looking back the keys to success were:
- A broader interpretation of the journey to employment
- People with disabilities who were involved with employment delivery services and acted as role models (like Gerry Tullio)
- An ongoing continuum of supports and services that can be called upon whenever you are facing a major barrier before, during and between employment
- Indicators that include successes in one’s personal life which may eventually lead to employment or volunteering.
Over the years and in my spare time, I suddenly became completely enamored with creating collages. I don’t know where this creative inspiration came from; it just happened. For a couple of years everything I looked at in a magazine, on a card, or poster including pictures, words and phrases I wanted to cut up and turn into a collage. After that I became fascinated with mosaics. I love creating mosaics and sometimes I teach others. In both collage and mosaics I like to communicate some sort of message or feeling. Strangely enough, that’s what graphic design is all about. Who knows – one day I still may become that graphic designer which was the second suggested career option for me!
Managing to succeed
My working career began in earnest in 2000 when I graduated from the University of Toronto with a Masters degree in computer science. It was a great field to be in at the time, with dot-coms all the rage. After a couple of forays in that direction, I was fortunate enough to land in IBM, where I was shielded when that bubble burst in 2001.
I was hired as a programmer, so I spent my first 4 years with the company flexing my coding muscle and trying to figure out how to stay ahead of the continual changes in tooling that aim to make programmers’ lives easier and more productive. At least when they’re sighted; for those of us who use assistive technology, it’s very far from a sure bet that any given change will usher in more productivity, or, in fact, anything else of a positive nature. This was one of a number of factors that pushed me in the direction of management (at IBM, “technical” and “management” career paths are generally distinct). I succeeded in making the jump, and have managed 4 different teams of varying sizes and missions over the last 8 years.
There’s no avoiding the tools of your trade, and I know lots of successful blind programmers. But personally, I like to minimize the extent to which I depend on fast-moving technology. It’s my comfort zone – a handy thing to have in a working world where competition and not comfort is the byword.
In my experience as an employee and a manager, I can attest that every professional role offers considerable scope for flexibility. So as important as it is to plan your career, that is, to look out for opportunities that are more in line with your goals, I think it’s probably more important to work to make your role conform to your strengths and comfort zones as much as you can. This requires a mixture of self-knowledge, assertiveness and tact that may take some time to master, but the payoff in terms of your competitive position within your organization, not to mention personal stress levels, can be huge. And those career opportunities have a way of finding you once you’ve established yourself in the organization.
The workplace is a tough place these days, and let’s not pretend that having a disability makes it any easier. So know your strengths – and your limitations too – and use them to manage your own role and career.
Getting work on a silver platter
When someone offers you work on a silver platter, it can be quite flattering. This has happened to me not once, but twice. However, what has most filled me with pride during my career was when someone in the same profession, hired on a temporary basis during a busy period, told me: “You are demanding, but I learned a lot from working with you”.
My name is Marie-Josée Martin. I am a translator by trade and currently work as an editor in the federal public service. I have twenty years of experience in linguistics. My career has been divided between the public and private sectors. Half of it has been spent entirely doing telework. Every year, I telework for three months during the winter. This is a win-win situation for both my employer and me. I become less fatigued and therefore, am absent less frequently.
For the past four years, I have also reduced my work week to four days. This allows me to devote more time to my literary career. In fact, Les Éditions David will be publishing my second novel this fall, entitled “Un jour, ils entendront mes silences”.
What is the key to my professional success? Education. I am a paraplegic, having lost the use of my legs when I was ten months old. When I started school, children like me were automatically relegated to a special class. However, I had the good fortune of having a teacher, a truly devoted individual, who recognized my potential. She taught me for six years, and at the end of primary school, she supported my parents in their struggle to have the school board accept me as a student in a “regular” high school. I was the first student there with disabilities. After high school, I continued my studies and, with financial support from my parents (the government did not provide loans to students with disabilities back then), I obtained my Bachelors with honours.
A recession was underway when I completed university. Jobs were scarce. I held a series of small jobs. Among those, I had a short contract as a clerk in a Montreal factory. The employer removed the door to one of the stalls in the ladies washroom so that I could use it. It was a challenge doing photocopies, but I would always manage, which was key.I migrated from job to job for a year while continuing to apply to all new positions in my domain, whether they were in Montreal or Yellowknife. Finally, contacts established during my university internship, which I extended to acquire additional experience, proved fruitful. I obtained a position at the federal Translation Bureau in Ottawa. I did not hold back, and seized all opportunities that presented themselves, whether they were developmental in nature or special projects. I was therefore rapidly able to demonstrate my competency. All of my colleagues were older, and I was the only person with disabilities on the team. Some were not certain how to interact with me. My supervisor even made the mistake of affectionately patting my head as if I was a child. Not a word escaped my lips, but I gave her a look that told her all that she needed to know. She did not do that again. Afterward, that same supervisor quit the federal public service and, upon her recommendation, her new workplace made me an offer.
Getting beyond pot holders
Throughout high school no one, including me, had any idea of what I would be able to do, if anything, for work. I had read a story in grade ten about a woman with a disability who made pot holders for a living – this image haunted me.
Thankfully my marks were good enough to allow me entrance into university where I took an Arts degree in sociology/psychology – interesting but not helpful in the employment world.
My first summer off I volunteered at the University of Alberta hospital which did nothing to increase my confidence. The following summer I applied to volunteer at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. The volunteer coordinator took a chance and hired me as her assistant; this changed my life and started my career as a volunteer coordinator.
I took further education in the field through Grant McEwan College. I worked for 20 years in various settings coordinating volunteers. These settings included schools, hospitals, long term-care centres, sailing associations and AIDS organizations. My most powerful placement was when I worked in palliative care.
This lead to my next career as a chaplain. I was tired of being behind a desk and on the phone and wanted to be by the bedside. I feel our spirits are an essential part of who we are and how we enrich and survive our lives.
Getting and keeping a job in animal health technology
I work as an Animal Health Technologist with the Regina Humane Society.
I chose the Animal Health Technology field because I love to work with animals. Dale Pearce helped me to set up notetakers and tutors. He was always there when I needed him if I had trouble or problems at the college. Lakeland College is a great college for people who are hard of hearing or Deaf, or for people with other disabilities because the instructors are always very helpful. People can try out for a day or two in the classroom with all the students to see if they are interested in the college. Lakeland College let me write exams in a quiet room separate from the classroom and gave me extra time to write. All the instructors from Lakeland College were very helpful to me when I needed them and provided additional explanations.
I set up and went to many interviews. I had to answer a lot of questions about my hearing loss. At most of the interviews they asked if I could answer the phone but I have a hard time listening and understanding what they’re saying over the phone. I think employers were scared to give me a chance because they don’t understand what people can do when they have disabilities.
My current employer’s interview was different. It was hands-on working with the vet and animals for four hours and they could see I was qualified to do the job regardless of my Deafness. I really like working for the Regina Humane Society.
My success in getting my education and employment is because I don’t give up. Also my parents didn’t shelter me from doing things because I can’t hear. I checked cows at calving time and that can be dangerous if cows don’t like strangers checking their calves. I was in 4-H and learned how to ride horses and learned how to do various crafts. I had to work hard with everything I did, from working on the farm while growing up to summer jobs working in the regional park and going to college.
A career path with local, national, and international destinations
In November 2012, CCD interviewed Jim Derksen, who is a wheelchair user, about his employment experiences. The conversation with Jim is shared below.
What are some of the jobs that you have done?
Jim: When I was in high school, I looked for and found a job as a bookkeeper for some of the small businesses in my home town – a drycleaner and a garage and filling station. When I was attending university, I did media and staff relations for a Winnipeg hospital. I developed a recording company that made audiobooks for blind and dyslexic people. I managed an employment agency for people with disabilities, did community development, was the coordinator of provincial and national organizations of people with disabilities undertaking self-representation and policy advocacy, worked as a director of an international development agency, and worked for government as a policy analyst and as an executive director of a policy office.
What workplace accommodations have been helpful to you?
Jim: In terms of office organization, I needed help to get files in and out of filing cabinets, when I worked for government and for other offices. I was not able to do that very well at any point but as I got a little older and my muscles became a little weaker it really became quite impossible. I was accommodated by having staff allocated to do those tasks for me. It was almost a sure thing every few years I would have to talk with the director of the office so that they would then advise staff that part of their duties were to help me get files from the filing cabinets. There was a little bit of friction and resistance but, because I was bold and confident enough to express my needs, they were met in that office environment.
In my international work, I needed the accommodations the airlines provided. Sometimes I had to be lifted up stairs to go into a hotel. Since I used a manual wheelchair, it was not too terribly difficult. I needed help getting my manual chair into the trunk of a car. In Africa, I had a terrible puncture from a thorn bush on the inner tube of my wheelchair. People went to town for an inner tube and changed the inner tube in my wheelchair wheel.
What have been your experiences with promotion?
Jim: I was confident enough to apply for promotions and I achieved several levels of promotion during my career with the government.
I created many of the jobs that I occupied, especially before I went to work for the government. I would apply for a position in an emerging community organization and then my work would be to find funding to be paid. I decided strategically to be satisfied with minimum wage because I wanted to be able to choose the jobs that I would do. The kind of funding that was available to resource these newly created jobs was usually quite low at minimum wage.
Was VRDP a factor in your education?
Jim: It was for my. If I had not had VRDP support, I probably would not have gone to university because my family was very low income. My father, a disabled person himself, was hospitalized more than half of a twenty year period. My family was for quite some time on welfare because there was no breadwinner. Neither I nor my family would have been able to support me to go to university. VRDP provided funds for a living allowance, tuition and books, and transportation. VRDP made all the difference between having a post-secondary education or not. It was very important to have a dedicated resource for people who have extra costs of disability when receiving their education.
What has been the key to your employment success?
Jim: I think that the key to my employment success has been some self-confidence. I really thought that I could do things and that I could be a valuable employee. I was also quite persistent.
I tried to do jobs that I would enjoy because I thought it would be a good thing to do that thing. I think I was very lucky to be able to do the work that I wanted to do. I think also to be honest I had a lot of good fortune; I met the right people; I applied to the right places. I was unemployed very little.
What really made a positive difference for you in the area of employment?
Jim: I think I had a bit of an edge in employment in that I did things to get experience and did jobs that perhaps not everyone would have done. For example, my first jobs as a bookkeeper were at less than minimum wage on an hourly basis. I could have been very offended but I decided that I needed the work experience. My first job with government was in a building where there was only one partially accessible washroom, serving the whole building. I made a lot of compromises in terms of access and accommodation. I think those things served me well.
I want to temper that by saying it was when access was being pioneered. Accessibility was unusual rather than expected. Strategically I did not have the option to wait for better access. I managed to get around the lack of accommodation and do the job, which equipped me to go on and do other work. I would encourage people now to expect accommodation and better access. However, as in days of old, it might be an advantage to make some compromises to get into a job and do it even when it is not completely accessible.
Career Pathway
I was asked to share with the reader how I obtained my present employment. To do this requires that I take you down my career pathway. As you will see, I did not exactly follow a career pathway of my choice; rather, I was thrust by circumstances down a road not of my choosing.
As a young man I enjoyed physical activity and the outdoor life. Subsequently, I went to work as a carpenter. All went well for about ten years until a workplace accident left me with a permanent injury and ongoing restrictions that prevented me from working as a carpenter.
In addition, the pervasiveness of my post-injury restrictions were so great that they had a profound effect on many areas of my life; I was no longer able to do the physical activities I had enjoyed so much, e.g. play wrestling with my young son, hiking, etc. After my depression subsided somewhat, I decided I needed more education so I enrolled in the general Arts program at the University of Manitoba, with no specific career goal in mind. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed university and did well in my studies.
My next step upon graduation was to gain employment. I speculated that my education coupled with my life experiences would lead to many job opportunities. How naive I was! Everywhere I applied for a job I was told I lacked experience. It seemed that everyone and their dog had a university degree.
I knew I needed experience so I volunteered with organizations I felt connected to; such as disability, injured worker and advocacy organizations. This eventually led to a job with the Injured Workers Association (IWA). From there I never looked back and kept amassing more and more employment and volunteer experience and job opportunities are plentiful.
Idealism to reality: yesterday and today
Maria Barile
In 1993, I got my Masters in Social Work from McGill University. Four barriers have hampered my goals in this chosen area.
In the 1980s and 1990s, I studied social work with idealism. I really wanted to throw myself into the international scene, change the world, improve the living conditions of persons with disabilities and in particular those of women with disabilities. But this idealism instilled by social work was quickly dissipated when I was faced with many different obstacles and even direct discrimination against an applicant with a disability. When I applied to an agency for people with disabilities, I was told, despite my degree in social work, it would certainly be great to work with the "patients" themselves, but I could not serve the families of people with this type of disability. Yes, agencies totally influenced by the medical model. The local community service center (CLSC) used the fact that I do not have a car to refuse me a job. Another obstacle was my lack of knowledge of the official language of Québec. But at the time, the biggest obstacle was the unemployment among people with disabilities, a harsh reality showing that 70% of us were unemployed, coupled with the fact that I chose for personal and family reasons to live in Montreal. I finally found a temporary job as an instructor in the Department of Social Service of Dawson College. But that only lasted a semester. Government cutbacks had the effect of a tidal wave on employment. It was not until two years after my graduation that I had the opportunity to work with an experienced researcher, Dr. Catherine Fichten of Dawson College. Along with Jennison Asuncion, we created a research network. At present, we codirect Adaptech composed of a team of researchers, students and consumers. Since 1996, we have conducted several studies on university students with various types of disabilities in Canada. We are based at Dawson College in Montreal. The focus is on three research areas: information technology, including our large inventory of free or inexpensive software to facilitate the use of computers, academic success, facilitators of academic success and obstacles, and, more recently, employment. For more information on our work, visit www.adaptech.org.
During the sixteen years devoted to this field, we have obtained data indicating the lack of participation of students with disabilities in postsecondary institutions. Then slowly but surely, the numbers began to rise. This increase is also reflected in the employment. According to one of our recent studies on employment, 61% of 166 respondents said they had a job. One hundred (100) of them were women with an employment rate of 63 %, 59% of the remaining 66 men also worked.
Education is vital, which is why I decided to continue my studies but in a new area: a Masters in accessibility and universal design, intersecting my two passions: accessibility and "green policies ". I am a consultant for Eco -access, to assist groups who want to have offices and inclusive conferences. I audit buildings and I direct people to the appropriate resources. For more information, visit www.ecoaccess.info. My desire to change the world has taken a different turn.
Transitional Support
Forget the classifieds: Becky makes her own career!
My name is Becky Brownlee. I reside in Brandon Manitoba where I am fortunate to have not just one, but two places of work that I enjoy, feel challenged at and have opportunities to grow and learn more all the time.
I am a greeter at Walmart. At the Walmart store my work consists of, but is not limited to: welcoming people into the store, getting the shopping carts ready for customer use, collecting shopping baskets and restacking, facing shelves in the area at the front of the store, restocking the specials area, tagging customers’ bags as they bring returns to the store and, of course, treating the customers to a warm smile and helping them find needed items. I bring a very positive attitude to work with me every day and love the job that I do there. It is a perfect job for my personality as I am friendly, helpful and a people person. I work hard and feel I am recognized for the job that I do.
I started at Walmart in 1998 as part of a career preparation program through high school. When I graduated, it was clear that I was ready to become a paid employee but I needed support staff to go with me to work, not as much to help me anymore, but to be there to assist me with my insulin pump as I live with Type 1 Diabetes. I was able to enter an independent living model called “In the Company of Friends” where I could receive some funding that would enable me to hire the support I needed so that I could start my Walmart career. This funding also covered my staff member with Workers Compensation Board coverage should my staff get injured while assisting me. With this in place I started being a paid employee in 2004 and have been going strong, getting my pay raises along the way and taking on more hours. I go through evaluations every year and set new goals for myself and take part in the job enrichment computer-based learning that is provided.
The other position I have is in advertising for the Shoppers Mall. I am the Mall Ambassador. I hand out helium-filled balloons with the mall’s logo on them to children two afternoons a week. This job is very unique because, with the help of my family and friends, I was able to create this position. I approached the mall with the idea and it was tried out for a trial basis and then when it was felt that I was comfortable in the position I submitted a letter to the shopping centre requesting payment for my services and it was approved! The mall did have its reservations about me doing the job on my own due to my health concerns and so my support staff is able to join me at this job as well but only steps in when I need her and I simply text or call her from my cell phone. So she is on site, but I tour the shopping centre on my own with my cart full of balloons. At Christmas time I hand out little extras like stickers and Christmas-themed books to the kids. I love children, love helping people and promoting a place that I enjoy working at.
The success I have experienced at my places of work is due to: 1) my suitability for the work (outgoing personality and positive demeanor), 2) great support staff, 3) a network of family and friends behind the scenes encouraging me, 4) my customers. They give feedback to my supervisors that I am doing a good job through customer comment cards and in person.
Receiving a paycheck and benefits for the work I do makes me feel proud of myself and valued. I love the work that I do and feel I represent both companies well by working hard, learning more everyday and just by being myself.
Getting and keeping a job
My name is Amber-Joy Boyd. I was born with a visual impairment; in fact until I was 6 months old the doctors thought I might be completely blind. Luckily, they were wrong. I have always had bad vision though (about 20/175 for those wondering); it is caused by tyrosinase-negative (ty-neg) oculocutaneous albinism with a nystagmus, a big fancy title meaning I’m very pale, have very white hair and wear really thick glasses with bifocals to correct my “cookie monster” wobbly eyes and bad vision. My vision has always been something to overcome. The principal of my elementary school wanted me to go to the school for the blind in Ontario but my parents said no; they insisted I could be just like everyone else and so that was how I was raised, in the regular school system but with aids and supports. This was the greatest gift my parents could have given me in retrospect, the idea I wasn’t any different.
Actually, being visually impaired gave me a leg up on life. In grade four, when very few used it, I was taught proper keyboarding and by the time I entered grade 9 I could type 60 words per minute, a skill that has assisted me throughout my life. After high school I went to a bible college and then a university. I studied theatre, a very hands-on field of study. I had an educational assistant and all my professors and I had techniques in place, like copies of overheads and extra time for writing exams, so I could study and learn.
Upon graduation I entered the real world and quickly realized the places in it for a blind theatre set designer, which is what I had focused on in my final years, were minimal at best. The market was too competitive and I couldn’t find a break. My work was too imprecise, mostly because I couldn’t see the fine details as well as my sighted colleagues. I eventually re-evaluated, and with student loans looming, took whatever jobs came my way, mostly retail and fast food - not anything close to what I wanted to do.
I moved to Regina in 2010 and began a Career Development course at Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST), again not disability-friendly, but they accommodated my needs by giving me a large monitor, a copy of ZoomText, a screen-reading program and an educational assistant. They asked me what field I’d like to go into if I could choose anything and I told them I’d like to help people. I’ve always had a particular soft spot for those who, like me, had disabilities but maybe weren’t as good at managing them as I was. SIAST suggested I start calling to nonprofits to see who might take a work placement.
One of the first places I called was the Saskatchewan Voice of People with Disabilities. Bev Duncan, the Executive Director, answered the phone and upon hearing what I wanted invited me for an interview. At the interview she asked me what I could do and what was a barrier. I told her that I had never encountered a barrier but a few hiccups had come up in the past including monitor size and keyboard positioning but I had access to a large print monitor and a copy of ZoomText so taking me on would cost nothing to the organization. She seemed impressed that I had thought through what might be considered barriers and had already overcome them in my head before ever meeting with her. She asked about my skills and although I had none specific to nonprofit work I had tons of transferable skills including being great with computers, people, phones, time management, and helping people. Bev said the work placement would be a good fit and at the end of it they’d try to have a job for me if all went well and I was as skilled as I said I was. That was in Feb 2011, and in April 2011 I was hired as the Administrative Assistant. With hard work, dedication and a desire to excel and do more than my job description ever stated, I was promoted to Program Director in October 2011.
This is the greatest job I’ve ever had and the one I’d always dreamed of doing. Every day is a new challenge, helping people with disabilities to overcome their hiccups and not see them as barriers. I think the thing that has gotten me the furthest through all I’ve done is a positive attitude, a can-do spirit and a refusal to ever give up when I want something. If I don’t know how to do it I learn, if I can’t find the answer I ask and I constantly grow and overcome. Every new challenge is just an opportunity to excel and this kind of outlook has kept me going through many tough and defeating situations. Also a sense of humour, and not taking yourself, or your disability, too seriously can sure help!
Supports for success
Our daughter is not willing or able to write to you about her experiences with her employment but I am able to help with a submission to your publication on her behalf.
Our daughter works at an art supply store (warehouse) in Winnipeg and she does inventory, stocks shelves, pricing, customer service and sales.
She was assisted greatly by our provincial government (Vocational Rehabilitation) and further supports were provided by the federal government (Options for Youth) and the Sair Learning Centre of Winnipeg. Without all of these supports, and her present employer, who welcomed her and gave our daughter the chance to prove her status as a very loyal and employable person, our daughter would not have been able to secure such favourable employment due to her new arrival into the workforce and her inability to express herself in new environments.
On-the-job training was provided as well as Customer Service training. Promotions are not very possible at this employment due to limited staff, however our daughter has been given very consistent hours to work and they are within her tolerance.
The Vocational Rehab support started at age 16 while our daughter was still in school. Even though she did not start work until age 19, she was in their file. Upon graduation, they were able to hire a learning centre (Sair) to find a business that would accept a young person with challenges to begin a work experience, without pay, and without any promise of future employment by the business. This introduction to the work force worked out well and after the introductory period of three months, the business welcomed the prospect of making our daughter a member of their paid staff, for another six month period. Options for Youth was hired by Vocational Rehab to communicate with the business to establish a work agreement and a salary agreement. Options for Youth completely subsidized the salary for that six month period, reimbursing the business for the opportunity for our daughter to be employed. Once that six month probationary period elapsed our daughter was hired on as a part-time employee. At that point the services of Options for Youth were expired. She remains with the business today working three full days a week, sufficient to her tolerance.
Our daughter would not have been able to promote herself in the work environment. She does not have the social skills nor confidence to seek out employment, nor does she present herself as an eager employee; but once employed she demonstrates what an employer looks for - loyal, dedicated to the job, meticulous, methodical, hard working and dependable.
The key to her success was the assistance of all of the agencies mentioned above and her parents’ continuous support. Without the help of those agencies we would have been a lost boat on the ocean! They really opened the door for our daughter.
Being employed gave our daughter a sense of self-worth and self-confidence that she would not have otherwise learned if the job hunt had been on a different path.
Uplifting encouragement is needed in employment
I really enjoy my work as a program assistant for the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD). I have been at MLPD for over a year. My tasks include; answering phones and directing calls, taking minutes at various committee meetings, and preparing and writing articles for MLPD’s Update newsletter, which goes out quarterly. My work includes many educational opportunities such as professional edge workshops, conventions, and community events that I attend.
Barriers I face are visual as I am a person with a visual impairment. Fortunately, MLPD has worked with CNIB, who provided me with; ZoomText - a computer screen magnifier software program; a CCTV – a magnifier for reading documents; and a PAC Mate – a Braille laptop for taking minutes at meetings. CNIB also supported MLPD with SPHERE Quebec Funding so that I may learn my job over a year period.
Before becoming employed, my workers at CNIB had been very helpful in encouraging me to complete and do well in my education at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College. They have pushed and even if I thought I hit a brick wall they positively encouraged me to continue in the right direction. They provided me educational accommodations, counselling, funding and were available to me. CNIB, Red River College, and Reaching Equality Employment Services (REES) helped me in the job search process. Through these organizations, I learned ways to search for jobs, present my resumes, write cover letters and applications, and have appropriate interview skills. They also taught me interview follow-up skills such as thank you letters, and how to maintain a job through persistence, conscientiousness, and positive communication.
The key to having my job is the support from all my counsellors. I am so glad they took the time to assist me with a holistic approach and respected all my concerns and questions. They recognized no question is a stupid question. Having someone to encourage me and push me towards success kept me going. When I said, “I can’t”, they told me, “I can”, as they believed in me.
Having the support, funding for equipment, and case workers were really helpful in getting me employment. It is difficult applying for work; the process is very tedious, gruelling, and time-consuming. Help through it is uplifting. I would like to note the importance of the work that employment and education agencies do for people with disabilities. It is necessary to have someone who believes in you and will help you reach your goal with the necessary supports you need. I say thank you to my case workers.
I want to work
Greg Plosz and Jay Plosz
I am the father of a man who has Down syndrome. He is not able to write about his experiences so I am writing on his behalf.
My son, Jay, is currently employed by an engineering firm. He works in an office environment. He works independently and has a list of tasks that he performs. His duties are keeping three coffee areas clean. He cleans counters, puts dirty dishes in a dishwasher, and stocks fridges. He tidies conference rooms removing used coffee cups, cleans the white boards, wipes surfaces and aligns chairs. He collects mail and distributes it. He empties blue boxes with recyclable paper and he does filing. He works five hours per day as that is how long it takes him to complete his work. He receives minimum wage plus benefits such as sick leave, health, and contributes to a registered pension plan. He has been employed for four years in this position.
The greatest barrier was the lack of experience of the employer with people with different abilities. I visited the workplace and provided a list of tasks that Jay could do for the employer. To begin with Jay had a friend who acted as a job coach helping him to learn how to get to and from work on public transit and learning the various tasks. His coach was with him for about 10 days. The employer appointed two people to act as contact people. They are the people who I communicate with and who Jay goes to at work if he needs something or help. Two were appointed in the event someone was ill or away on holidays. They also help Jay filing his hours worked, etc. Jay does not have a computer at work and company communication is all electric. The administrator who hired Jay was very clear that he wanted to make it work.
I have been the person who helped Jay find employment. Agencies whose job it was to help him find employment either wanted to do an assessment for which they were paid or recommended that he attend a sheltered workshop. I think that such agencies take those closest to the norm as clients as placement is easier. Often the clients are people who have a driver’s licence. In the long run this does not encourage employers to look at persons with significant disabilities. I also think it is much more powerful to have a family member approach an employer. I know my son and believe in his ability to provide a service to employers. His first job was at the auto dealer where I had purchased vehicles. His second job was through the manager of our bank. His third job was with my employer. He is 36 and has had enough experience to know what he wants to do. His current job came about because his sister works in a similar office and was able to make a list of what Jay could do unsupervised for an employer. Since he started work the employer has identified new tasks that Jay has mastered. Jay is very reliable and determined. He arrived late one morning because the street where he catches the bus was under construction. He walked the bus route until he found a stop that the bus was coming to. It was at least 10 blocks from his usual boarding place.
Research suggests that you have to have an employer who wants it to work and a co-worker who wants it to work. I also believe that it should be an expectation that schools help place students with special needs who are graduating. They help other students get scholarships and make career choices. They should be doing more to help with the transition from school to the workplace. Families with children with different abilities talk about leaving the school system as "walking the plank."
Like everyone else!
I am writing on behalf of my son Gabriel Lemieux, who is a young 28-year old man with Down syndrome. For the past three years, he has been working at the Fringale, a company that provides hot meals to schools and day-care centres in the Quebec region. He works as a dishwasher there. He is also responsible for recycling and other miscellaneous tasks. The road to gainful employment was difficult for him. Reaching this goal of his was undoubtedly due to our unshakable belief in his abilities, the pursuit of multiple options and a great deal of assistance.
When Gabriel finished school at 21 years of age, he faced an uncertain future despite having taken several internships. We looked into cooking courses and dishwasher training at a few restaurants that interested him. Some employers would initially contact him, but then fail to call back once they discovered his intellectual disability. After some time, we obtained paid employment for him in a nearby pharmacy so that he could develop his work skills. Each day, he would work there early then head off to adult education. One of his teachers, upon learning of his interests, suggested that we try a school for restaurants that specialized in dealing with school dropouts. For one year, he took a dishwashing training there, three days a week. The school provided work placement at local restaurants when they needed help. Gabriel was the first trainee with an intellectual disability. However, despite his abilities, reliability and the crying need for labour in this sector, he was not hired.
That is until Mr. Vachon signalled his interest and summoned him for an interview. Although this was Gabriel’s second interview, he needed me to accompany him to ensure that he would seize the offer being made to him. I had also mentioned in his resume that it might be possible to obtain a work integration contract, something that seemed to interest Mr. Vachon. Several of us attended that fateful meeting: the EquiTravail representative, a specialized educator from the Rehabilitation Centre sector, Gabriel and myself. Although Gabriel was initially shy and nervous, the employer was able to put him at ease, and by the end of the meeting, Gabriel was cracking jokes with him and had obtained the position. With the assistance of these team members, the managers developed a proper workplace structure that would facilitate his proper functioning. This workplace structure consisted of a resource person whom we could talk to, positive reinforcement, as well as a list of tasks for Gabriel to complete that grew as he became accustomed to his environment and tasks. A few minor physical adaptations were also required, and his schedule was also modified.
This is how Mr. Pierre-Étienne Vachon describes Gabriel as an employee after three years: “Gabriel is a very hard worker who has proven himself indispensible to our company. He has assumed a very important role in our organization. Gabriel is instrumental to the proper functioning of our production and to our company’s positive corporate image among our clients.” According to Mr. Vachon, Gabriel has greatly contributed to the work atmosphere with his incessant joking and unconditional support for his favourite team, the Montreal Canadiens.
For Gabriel, this has been an opportunity for growth and exceptional pride. He is finally feeling useful and is being paid for a task he undertakes. He is finally part of a team of workers with whom he has quickly developed a sense of belonging. He is always keen to go to work and he now knows that, with the money he earns, he can purchase a few well-deserved luxuries, such as a gift for his girlfriend, holidays, a baseball outing or a show. He is proud of his work and talks about it regularly like everyone else. His work has also changed how others perceive him. One benefit that is apparent to us as parents is that he has greater financial autonomy and no longer receives financial assistance. We must still support the management of his new-found funds and the obligations that derive from it. However, it is with great pride that we can say that he contributes to society like everyone else by paying taxes rather than being dependant on them.
Support for Entrepreneurs
Paper butterflies
Milli Flaig-Hooper is a very accomplished papermaker, and operates her own business called "The Paper Fifrildi" (the Old Norse word for butterfly). As someone with an intellectual disability who had experienced inclusive schooling the idea of spending her day in a segregated program (the only option available at the time) seemed a step backward. Her support network considered other options. There were no jobs available, even part-time, and volunteering somewhere was also a challenge in a rural setting.
Milli discovered her interest in papermaking during the fall of 2007 after graduating from Gimli high school, when she began experimenting with a papermaking kit. The recycled paper reflects her creativity and each final sheet of paper is unique. All the paper used is in its original colour with hardly any waste; nothing else is added, except for the occasional embellishment. Her interest and ability have grown to produce some very interesting pieces including cards, pictures for framing, earrings and fridge magnets.
The flexibility of “In the Company of Friends”, an individualized funding model, has allowed Milli to pursue her entrepreneurial endeavour and be supported in a way that makes the most sense to her and her network, ensuring that she has support where she needs it, but is free to express her own creativity her way!
Milli sold her first piece in 2008 at the Artists First Show! in Ottawa. She received third place in the experimental category at the Interlake Juried Art Show in 2011. She participates in the Interlake Artist’s Studio tour twice a year as well as many arts and craft sales, and sells her cards at McNally Robinson’s Grant Park location.
Milli is a member of the Manitoba Craft Council, the Winnipeg Beach Art & Culture Co-Operative (www.watchthewave.ca), and the International Association of Hand Papermakers & Paper Artists (IAPMA). She also recently became a member of Arts & Disability Network Manitoba. There have been articles written about her in the Interlake Spectator, the Enterprise News, and www.cartizan.com.
Besides papermaking, Milli also enjoys sports, music, game shows, knitting, yoga, and a fine glass of white wine. She was the poster representative for the Manitoba Marathon in 2012 which raises funds for people with intellectual disabilities.
Milli has been able to show many people over the years that having an extra chromosome (Down syndrome) and autism should not limit your abilities. The constant for this success has been the vision that it’s possible to match talent, interest, and a need in a community, like any other enterprise.
Employment Success
I’m in my early 50s, and, in spite of my disabilities, have had many employment successes, which I attribute to a combination of factors, some controlled or influenced by our government. I am known for being determined and resourceful, but I would not have been able to have had the career successes I have without government resources, including various health funding. I anticipate having more employment successes in future, again helped or hindered by factors controlled or influenced by government.
In my teens and early 20s, I worked in hospitality as a server and bartender. By my mid-20s, the extreme physicality of these positions left me unable to walk for a few months. At that time, Ontario’s chiropractors received enough funding through Ontario Health Insurance Program (OHIP) that, in cases of serious need such as mine (financially and physically), chiropractors did not charge over and above the OHIP. Although my family physician responded by prescribing me muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories and painkillers, and discussing how to access funding for wheelchairs, a local chiropractor was able to get me back on my feet. During that time, I was a single mother and Ontario’s family services (Mother’s Allowance, now Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)), recognized my immediate need, and provided enough money to prevent me from being forced into a downwards spiral financially (and potentially mentally at a time when I was physically disabled). Between the chiropractor, Ontario’s family services, and personal loans for training and equipment, within a few months, I was back on my feet, and in business for myself.
By mid-1980, my young child’s health (He had asthma, which was seriously affected by a damp climate.), and the recession led me to move my home and my business from southern Ontario to northern Ontario. In the last few years of the 1980s, my physical condition again began to deteriorate, and my doctor advised me to find a new career, as my work as an electrologist required that I be seated with my neck bent, and my hands curled for lengthy periods of time; I was able to sell my business through a local woman who expanded services and continues to operate.
With my business experience, I was easily able to manage a small resort, which my husband built, and complete my university education part-time through distance education, while raising yet another child, born in 1990. Shortly after the sale of the resort amid the recession, I completed my Bachelors degree, as well as a year of college to gain computer skills, and began looking for a new career in 1999. Although I was interviewed for many suitable entry-level positions, being a new graduate, pushing 40, was a disadvantage at that time, as there was so much funding available to hire recent graduates under the age of 30. At several of my interviews, I was informed that the position I was being interviewed for was funded for recent graduates under 30, making me ineligible. I worked two part-time jobs for close to a year, then was hired as an office clerk for a construction company, where I remained until the fall of 2003, when I was hired as a part-time assistant career developer for the national Navigating the Waters program, delivered by Independent Living Resource Centres, funded by HRSDC /Opportunities Fund. In this position, I helped people with disabilities (one-on-one and in group workshops/events) to identify goals, and develop and follow a career action plan based on their individual interests, abilities, values, and communities. I supported clients in gaining employability and pre-employment skills. Using a very holistic framework, I helped clients to prepare for and obtain training/education, volunteer positions and/or employment. Most of these clients had never expected to be able to consider working, and first needed to address health/disability needs to accommodate themselves as much as possible, thereby reducing their disability barriers to a point where these could be accommodated for work or training. Many of these clients had been relatively isolated most of their lives, so an important aspect of this job was familiarizing clients with general population resources, activities and events (health, and social as well as employment-related) for both networking purposes, and to establish the groundwork for work/life balance. I found I had a real passion for this kind of work. Within a couple of months I was promoted to full-time career developer, and remained in this position until the funding was pulled in 2005.
My health again began to deteriorate, and I became disabled for a few weeks. At that time in Ontario, physiotherapy/occupational therapy for “activities of daily living” were funded under our health care as an outpatient service at hospitals, or within home care and Community Care Access. I was again able to job search with a few weeks of physiotherapy, and some personal accommodations, determined through an occupational therapy assessment (shoe lift, back brace, booster under hip for sitting).
With the experience I had gained, I was soon able to be hired by another agency as an employment counselor. This agency served all populations, delivering employment programs funded by many different levels of government (Ontario Works, ODSP, MTCU , and HRSDC/Service Canada). I found the experience I had gained in my previous position transferred easily, and I was able to gain experience with job development, and employment maintenance intervention. I received many wage increases, and remained with this agency for almost 6 years, until August 2011, when my condition had deteriorated to the point where I could no longer remain at my job.
In 2007 my condition had also deteriorated; at that time, although my family doctor again referred me to the community care access center, I was not allowed to access Occupational Therapy Assessment and Physiotherapy for Activities of Daily Living, since I was employed. I was able to receive assistance from ODSP’s Employment Supports Program for a Workplace Occupational Therapy Assessment, and some accommodation devices recommended were beyond the abilities of my nonprofit employer to provide (an ergonomic chair, raised keyboard, hearing aids). I also began to use dictation software as much as possible, and moved closer to work to reduce my daily travel. Between the time my doctor referred me for an OT/PT assessment and therapy, and I was able to access these accommodations, I had somehow managed to continue to work for close to a year through consistently decreasing physical abilities, and increasing pain levels. I wonder if it’s possible to have a more streamlined process, in particular for people with permanent disabilities, to quickly access necessary health resources, and prevent further deterioration of health, and the resultant impact not only to employment, but to all aspects of the employee’s life. Viewing employment as an “activity of daily living” might also speed up this process.
By 2011, it was clear that my spine could no longer tolerate the computer work required by my position, or the damp climate of Ontario. Although the occupational therapist had suggested Arizona as my only way out of the dampness, research led me to believe that some relief could be found through a move to Calgary (second only to the Kamloops area insofar as dry Canadian climate is concerned). I moved to Calgary-- October 9, 2011; within a few weeks, I was able to stop taking all of my prescription medication. Unfortunately, careful trial and error has shown that I still have limitations with physical labour, sitting, computer operation, and road travel. I have learned to accommodate myself to use my computer at home (laying down, with the notebook/laptop propped, using the onboard mouse, and Dragonspeak, subtly adjusting my position frequently) – however, I am not constricted by any time frames or workloads, as one is in a formal job. I have been unable to identify any jobs in the employment supports field that can accommodate me, and my exploration, until now, into other fields of work has been unsuccessful. I have recently identified a retail field which appears to meet my physical needs, and in which openings are anticipated - I submitted applications this week.
I have also developed a business proposal, wherein I would continue in the career counselling field as an entrepreneur, accommodating myself; the local Self-employment Program agrees that I have a viable plan, providing I can find a way to survive through business startup. Unfortunately, in Alberta, the Self-employment Program does not extend one’s EI, and mine is about to run out. Although I do have some savings, I do not have enough to both contribute to the business startup, and live through the business startup.
As I have been on EI, I am not eligible for Opportunities Fund. Over the past year, I have been appealing my long-term workplace disability, as the insurance company initially said that “employment counsellors just hang around and talk to people all day”, and since learning differently about positions with my employer, still insists that there are employment counselling positions that do not require computer work beyond my limits (they have not addressed my issues with sitting, or travelling, and although they initially protested my move to Alberta, they now seem happy that I moved away from the damp climate – and an employer who they now seem to realize, accommodated me as much as they could, but cannot accommodate me to the extent I need). They have not identified any such employment-related job, which meets my need for accommodation, and they have been dragging their heels on providing me with a final decision letter and a referral to the civic ombudsman. Several possible interventions for people with disabilities would ease my path here – just a few of these options are: having an automatic EI living wage attached to Alberta’s Self-employment Program, as there is in Ontario; making Opportunities Fund available to people with disabilities regardless of their EI status; increased government intervention with insurance companies that have become such a cruel joke to all of us in society who pay their premiums, and are increasingly doubtful of there being any value in doing so.
I am certain I will find a way to work – I need something to fill my time, make me feel worthwhile, and keep me self-supporting. My determination and support from government-funded resources have allowed me to enjoy many career successes in the past, in spite of my disabilities. Although many might say I’ve gotten enough government money, without the supports, I would not have been able to work, and would certainly have needed a lot more government money to survive, and would not have been paying as much money into the government coffers as I have. I think continuing to provide me and other people with disabilities with the necessary supports to allow them to contribute to society and taxes, is the most financially viable option for our society – not only in Alberta, where there’s a shortage of skilled labour, but in the rest of the country that is expected to soon face the same issue.
Miss Ability
I have had many jobs over the years mostly in the administrative field and in the social services field. I graduated from the Social Service Worker Program at Algonquin College in ’07. Most of my employment has been either part-time or shift work and not lasted either because of funding or because I went to another job or school.
I think as a worker I did very well as I follow instructions very well; I’m very organized and I work well with others. However, I discovered recently that I didn’t want to be on someone else’s time frame. Throughout my work experience I can recall two jobs where accommodation had to be made and the first actually wasn’t started until midterm and wasn’t followed through with by the time I left to accept another position. In this instance, I felt negative and not a part of the team. In regard to training/promotion I really didn’t have any until I started my own business.
The first position I recall was one with TD Canada Trust as a Customer Service Representative (CSR). It wasn’t so much promotion but I went through a lot of training and found after a while it wasn’t my forte. I learned that I wasn’t good with numbers and I found that there was way too much information to retain. Being in a job where you are overwhelmed, don’t feel you’re getting the support you need and are working at something you don’t have a liking for, or feel you don’t do well, is not a good combo. Combined with the fact that it took most of my term to even get the ball rolling in making changes to my location and work area was very irritating to me and, I have to say that it’s a shame people can’t readily work at their full potential due to these barriers that really shouldn’t be there to begin with.
The second experience I recall was another banking position with RBC. New employees were part of a buddy system of sorts to learn on the job when you weren’t doing the computer training portion and the issue was they only had one person in this position who I didn’t get along with. We were from too different backgrounds and it was my understanding that she didn’t see that I had a disability but instead it was somewhat of an excuse to her. After a month or so in the position and feeling miserable the whole time, not to mention starting to become physically ill due to stress, I decided to leave. It just wasn’t worth it to me.
The key to my employment success came in 2011 when I decided to start my own business. Starting Miss Ability, I surrounded myself with others that have similar goals and understand that I don’t want to just have a job; I want to create something that is part of my lifestyle. Starting my own business has made an extremely positive difference for me in my employment life.
Under the name Miss Ability, I am creating a business consulting program to help wheelchair accessible businesses implement the accessibility legislation now available in Ottawa and other programs to assist people with mobility challenges to live a great lifestyle. My intention is to create a safe environment for others to share their experiences and to erase the barriers and negative labels that still exist today.
Attitudes
The can-do attitude
A brief description of your job and you as a worker:
TD Bank 1980 to 1993. In 1980 I was accepted into the bank management program at age 25. I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy (MD) at age 19 and walked with a cane until age 39. I started as a bank teller (hard to stand up all day, no footstools back then), account manager onto administrative officer in the first year. During year seven, I became a loans officer and a mortgage officer. I had a strong work ethic and had to give extra effort. There was very little room for any social life. MD creates extreme fatigue.
What barriers had to be eliminated for you to be employed?
I was hired during the UN International Year for Disabled Persons and that most likely eliminated attitudinal barriers. I had to have the can-do attitude.
What accommodations did you use to eliminate barriers?
As my disorder progressed and I transferred to other branches, they were very accommodating to make their location wheelchair accessible. By luck Moncton had a parallel transit system in 1989.
What have been your experiences with training and promotion?
My disability slowed my training abilities so the bank allowed my progress to promotion to take many years versus the pressure to move quickly up the chain.
What has been the key to your success?
An accommodating employer, helpful co-workers and a strong work ethic.
What really made a positive difference for you in the area of employment?
The right education and a promotion schedule that was at my pace.
Work experiences
Why work? For persons with disabilities, work is rewarding. However, searching for, then retaining, employment is a lengthy journey filled with obstacles.
When I was completing my studies in industrial relations, I aspired to a career in the Employment Equity Program or as a human resources advisor in the government. Those objectives were soon abandoned. Job cuts and the lack of interest in Employment Equity have led me to consider other options.
A key obstacle is that, when hiring, employers - regardless of whom they are - tend to see disabilities before abilities. As a person with a vision impairment, I have had to face such obstacles. This has often been frustrating. In a world where productivity and performance are valued, employers see individuals’ limitations before their potential. They are often unaware of technologies or accommodations that can facilitate work situations.
My first job consisted of proofing Braille documents in a nonprofit organization. After that, I embarked on a full-time job search. I was able, due to my determination, to obtain contract work here and there training others on how to greet persons with disabilities. I also started a small Braille transcription business. However, I wanted something else. Given the occasional nature of training work, I could not make a career of it, nor of Braille transcription.
For five years now, I’ve worked in an organization advocating for, and promoting the rights of, persons with disabilities. I am currently the director general. I enjoy my work here, which is full of challenges and exhilarating. I see the true needs. Our society should better appreciate this work, which is essential to our community.
Even there, it is not easy to obtain employment in our own organizations. Some people are fearful, and see our limitations before our potential. To compete and win, I must often work longer hours. Today, information travels fast, and people want a response within minutes. I’ve learned that people respond more quickly to e-mails than phone calls. My work experience in community groups has been very helpful in my current job.
I find it regrettable that community organizations have neither the funding nor the resources for vocational upgrading. In my situation, Windows 7, MS Word 2010, social media, etc., comes to mind, even though these are commonly-used tools. With adaptive technologies, training is required to properly use these tools.
The labour market is pitiless for persons with disabilities. I must always devote considerable effort to this and seek out vital information. However, my partnership work with other organizations and municipalities has allowed people to recognize my abilities. I regularly ask for documentation in advance for prior reading so that I can participate fully, which is also beneficial to others.
I think that education and determination are key aspects to obtaining employment and ensuring success. Sometimes, it takes some time and the result of vested efforts can be slow in coming.
It will make quite a difference when people finally believe in our abilities.
A career connects you to your community
I was employed as an audio technician in master control radio at CBC Sydney from 1980 to 1998, when I retired. I belonged to the National Association of Broadcast Technicians (NABT).
My job was to record and dub in the studio radio feeds which came from Toronto and other CBC Stations.
I was expected to perform my job at a high level of competency; the same level as other audio technicians in CBC’s stations across Canada.
>From 1980-1984 I worked on contract. In 1984 I was made a full-time employee.
The barriers that needed to be eliminated were my own, both physical and mental. My own disbelief in my ability to do the job, due to my experience of being segregated and congregated in a sheltered workshop, was one of the major barriers that had to be overcome.
Editing tapes, due to my coordination, was the major challenge. I overcame this by lots and lots of practice.
Another major barrier was people’s attitudes. Because of those barriers and perceptions, I had my own internal barriers to deal with too.
People’s attitudes changed after they worked with me and realized I was competent in my role.
I eliminated the barriers by hard work and the support I received at CBC. I did need support to be able to do the job.
Walter Pretty, master control technician and my mentor, trained me unofficially on evenings and weekends before I was hired at CBC. One day Walter overheard me say, “That Walter gave me a job.” Walter said, “Nobody gave you a job…I helped you become qualified for a job.”
Because the union wanted to protect their jobs, it was agreed that there would always be another radio technician with me in master control. This gave me the support and opportunity to develop my skills. So while it was to protect their positions, it really gave me the support I needed on the job.
I took three audio courses while at CBC.
The key to my success was hard work, a valued job in radio and the people that I worked with.
What really made a positive difference for me was having a valued career. I just did not have a job; I had a career based on my interest, knowledge and love of music and radio. Also making a quality wage made the difference. I knew people in all of the different departments at CBC. There were many people who helped me with my career. There were also key visionary people in decision-making positions who were committed to my career.
The key to ending exclusion is to have a valued job and career that will connect you to other people in your community.
A personal reflection on work
When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. I would practise standing in front of an imaginary audience, pointing to a blackboard - trying to keep my balance! I had devised all sorts of ways in my head of not having to stand for too long - leaning on my desk, teaching while seated behind my desk, or sitting on a chair beside my desk while I taught.
My parents never discouraged me, but once I reached junior high, that dream faded quickly as I became more acutely - and painfully - aware of my disability. I was expected to go to university - so I did. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to take there, except English, because I wanted to write. In the summers during university and community college, I found work the same way every student did - through the student employment office which carried ads put out by the provincial and federal governments. One summer, I worked for the province putting together a booklet of the tourist sights in and around Winnipeg and noting their level of accessibility.
Once out of university, I realized that I didn’t have any “real” experience and few office skills, so finding more long-term work became difficult. I worked at a number of term positions and then found a permanent job in a medical clinic where I worked for three years, despite the fact that the manager who hired me felt that I was overqualified and would be bored (he was right, but it was my first real full-time job!). When I left, and after being unemployed for awhile, I found a job with a doctor’s office which lasted four days! It appeared that the doctor’s wife felt I wasn’t keeping up with the workload.
I moved on to more term positions, including a year at the Manitoba Theatre Centre (which I loved because it was so creative!). I was finally hired permanently as Secretary/ Receptionist with the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD). I remained there for 17 years until my health forced me into retirement a few years ago.
I have asked myself the question many times, “Has my disability prevented me from getting work?” I think, for the most part, the answer is “no” - especially when I was younger and first looking for employment. I had been brought up not to see my disability as a barrier, so I think I took that attitude with me into the work world. However, as I got older, I began to notice people’s negative attitudes towards my disability, perhaps, and that work wasn’t gained as easily for me.
I think that today’s legislation around discrimination and work is helpful for those people with disabilities looking for employment. It’s no longer as easy for employers to say “no” to someone with a disability. We can be more competitive in the work world now.
Disability achiever in the workplace: Based on my personal experience in the early beginnings of gaining work skills eventually leading to permanent gainful employment
Some bits of part-time work I performed didn’t leave me feeling confident as a disabled individual wanting full-time employment. I quickly realized that limited work skills and physically laborious duties were going to hold me back. I needed workable duties, more of a sit-down job and interaction through computer or vocalizing.
Quite sure I was physically able to fulfill job duties but not a 100%, I offered to volunteer for two weeks to prove to an organization, and myself, my capabilities performing the duties and functioning in a work environment.
Proving myself gave me confidence and the skills to enhance my future working position. Moving forward meant I gained more working skills and enabled me to compete for a bigger wage increase.
An opportunity for any individual, if the organization is unionized, is to learn the contract that applies. Also, be aware of your rights as a disabled individual. You might want to become familiar with the Human Rights Act and the duty to accommodate. Attend meetings, if you have time, to keep yourself in the loop. If your rights are challenged, you’ll be able to speak up for yourself.
Life can unexpectedly affect us with its twists and turns causing personal issues, affecting our well-being. Possibly you might take this stress to your workplace. Don’t hesitate utilizing the organization’s counselling service or find a counselling service that works for you.
Sick days: don’t abuse them and be willing to make up for them if possible. Keeping busy late into the evenings will catch up to you. Getting a good rest is important for my disabled body. Silly as it sounds vitamins indeed help to maintain well-being. During the winter months, I’m indoors a fair amount. I take Vitamin D, Omega 3, and on occasion B50 Extra. For sleepless nights I take Melatonin.
Doctor appointments: try to make appointments at the end of the day and be willing to make up time. Be sure your worksite is set up comfortably for you. Perhaps you’ll need a physiotherapist or an ergonomist to look over your area.
Transportation: be responsible. Make sure you’re at work on time, even if that means arranging an earlier ride. Perhaps arriving earlier or staying later can be used for making up lost time.
Sick leave can happen: if you are able and the organization is willing, perhaps some work can be done from home.
Years of remaining employed: determination kept me going. I’m determined to remain employed for a few more years. Working for a paycheck is not the main benefit of being employed; being sociably active at work, interacting with co-workers, you will form some good relationships. Managers will develop a sense of your strengths and weaknesses. In a workplace, all get to know each other’s personality; all have to try and thrive together. Remember, not just in the workplace but anywhere, not all personalities blend well. Find a way to join in and make your workplace work for you. The benefits are rewarding in so many different ways.
Accepting yourself is the key to a successful employment
At present, I work at a rehabilitation centre within the adult services doing employment. Specifically, I coordinate a program called AIM (www.abilitiesinmind.ca) where we work with businesses to build a training manual on employing and working with people with disabilities. One of the key elements in helping me to achieve this successful employment and my past opportunities is reframing my thinking about disability and not viewing it as a negative term. This way of thinking is challenging as there are still many negative attitudes about people with disabilities within society and the employment field. I know from both the professional and personal perspectives that people with disabilities are still challenged with attitudes, accessibility, and the lack of employment opportunities.
I am not going to belabour the point that people with disabilities are unfortunately at the short end of the stick when it comes to employment. Most employers don’t see past the disability and assume that their job opportunity is not suitable. I was born with Cerebral Palsy, specifically Spastic Diplegia. My disability affects me in my speech, balance, motor control, coordination, balance, and dexterity. When searching for work, it was a definite challenge for me to get through the front door, as many employers would make assumptions based on my speech and thus, do not phone me back to confirm my interview or even hang up on me! And then, there are companies that have written tests within a required time limit! Well, that won’t suit me. Thus, if the potential employment opportunity wouldn’t let me use a computer and have extended time, then there would not be a chance for me to get the job.
It is a roller coaster for anyone to find a job, but especially for people with disabilities. There are a lot of assumptions and the fear of the unknown when wanting to employ people with disabilities. Since I don’t use mobility aids, the attitudes of employers are the biggest barrier for me such as the assumption that I am mentally challenged or deaf. I require employers to be understanding, open-minded, and tolerant of my abilities. I may have a different way of doing my tasks at my own pace, but the job duties will be completed. When I have had success in finding employment, my employers have been open-minded; where we work together to find solutions to assist me in doing the job duties successfully. Some accommodations were getting a colleague to assist me in taking notes when I did field interviews or if a task was too cumbersome to do (as it required fine dexterity level), or making some alterations to my computer so that my mouse goes slower. The advancement of technology has helped with the art of e-mailing, so I am more accustomed to e-mail rather than using the phone.
I have been blessed with the training I have received through school and work. I have a driven attitude and appreciate working together to find the ways that work for both of us. I understand that people don’t know the details of my disability; it is important that I mention what I need to succeed in my undergraduate and graduate studies, along with my job training and promotion, so there would be supports in place for me to participate in all opportunities.
I would like to see that people, not just in the employment field but all people, have an open mind in accepting the diversity of people. Quite often, I get confronted by people who assume that I don’t have a job, and my favourite comment is, “That’s so wonderful that you work – how did you get a job?” People with disabilities are just people! Minds need to be open from both perspectives – the people without disabilities and the people with disabilities. It is this shift in thinking, the reframing of the term, “disability” to something of a positive. It is not only seeing the shift in other people, it is seeing it in me too – accepting you. Once that shift occurred, I was more willing to work with my abilities and to spread the news about the positives in building a diverse workforce.
Getting and keeping a job – what makes a difference
True it is that barriers in the labour market continue to exist for blind Canadians but this is nothing new. On the one hand, we are a part of a shifting landscape that continues to reformat itself on a continual basis and on the other hand, blind Canadians continue to be faced by barriers that are both artificial as well as real.
Artificial barriers refer to such things as attitudes and lack of awareness and real barriers refer to such things as technology and access to facilities. In the case of the former, there have been improvements over the years but there is still a very long way to go before these types of barriers could be described as surmountable. In the case of the latter, it continues to be a constant challenge for a blind employee to find ways to overcome them.
I have been a systems engineer for over 20 years now and during the course of this time, my job description has changed several times; from that of being a programmer to one who now helps clients to design and develop their own systems. I attribute my road to success to being able to work with my fellow workers, clients, and employers to develop a healthy rapport that is made up of give and take, compromise, education, and creation of awareness.
I have learned over the years to never take things for granted and in the case of promotions and career changes, I have had to work doubly hard to obtain my objectives. I have managed to accomplish this through a process of continuous education, commitment, and a willingness to work with others to develop processes that would accomplish realistic goals.
The key to success for me has been to be realistic in what I set out to do and to use technology at my disposal to do this. Access/adaptive technology will always be one or two steps behind mainstream technology but this does not necessarily mean that barriers cannot be overcome.
Barriers to training and promotion will no doubt continue to be a challenge for us but as long as we can recognize this it is half the battle won, then we can concentrate on finding workable solutions. The trick of the trade for me has been, and continues to be, the ability for me to channel my energies into positive thinking and the achievement of positive results.
Employment continues to be an important plateau in the lives of blind Canadians and one that we must continue to work at if we want to be able to improve and expand a landscape of job opportunities for future generations of blind Canadians.
Taking charge of my career
As I approach retirement and hang up the spurs, it is fitting to think about how I achieved a satisfying career, earned a living, and with my wife, raised a family.
I believe that in order to succeed, you have to take charge of your destiny, make your own decisions, after assessing all the factors, and live by your choices. Deciding on your goals and pursuing them with determination is very important.
Do not accept the judgements of others, like my early teachers at the school for the blind, who labelled me in front of the class as “the village idiot”. Do not listen to those, like my first career counsellors, who said that all life had to offer was an existence in an institution for the blind.
I dared to dream of inclusion and a comfortable lifestyle. I found friends, role models, and mentors, although this was not always easy. I worked hard, sacrificed a lot, and had a satisfying work life. I never stopped learning. I was loyal to my friends, always tried to help, and made a great effort to avoid hurting people.
I faced many challenges, like having to work to pay my university fees, room and board. So I became a nighttime Residence Manager, and except for the weekend student celebrations, all was quiet at night, which enabled me to get paid to study and do homework such as essays and presentations. I also honed my problem-solving skills at university, as there were no organized services to produce textbooks in accessible formats. So I found radio personalities to record textbooks for me.
My first full-time employer was in the charitable sector, which I left after 11 years to join the federal Public Service. I obtained the necessary contacts for this career change through networking with a school friend who is blind. People with disabilities can be an invaluable resource, if we choose to do so and help each other. This change in career path made me realize that setbacks were not the end, but the beginning of new opportunities.
In my first job with the Public Service, I was involved in energy productivity enhancement. Yes, the government really had a dedicated program to work smarter in that field, where I met many engineers, travelled throughout Canada, shopped in the Hudson Bay Store in Resolute Bay, and had the honour of sleeping in the very bed Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip slept in during their honeymoon visit to Northern Canada, forty years earlier.
However, my main goal was always to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. So, when I had the chance to become involved in accessible transportation, I jumped at the promotion, where I made presentations, trained transportation staff, dealt with complaints, crafted regulations and enforced them. I travelled to several countries like Japan, where the paper I co-authored won best paper at that World Congress.
I had lots of help along the way. Yes, there were the inevitable workplace politics, exclusions, and accessibility issues, particularly with written and electronic communications. I faced many physical, systemic and attitudinal barriers, and tried to have them removed when I could through negotiation and suggesting solutions, or working around them with good but never 100% success.
I made a conscious effort to take courses offered to all employees that would broaden my skills and competencies, and advance my career marketability. I insisted on being provided with the accommodations I needed to do my work, including readers to help me deal with the deluge of paper produced by the bureaucracy. When competing for new positions, I made it a point to network, research the opportunity, and find out about the work environment. I also accepted that I would not get the majority of positions I competed for, so I used the competitions as a way of learning and honing my skills to win other work opportunities. I learned where the best place in the organization was for me, and when I got to that level of salary and responsibility, I then chose to stay in a position where I enjoyed my work, and at the same time, could help improve accessibility for persons with disabilities.
So take charge of your career, try not to let setbacks disappoint you too much, and be the best you can be, and be proud of your achievements. And remember to blow your own horn, because nobody else will!
Jobs then – and now
It was 1981 - the International Year of Disabled Persons. I was a new PhD applying for my first research grant on prejudice and discrimination. My 6-foot tall purchasing agent dad, to whom I had always looked up, both literally and figuratively, was new to using a wheelchair. He was able to continue working because he was fortunate enough to be one of the first Montrealers to get a seat on the new adapted transport bus. There was only one such bus in those days.
One day I accompanied him to the bank. I sat on the sidelines while he did his banking. A young guy came out from behind the counter that was too high for my dad to use. He patted him on the head, and politely said, "What can I do for you gramps?" My dad was flabbergasted. Everyone was addressed as "Sir" or "Madam" in those days. And NOBODY ever patted my dad's head. Well… maybe my mother. Since the teller spoke to my dad very slowly and loudly, everyone at the bank heard him. The message was clear: people who used a wheelchair were child-like, mentally slow, and without dignity.
I needed to look no further in my search for a suitable research topic on prejudice and discrimination. Now, 30 years later, I, too, have joined the ranks of people who use a wheelchair on occasion. But things are very different now, especially for young postsecondary students with disabilities.
I work at Dawson College. In the context of my work with the Adaptech Research Network, which I co-direct with Maria Barile and Jennison Asuncion, I have been studying facilitators and obstacles to postsecondary students with disabilities. Although things are by no means perfect, our research shows that many of the fights on behalf of college and university students with disabilities have been won.
For example, my college enrolls approximately 8000 students. About 1000 of them have a disability. The entire campus is accessible to students with all kinds of disabilities. Students have access to adapted software and hardware without too many hassles. Most professors are willing to grant needed accommodations. Faculty generally post PowerPoints online. Things are by no means perfect, but there have been many changes since 1981 and our findings show that students with disabilities are graduating in record numbers.
But how are graduates’ job prospects? This is the focus of our current work, which is funded by a research grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Are there jobs out there for grads? What helps and what hampers getting a desirable job? What could be done to improve things? Our preliminary results show that about 2/3 of Canadian college and university students are employed a year after graduation and that most of them are satisfied with their jobs. Is this good? Well, it is certainly an improvement over my father’s day, when my college enrolled fewer than 5 students with disabilities. Jobs for graduates with disabilities were not a concern. Why should it have been? There were virtually no new graduates. The main concern was getting in the door. Now, our findings show that students with disabilities are graduating in record numbers. Is a 2/3 employment rate good? Well, it is not horrible in these lean economic times. But is it good enough? Absolutely not!
What do students say prevents them from getting a job? In rank order, these are: their health, their disability, the possibility of losing some or all of their current income / additional supports, and being discouraged with looking. It is here that one can make changes. Changes to: policies that make it unattractive to hold a part-time job, policies that prevent people from getting work experience while in school, and policies that encourage (compel?) employers to hire graduates with disabilities. Job-related workshops sponsored by colleges and universities that are tailored towards concerns of students with disabilities could also help.
For my part, I think that such changes are now merely a matter of time. As the baby boomer generation retires, there will be lower unemployment and a greater need for “knowledge workers.” The future looks good for newly minted college and university graduates.
My employment story
I would like to start this story by saying the single most important approach that I have adopted for anything in my life is to focus on wellness and not illness; to focus on ability and not disability; and to keep my focus on love and not the opposite.
There is a lot of discrimination in the working world and it can affect your self-esteem and the way that you learn to approach others in your life - the way you approach strangers, partners, family and friends and teachers as well as future employers. If you have a terrible experience, you need to let go of the humiliation, anger, frustration, and pain before you move on to the next job. Life is short. Don't hold on to the negativity - it only puts you at a disadvantage.
I worked as a store manager for a leader in body and bath products based in the United States, with boutiques all over the globe. I started as a salesperson and worked diligently for six months. I was then promoted to a senior sales associate position and then, six months thereafter almost to the date, I was promoted to store manager with my own store in the West Island of Montreal (Fairview Point Claire Plaza).
My position as a store manager comprised of training a staff of six to eight sales associates daily, monitoring inventory, "merchandising" of the store (arranging and re-arranging the store according to plans sent by head office located in the States), housekeeping chores, partaking in biweekly conference calls, goal setting and I also needed to be an example and a leader in achieving the daily, weekly and monthly, sales goals for the store.
I never explained my health condition; I just made sure that I let my superiors know when I was stressed and when I needed extra help with my duties and responsibilities. I knew going into this job that this was Montreal, Quebec. Employers are not receptive to disabled people/workers in this city and I felt that I would be shooting myself in the foot if I told them that I had a mental disability. I believe that it could have cost me my promotion and so, instead, I chose to prove myself in the position and to let my "numbers" as a salesperson and manager, eventually speak for themselves.
I was having some difficulties with my memory and so I oftentimes did what some business professionals suggest not to do - I brought my work home with me in order to study the information in a less hectic environment. Sometimes the atmosphere in the boutique involved cleaning the shelves, verifying stock levels, processing sales at the cash, helping clients with their purchasing choices – all at the same time - if you can believe it. I had to make sure that my staff was incredibly well trained and on the ball. When I did have some quiet time, I had to study - build my product knowledge, memorize the prices of our products, make calculations in my head, etc. The best time to study, at times, was in my bed at nine pm at night!
Unfortunately, my experiences with training, involved incredibly impatient employers who do not want to train new employees. They do not want to train you and if they must, they make sure that the training is quick and that you must learn even quicker. In many corporations, unfortunately, the mindset is that training is time away from the company making profits. It is not seen as an investment in their employees, which will result in a strong and knowledgeable staff who will be better prepared to work efficiently and make big profits for the corporation in the long run. Things have changed. They want managers with BAs. If you do not have one, as I do not - and as most disabled people do not have university degrees (this puts us at a grave disadvantage in any field) - you are looked at in a more unfavourable light. You have to work harder to prove that you can do the job despite this lack of corporate sales/management experience. I never begged. I just showed how I would add value to the company - not what I needed and wanted - but what I could provide in terms of my skills and expertise. Just because you do not have a Bachelors (baccalaureate), or a Masters does not mean that you cannot read books, articles on business websites, find a mentor who is an established businessman (woman). I did all of this and more.
I heard that things are much worse in Toronto when it comes to competition for work - so I am trying not to complain too much.
I believe that the key to my success has been my positive attitude toward life and worklife. I always took pride in myself and in my work. I have a very strong work ethic. And I always made sure that I was clean and presentable. Believe me, when you have cream and dust all over your apron and you have to run and serve clients and you are running home after a 10-hour shift and you have a bus to catch - it is not easy. However, it was my choice at the time to enter into this field - so I prepared myself for the worst and hoped for the best. And I made sure that I saved my money for rainy days. This last tip came in handy as I had a health scare which necessitated my spending much of my savings and starting all over again in my job search.
What really made a positive difference in the area of employment is staying close to friends and family by emailing, phoning, and texting. They were the ones who saw when I was having difficulties with stress and they served as a mirror. They let me know that I needed to slow down and approach my job in a less stressful manner and they were also there when I needed cheerleaders and moral support staff.
I worked for two and a half years for the company before my store was closed (not my fault -- it was part of the plan) and I personally generated $211,000 in revenue for the company and over $1,000 in special bonuses for myself. Very satisfying.
Good luck and don't let them say that you can’t do it!
Keys to success: Doing a good job and enjoying the job
Following a degree from University of Manitoba in commerce, 1972, my interest was in health care administration. I was walking with a limp at that time. My resume stated that I was seeking any learning opportunity in the health care administration area. I found a term summer position as a clerk in a hospital department. I sent resumes out to various institutions, even outside the city, and got my first start at the Brandon General Hospital as the assistant manager in the housekeeping department. I then took correspondence courses in Hospital Housekeeping and another in Hospital Management. During this time I became a wheelchair user. I was promoted to department manager and later moved on to become the hospital's director of human resources.
I moved back to Winnipeg when an opportunity came up as human resources director at the Victoria General. I had them put in several curb cuts as there was limited wheelchair access from the parking lots.
I left that position due to health problems and changed my interest to disability issues and employment. I re-started a career working at self-help organizations like the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities and Equality Employment where I learned a lot more about disability issues.
I moved into federal and then provincial employment that promoted employment of persons with disabilities and then expanded my area to include other groups facing employment barriers. I eventually worked for the Manitoba Human Rights Commission where I ended my formal working career.
The barriers I faced were easy to identify - physical workplace accessibility. I was fortunate that all my employers were large and were not hesitant to make changes. More importantly, they were expressly committed to equal employment opportunity. Smaller employers would likely have been hesitant to make large expenditures.
Whenever I need to point out the need for access improvements (washroom or curb cuts), I always made them understand that these improvements were not just for me, but many others over time. My attitude was that,while my disability was visible, it was no big deal - and easy to accommodate. It was work performance that would overshadow this apparent "handicap".
Doing a good job, and enjoying the job were my keys to success. Finding the work that fits one's interests makes doing a good job easier. Even when doing a job that teaches you a part of the work you are seeking, it is important to do it well. Work references are important. Development of self-confidence is always goal number one, and believing in my ability to learn, not being afraid to ask questions and subtly ensuring that the boss knew I was doing a good job were keys to my success.
Opportunities to make job changes come up at different times. Do not be afraid to make changes, be it forward, sideways or yes, even backwards when it is the right time. It is most important that you know what you like to do, what you are good at, and equally important, what you do not like to do. Job satisfaction is worth money and mental health.
Appendix
Literature review on measuring the relationship between disability and job retention/career progression
Canadian Centre on Disability Studies
In 2009 the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (CCDS) carried out a literature review on the relationship between disability and job retention/career progression. This paper provides a summary of the findings. The full report of the literature review with references is available at http://disabilitystudies.ca/research-areas/.
Job Retention and Career Progression
Job retention can mean either how long an individual has stayed at a particular job or how long a person has been in the labour force. Job mobility can be voluntary (e.g., changing jobs or taking a leave) or involuntary (e.g., layoffs, being fired). Job retention is an important issue, because turnover can be expensive to employers and has long-term implications for an employee’s career path. Career progression, or career advancement, is related to the growth of salary and job responsibility.
A variety of factors affect individuals’ job retention and career progression. Key factors are related to:
- Exogenous economic circumstances,
- Sociodemographic/disability-related characteristics,
- Employment and income incentives/disincentives,
- Workplace characteristics, and
- Individual’s attitudes and perceptions towards employment.
Exogenous Economic Circumstances
Macroeconomic Conditions. Macroeconomic conditions have significant impacts on the quantity and quality of job opportunities. Persons with disabilities are particularly affected by macroeconomic conditions, because they are often the “last hired/first fired” during economic downturns. As labour insecurity (e.g., part-time, contract, seasonal employment) increases, involuntary job loss increases and job satisfaction decreases.
Industry and Occupation. Job retention rates and opportunities for career progression differ by industry and occupation. For example, the hospitality and trucking industries show high rates of turnover. Career progression is limited in low-skill employment, such as retail and food services. Persons with disabilities tend to be overrepresented in these industries. On the other hand, the public administration and health care industries appear to achieve equal representation of persons with disabilities.
Sociodemographic/Disability-related Characteristics
Age. Job retention rates increase with age, up to 55, after which rates fall due to retirement. By contrast, the rate of career progress decreases with age; Most salary growth occurs within the first 10 years of employment.
Gender. No significant difference is evident in job retention rates between men and women. However, women tend to lag behind men in career progression due to various factors such as gender role expectations, childcare, and attitude towards promotion.
Education Level. People with a low education level often end up with low-skill jobs with little job security. Higher education often provides a higher starting point in salary and higher potential for career progression. Although more and more persons with disabilities complete high school and have access to postsecondary training, the participation of persons with disabilities in the postsecondary education system remains low compared to their counterparts.
Type and Severity of Disability. People with physical and learning disabilities appear more successful in their careers than those with other types of disabilities. Unemployment rates are high for people with psychological, memory, and communication disabilities. Job retention rates are also low for people with mental health disabilities. The labour market participation of persons with developmental disabilities has remained low in the past 15 years; the greater the severity of disability, the lower the rates of labour force participation, job retention, income levels, and career progression.
Employment and Income Incentives/Disincentives
Government employment and income programs offer incentives or disincentives to the employment of persons with disabilities. For example, Workers’ Compensation Programs encourage employees to maintain their employment following a work-related injury or illness. In addition, labour legislation often provides incentives to employers to accommodate employees. However, some income and/or disability support programs discourage people from seeking career progression by retrieving disability supports or income supports on the basis of increased income level.
Workplace Characteristics
Size of Business. Employees with disabilities in a larger business tend to maintain their employment longer. This is often attributed to better infrastructure in larger businesses to provide workplace accommodations.
Employers/Co-workers’ Attitudes. Employers’ and/or co-workers’ attitudes have direct impacts on job retention for persons with disabilities. When employers and co-workers are accepting and understanding, employees with disabilities are more likely to disclose disability and/or request accommodations when needed.
Workplace Accommodations. The provision of workplace accommodations is a critical factor to job retention. Workplace accommodations range from adaptive equipment to flexible work hours or job duties. Natural support is an example of a job retention strategy that helps employees with disabilities be successful in employment. As natural support, co-workers can provide employment support needed on-site.
Individual’s Attitudes and Perceptions towards Employment
An individual’s attitude and perception towards employment is a critical factor to job retention and career progression. Positive personality indicators are flexibility, openness, initiative, independence, and self-motivation. Self-confidence is also an important determinant of career success. Of course, job retention increases with job satisfaction, which is affected by other factors such as work-life balance, relationship with supervisor, autonomy, and pay and benefits.
About the authors
Marie Ryan (then known as Marie White) presented the information contained in this chapter during a speech she presented on 23 March 2011 at the Government Conference on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which took place in Victoria Hall, 111 Sussex Drive (Old City Hall), Ottawa, Ontario.
Tracy Odell was born in Ottawa, Ontario, but moved to Toronto when she was admitted to a children’s chronic care institution where she lived from age seven to 18. Refusing to live a limited life with spinal muscular atrophy, Tracy first became involved in community advocacy from the age of 12. Over the years, Tracy carved a path to freedom through working to mobilize accessible transportation, improve community attendant services, promote accessible housing and establish “nurturing assistance” for parents with disabilities to care for their own children. Tracy is an Ontario Certified Teacher of English and special education, with an Honours BA, and BEd. In 2006 she received her Masters Degree in critical disability studies from York University. Tracy lives in Toronto with her husband, David. They have two grown daughters and are proud, first-time grandparents. Tracy continues to work full-time at the Ontario Public Service while being an active volunteer with Citizens With Disabilities – Ontario (CWDO) and the United Church of Canada. She is a firm believer of raising awareness to increase the need for accessibility and of education to show people how often, how simple it is to achieve accessibility.
Vangelis Nikias has been active in human rights and disability issues for many years. Currently, he is working for the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) to raise awareness on the content of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). During the United Nations (UN) negotiations of CRPD, Vangelis represented the Dept. of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) on the official Canadian delegation as content expert.
In the 1990s Vangelis chaired CCD's Human Rights Committee and served on the Social Policy Committee. He has a background in adjudication - having served for nine years as vice-chair of the Ontario Social Assistance Review Board (SARB). Vangelis believes that the implementation of CRPD can contribute to the attainment of an inclusive and accessible Canada. This can be achieved on the basis of genuine collaboration between Canadian governments and an aware and mobilized disability community.
Rhonda Wiebe is currently a policy analyst with the Disabilities Issues Office of the Manitoba government and appointed by an Order in Council to the Manitoba Health Appeal Board. Her volunteer work includes Co-chairing the CCD Ending of Life Ethics Committee and serving as a board/committee member for the United Way of Winnipeg, the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities, the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, and Not Dead Yet. What is most relevant to her work is the perspective she has gained as a person who has lived with a disability since age thirteen.
Leah Simeone was born with bilateral hearing loss. She studied history at Queen's University, and law at the University of Ottawa. In 2012, Leah successfully completed the articling internship requirement required to become a lawyer licensed to practice in Ontario. Leah is strongly interested in disability rights in Canada and currently participates in the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association. Learn more about Leah at www.leahsimeone.com.
Marie Laporte-Stark has worked for the federal government since 1987. She is married to Chris Stark, mother of Jeff and Chantal, and grandmother of Rowan and Abigale. Marie and Chris live in Ottawa, Ontario, and are looking forward to the beginning of their retirement years, and more than likely new challenges, as seniors who have disabilities.
Shelley Ann Morris was born and raised in Ottawa. Although her disabilities are lifelong, she is encouraged by the many technological advances that have enabled people with disabilities to take their place in the workforce. She thinks, however, that we still have much to do to remove misconceptions that still stand in the way for many. People with disabilities must also take a positive, proactive approach to career planning and job search. When not at work, Shelley is a sprint distance triathlete and avid music fan, devoting time to volunteer with Ottawa's many music festivals.
Paula Keirstead has worked and volunteered as a disability activist all 38 years of her career in the areas of women with disability issues, education, employment, human rights, health care, poverty, housing, recreation, parenthood/family issues, newcomer issues at the international, national, provincial and local levels.
Susan Forster has worked on disability, diversity and human rights issues for a number of years in the community and for government.
Diane Driedger is a former provincial coordinator of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities. Her latest book, an edited collection, is: Living the Edges: A Disabled Women's Reader (Inanna, 2010).
Harry Wolbert is a disability and antipoverty advocate in Manitoba. He and his wife Valerie live in the City of Winnipeg.
Gary Malkowski, the son of a Polish-speaking father, who worked at Stelco and a French-speaking mother, a cafeteria worker, was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. He received a BA in social work and psychology and a Masters degree in Rehabilitation Counselling from Gallaudet University, the only accredited university for the Deaf in the world, in Washington D.C. Gary is currently special advisor to the president, public affairs, at The Canadian Hearing Society. Gary is also a part-time civics teacher of Deaf students at the International Yeshivas High School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Toronto.
Mary Ennis has worked at local, provincial, national, and international levels with diverse organizations including women’s groups, disability organizations, multicultural populations, youth and seniors. Mary has experience in policy analysis and development, strategic planning, board development, financial management, capacity building and partnership development. She is currently the co-ordinator of the Peer Support Volunteer Program with the Seniors Resource Centre of Newfoundland and Labrador, and does consulting work as well, specializing in qualitative research methodologies, including interviews, focus groups and case studies.
David Best has been an IT Specialist for more than 30 years and, as an advocate for corporate diversity and inclusion, he is passionate about improving career opportunities for disabled Canadians. Despite losing his sight at an early age, David has experienced the challenges of outdoor living in some of Canada's remote and majestic parklands.
Mai Nhu Nguyen received her Honours BSc degree in psychology from Université de Montréal. She is a research associate with the Research Adaptech Network and is currently completing a Certificate in Translation.
Alena Wickware is a student of Carleton University (CU). In the fall she will be studying her final year of undergraduate Social Work and her minor in American Sign Language. As a hard of hearing student she has worked hard, not only to overcome the issues of accessibility in her studies, but also making the programs she is enrolled in more accessible for other students. Last year, she was a class assistant with Carleton University’s first year ASL program for two semesters, and is also a recognized tutor for first and second year students through CU’s Course Specific Tutor Referral System. She hosts a weekly social group for ASL users and the Deaf community every Thursday at different locations, based on group interest and provides activities and event information to members. She is also an active volunteer with Ottawa’s Mayfest Committee, helping out with the 2011 and 2012 cultural events. Alena is a dedicated worker and is passionate about improving accessibility for hard of hearing, oral deaf and culturally Deaf persons in Canada. She is very excited to work with the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, and proud to represent this organization.
Alan Conway holds a BA with high honours in French literature from the University of Saskatchewan and a Masters in translation from the University of Montreal. He worked from October 1981 until December 2011 – three years as a translator and 27 years as an interpreter.
Anne M. McPhee lives in Rollo Bay, PEI with her husband Billy MacMaster. Together they own and operate a small business while Anne works part-time as a Hospice Coordinator. Anne is an active volunteer in her community and with a number of provincial organizations including 10 years on the Board for the PEI Council of People with Disabilities. Anne has a passion for music and like her father, plays the fiddle. If she is not participating musically, you will find her with her camera taking pictures to promote the activity of the day.
Carole Willans is a member of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association and a past national president.
Doreen Gyorkos has been a member of the CCD National Council of Representatives.
Anu Pala, co-ordinator of the Virtual Employ-Ability program, facilitator and career coach, brings her positive attitude and proactive nature to her work each day. Over the past 15 years, Anu has worked towards initiatives that promote women’s empowerment and inclusion of persons with disabilities through workshops, employer engagement, media and wellness coaching.
A graduate of the career development program at Simon Fraser University and certified professional co-active coach training, Anu takes pride in motivating people to maximize their potential and opportunities and work towards living a positive and fulfilling life. Through her vision loss, she uses her personal journey to inspire, empower and move her clients towards reaching their personal and professional goals.
Colleen Watters is a policy analyst with the Disabilities Issues Office (DIO) Manitoba Government. She is a member of the Provincial Council of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) and chairs the MLPD’s Ethics Committee.
John Rae is a co-chairperson of CCD’s Access to Technology Committee.
Natalie Martiniello recently completed her BA in English with a Minor in education from McGill University, where she graduated with a Dean's Honours designation. She now attends the University of Montreal with her current guide dog, Carlina, where she is pursuing a Masters in vision rehabilitation teaching. She is also working as a research assistant for the Adaptech Research Network - a team that researches the experiences of postsecondary students with disabilities in education and beyond.
Gary Birch, OC, is a Canadian Paralympian, an expert in brain-computer interface technology and executive director of the Neil Squire Society. In 2008, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. He continues to champion accessibility through his research and development work in assistive technologies at the University of British Columbia and with the Neil Squire Society.
Dr. Sukhai graduated with his PhD in medical biophysics from the University of Toronto in 2007. He is currently a cancer research scientist and project manager within the molecular diagnostic lab at the University Health Network in Toronto.
Yvonne Peters has practiced law as a sole practitioner since 1993, specializing in human rights and equality rights. Yvonne’s current work includes legal advisor to the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, Vice-Chair of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, a co-investigator in a Community-University Research Alliance project entitled Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship.
Sandra Carpenter is the Executive Director of the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto.
Dave Martin is a senior advisor on Disability Issues, Province of Manitoba.
Traci Walters, the retired national director of Independent Living Canada, is an award-winning disability educator/Independent Living leader, Alumni - Governor General's Leadership Conference, Recipient - International Meritorious Service Award for Endless Effort and Passionate Heart by the Global IL Network. Traci continues to passionately promote the Independent Living movement as a volunteer IL Ambassador.
Neil Graham received a B Sc in mathematics from the University of Winnipeg in 1997 and an M Sc. in computer science from University of Toronto in 2000. He worked at IBM as a programmer in C, C++ and Java and he managed four different teams. In his current role, he is responsible for a team engaged in optimizing IBM software and hardware products so that they work best when used together. He can be found on LinkedIn or at neilg@teksavvy.com.
Translator, editor, and novelist, Marie-Josée Martin has a passion for words. As a child, she overcame the prognoses of doctors and survived metastatic neuroblastoma. She grew up in Beloeil, Quebec, at a time when access ramps were still novelties. She currently resides in Ottawa.
Nancy Blain has represented the Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada (TVAC) on the Council of Canadians with Disabilities’ National Council of Representatives.
Audrey Thorhaug is working in Regina.
Jim Derksen, single father of two children, worked at a variety of jobs developing and managing organizations of persons with disabilities and undertaking public policy analysis both for government and community groups.
Daniel Halechko worked as a carpenter for about 10 years until a back injury forced him to change careers. He obtained a BA in sociology and soon came to realize traditional "secure" jobs were not available due to lack of experience. He volunteered a lot to gain experience; mostly in nontraditional advocacy jobs e.g. Injured Workers Association (IWA), Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD), Reaching E-Quality Employment Services. His volunteer experience opened doors for successful employment as executive director, at the IWA, co-ordinator of the Workers with Disabilities Project and Coordinator of the Thumbs Up for Access Project at the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD).
Becky Brownlee is a 31 year old resident of Brandon Manitoba. She is a daughter, sister, friend, athlete and shining example of how successful participation in the workforce can be for Canadians living with disabilities.
Amber-Joy Boyd is a self-proclaimed disability enthusiast. She has worked at the Saskatchewan Voice of People with Disabilities in Regina Saskatchewan. Through her work she helps people solve exotic problems and helps to save the world by making it a more disability-friendly place. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, photography, geocaching and going for cupcakes with friends.
Teresa Beauregard is a mother who strives to ensure her daughter's future is in good hands.
Deanna Ng has a visual impairment that she has had since birth due to being born too early. This has allowed her the experiences that enable her to work with others with disabilities in advocating for an equal playing field.
Greg Plosz is the father of Jay Plosz.
Jay Plosz was the first student with different abilities to graduate from his high school and he received the award for the most outstanding graduate. He was very unhappy to leave school and was diagnosed with depression. Since high school he has moved to a home of his own that he shares with a roommate. He has had several jobs and has found he likes working in an office environment.
Marie B.-Lemieux is the Director General of the Association pour l’intégration sociale (Quebec region). (www.aisq.org).
Creativity transcends disability and Milli Flaig-Hooper exemplifies this as a paper artist. She owns and operates her own business with support from her network.
Nora Carnegie was born with a deformed spine (congenital roto-scoliosis focussed in the thoracic and cervical regions, with overlapping vertebrate, hemi-vertebrae, and fused vertebrae), as well as partial deafness (moderate sensorineural low frequency deafness), and has acquired osteoarthritis in her spine (which has led to deteriorated discs and deteriorated facets), and mild high frequency deafness over the last 10 years.
Sarah Wilson graduated from the Social Service Worker Program at Algonquin College.
Born in Meteghan, Digby County Nova Scotia, Claredon Robicheau comes from a family of six siblings, four including him are wheelchair users. Because he was only affected by muscular dystrophy at age 19, he feels privileged to have played hockey, baseball and was a licensed scuba diver. Graduating from Saint Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Commerce was a great deal for him along with working for a bank in New Brunswick for 12 years. In 1993 he moved back to his hometown and enjoys being a full-time volunteer with the Lions Club (20 years), Council of Canadians with Disabilities (6 years), Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunities (19 years), was a member of the NS poverty working group and the West Nova Scotia Inclusive Employment Society (15 years). In 1996 he was the founder and pioneer of Nova Scotia’s first community-based transportation program, Le Transport de Clare Society. There are now 14 such programs in Nova Scotia. He credits many community-minded people for that growth. In 2002 he was the recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and in 2012 he was the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Monique Beaudoin, who is vision impaired from birth, did her primary and secondary education at the Institut Nazareth in Montreal, a school for francophones with vision impairment. She has a degree in industrial relations from the Université du Québec à Hull, now called Université du Québec en Outaouais. In 1979, Converto-Braille Services offered her a job as a proofreader of Braille documents. Monique has been very active in community organizations. Currently, Monique is the director general of the Regroupement des associations de personnes handicapées de l’Outaouais Gatineau (Québec).
Paul Young is a consultant on disability issues. He is a Past President of People First of Canada, founding President of People First of Nova Scotia, and the first person with a label to be the Chair of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.
Emily Ternette was born and raised in Winnipeg with her older sister and younger brother. She was born with a birth defect called spina bifida. She grew up in East Kildonan and attended a private girls’ school from Grades 8 - 12. Emily went to both the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg, and was also trained at Red River Community College as a media writer. Emily has been involved in the disability community for the past twenty-five years, working with others towards attaining equal rights for citizens with disabilities. She currently works in the area of communications and human rights advocacy with the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities. In her spare time, Emily plays with her three grandchildren. She also writes poetry.
Frances Sinclair-Kaspick is a First Nation woman and a band member of the Peguis Reserve in Manitoba. Frances was born with her disability. Her disability is labelled as a congenital, quadrilateral amputee. From birth, Frances’s maternal grandmother, Frances Sr., raised her, instilling determination and independence and the will to strive and become all that she can be!
Karen Lai works as a program coordinator for the Abilities in Mind (AIM) program where she works with businesses to raise awareness and education on the issues of diversifying their workforce of people with disabilities. She has 15 years of passion and experience of working towards the inclusion and accessibility of persons with disabilities in communities through delivering recreation opportunities and working with governance to review their policies. She enjoys working with individuals, companies, and municipalities to develop initiatives and workshops to increase the involvement of persons with disabilities within several British Columbia communities. She has gained a wealth of knowledge through her lived experience of having Cerebral Palsy which is complemented by her Bachelors of Recreation Management and a Masters of Human Kinetics from the University of British Columbia. She concentrated her thesis on looking at the meanings and strategies of social inclusion of people with disabilities. She hopes that she will live to see the day where there is no “distinguishing line” between people with disabilities and people without disabilities, because the bottom line is that we are all people first.
Donna Jodhan was the president of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC). Ms. Jodhan has undertaken test case litigation to compel the federal government to make its websites accessible to persons with disabilities.
Chris Stark has worked for the federal government since 1984. He is married to Marie Laporte-Stark, father of Jeff and Chantal, and grandfather of Rowan and Abigale. Chris and Marie live in Ottawa Ontario, and are looking forward to the beginning of their retirement years and, more than likely, new challenges, as seniors who have disabilities.
Catherine S. Fichten (PhD in Psychology, McGill University) is a co-director of the Adaptech Research Network, a professor in the Psychology Department at Dawson College, an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University, and a clinical psychologist in the Behavioral Psychotherapy and Research Unit of the Jewish General Hospital.
Paula Ann Stewart (AKA Vaquous2013) is a freelance writer, visual and fine artist and poet, living in the Borough of Notre-Dame-de-Grace in Montreal, Quebec, Canada -- an area of the city, renowned for its social activism and for its vibrant community of artists and students. Paula has submitted/published much of her work online and has kept a blog for a short period of time. More recently her work was published by “MindFreedom”, an organization that supports victims of psychiatric abuse. She is preparing to go into the music studio next year to record some of her original songs and lyrics, while simultaneously working on a series of Afrocentric Serigraphic artwork, to be completed late next year. And finally, her latest project is a book of poetry based on her time spent in detox, on a local psych ward.
Derek Legge originally became involved in the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) in 1975, when he started the first branch of the MLPD in Brandon, MB. After moving back home to Winnipeg in 1977, he began working in the area of employment and disability, eventually becoming an intake officer at the Manitoba Human Rights Commission in 1987 until retirement in 2004. He received the CCD Award in 2003 for initiating a number of access-promoting projects over the years.
End Exclusion supporters rally in support of an accessible and inclusive Canada.