Gaining Meaningful Employment: A Job Seeker’s Perspective

Introduction

The employment of persons with disabilities is a very broad and diverse field. Even though there are some common themes in this field such as workplace accommodations, barriers to employment and disclosure, the employment of persons with disabilities is unique. It is most important to remember that persons with disabilities are people first and their differences must be valued by those who assist them to enter the labour market. Each person with a disability will face their own specific set of challenges and the challenges faced by one, may or may not necessarily be the same challenges faced by another person with a similar disability. Even though persons with disabilities have obstacles to overcome in their job search, it is important to remember they also have skills, knowledge and abilities required to find and maintain meaningful employment.

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EmployAbilities: Putting Abilities to Work

By Mahenaz Layton

EmployAbilities: Putting Abilities to Work

Life changed for Therese Lehoux six years ago when she came to EmployAbilities. Her husband Jim had heard an ad on the radio about EmployAbilities’ mission to support persons with disabilities through economic independence, and encouraged her to explore the opportunity. “I couldn’t believe it – could they really help to train and get me a real job”, she wondered.

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Searching for Employment – Challenges for People with Disabilities

By Julia Wright

Looking for and securing employment opportunities has many challenges. In a very competitive labour market job seekers have to ensure that their skills and abilities, as well as their personal attributes, meet the required needs of the employer. Marketing yourself to ensure that you stand out above the rest is in and of itself a challenge. Now incorporate a disability and the challenges become greater – but not impossible! In Canada, approximately 10% of the working age population (ages 15-64) has a disability. While 78% of the able-bodied population is actively employed, only 44% of people who have a disability are employed.

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New Programs and Initiatives

By Margaret Hardy

Abilities Plus

Abilities Plus is a unique matching placement service that brokers the skills and abilities of self-employed contractors, who have a disability, to identified outsourcing needs of the business community. The intent is to provide opportunities for successful participation or re-integration into the mainstream of Canadian social and economic life.

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Regional Voices

From the Atlantic Region

A new interactive board game, called The Career Learning Game, for use with Inuit students in Labrador was recently unveiled in St. John’s. It was developed by the Labrador Inuit Association in partnership with Memorial’s Department of Career Development and Experiential Learning and the Counselling Foundation of Canada. The Career Learning Game helps youth explore and learn about different career paths, and the education requirements needed for different career options

Find out more about the Career Learning Game at:

www.today.mun.ca/news.php?news_id=699
http://www.nunatsiavut.com/the-latest/newsletters

The Canadian Counselling Association is holding its annual national conference in St. John’s from May 24-27. This year’s theme is “The Roots of Resilience”. Complete details can be accessed at https://www.ccac.ca/.

 

Lisa Russell is the Seniors Arts Career Development Coordinator at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She is the Atlantic Regional Voices Representative.

From Quebec

Have you heard about the new “Guidance-Oriented Approach to Learning” (GOAL) developed by the Quebec school boards? This new approach follows the Quebec Government’s decision to drop courses in career choices education from the curriculum. Students still have to go through some vocational reflections, but now there is no separate time, nor specific administrator devoted to this exercise. All teachers and other professionals in the school system can participate in some GOAL activities.

Relevant information on the Guidance-Oriented Approach to Learning is available in English at http://www.learnquebec.ca/goal1. However, because the Guidance-Oriented Approach (“l’approche orientante” as it better known) was initially developed at the French-language school boards, most resources are in French. Francophone readers can read more about l’approche orientante in the Spring Issue of the OrientAction Bulletin, to be released in May.

While Quebec was the first Canadian province to apply the GOAL, over the last couple of years New Brunswick has adapted the program and Ontario is now beginning implementation on an experimental basis. Stay tuned for more developments!

 

Nathalie Perreault is the Program and Content Manager for OrientAction

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Snapshot

By Robb Nickel

The Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (CCDS)

The Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (CCDS) is a consumer-directed, university-affiliated centre dedicated to research, education and information dissemination on disability issues. The Centre promotes full and equal participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of society. CCDS is guided by the philosophies of independent living and community living, emphasizing human rights, self-determination, interdependence, equality, a cross-disability focus, and full and valued participation in the community. Members of the disability community are key participants in directing CCDS policies and activities.

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