HDisability Empowerment
How has your sports career shaped your perspective on inclusion and empowerment?
Iâve had hundreds of job interviews, and it came to the point where theyâd consistently say, âYouâre fantastic; a ton of people will hire you.â Well, how come not you? With each person turning me down, they didnât bother to ask what I could or couldnât do. They assumed I couldnât do the job based on my appearance. The breaking point that always pivoted almost every job interview that got me hired was when the interview conversation steered toward the recreational. So at my first job, there were skis in the corner of his office. When I finished the interview and saw the skis, thatâs when we went into conversation. And then, when he hired me, he said, âYeah, well, I figured if you could ski downhill, you could answer the telephone, right?â So recreation and high-performance sports have given me credibility during job interviews. And when I had that light bulb moment, it certainly became part of how I would engage people. Participating in high-performance sports gave me credibility in a way that not being a high-performance athlete before did.
When facing obstacles, what has helped motivate you to push through, or in other words, be unstoppable?
On my first day of school, my mom and I were face to face with the principal, and he took one look at me and said, âIâm sorry, Tracy canât go to this school.â There werenât support workers for children with disabilities at schools then. So he saw me without hands and legs. There was only one teacher and 30 kids, so he wasnât even being a bad guy. There just wasnât anybody to support a student with no hands and no legs. So, my mom said, âI understand. Can we just try for a week since weâre here today while I find some of those other
aving an intellectual disability does not prevent people from living healthy lives. The stigma surrounding the employability of people with these conditions limits their ability and potential to succeed in society and be part of communities.
There are approximately 645,000 Canadians with disabilities. Many of whom are unemployed or underemployed. Although workforces are more sensitive in the present to creating inclusive cultures, thereâs still a lot of work to be done in shifting the perspective of how organizations view people with an intellectual disability.
Supporting people with an intellectual disability
Like everyone else, people with an intellectual disability have emotions, aspirations, and the desire to live fulfilling lives. Community
with the âUnstoppable Tracyâ Schmitt
Mediaplanet caught up with âUnstoppable Tracy,â Canadian Disability Hall of Famer, on promoting inclusiveness in the
schools youâre talking about?â And so he agreed, and my mom just looked at me, saying, âTracy, itâs really important that you and everybodyâs included. Nobody left behind.â
Fast forward to recess time, and Iâm not there. I never made it outside. So the principal went inside to ask my teacher, âWhat happened? She couldnât tie her shoelaces?â And my teacher was confused. And she says, âTracy was the first one to tie her shoelaces.â And heâs like, âWell, then how come she wasnât outside?â And she said, âHer little friend couldnât tie her shoelaces.â It turned out none of the 30 kids could tie their shoelaces. By the time I tied 30 shoelaces, the recess bell had gone off. I learned that day that when the principal said no, it just meant he didnât âknow.â
What do you believe can be done to further promote inclusive and accessible communities?
A great way to promote is by ensuring visibility and in authentic roles. So, for example, people might bring me in for their accessibility conference as their keynote speaker. How about bringing me in for your leadership development? Iâm an adult woman with an MBA, so overqualified for the entry-level and they donât imagine me in those senior positions. So, get people in the door, and if you donât have employment, make an effort to contract people with disabilities. The untapped market potential is to include people with a disability declared or people who have something different going on and, as a result, are unstoppable about being creative problem solvers and ensuring no oneâs left behind. And that includes your finances, creative marketing, heartfelt leadership, and genuine, authentic souls that people are looking for in these susceptible post-COVID-19 times.
Living Toronto (CLTO) has supported people with an intellectual disability for 74 years and works with over 4,000 people and their families in over 80 locations across Toronto.
Shineeca McLeod is one of the people that CLTO has helped through employment support to be financially independent and thrive in a community. She worked for over six years as a cleaner for Sunrise Janitorial Services. Her job requires organization, planning, scheduling, decision-making abilities, and knowledge of chemical compounds to mix the appropriate products for cleaning. As Shineeca demonstrated leadership skills, she advanced into a role as Crew Lead, where she trains new employees. Shineeca enjoys her job because it is multi-faceted and allows her to bring positivity into peopleâs days.
âHaving an intellectual disability doesnât make me any different, and Iâm not ashamed
of having it,â says Shineeca. Shineeca shares that employers who want to create an inclusive workspace must be open-minded, learn to accommodate various learning and communication styles, and make an effort to understand what opportunities best suit them.
CLTOâs recruitment platform for hiring people with an intellectual disability After long-standing work facilitating the hiring process between people with an intellectual disability and organizations that want to foster an inclusive workspace, CLTO received funding from the Government of Ontario to launch MyJobMatch. This recruitment platform is built from the knowledge and best practices CLTO developed over their years of service. The database has over 200 active employers ready to provide meaningful work.
Sabrina Seecharran
The time for change is now.
This International Persons with Disabilities Day, itâs time to act.
Although the world has changed dramatically for people with sight loss over the last few decades, our community continues to face significant barriers to daily life. From work to education to accessibility of built environments to social inclusion.
For more than 100 years, CNIB has worked alongside Canadian communities to deliver innovative programs and powerful advocacy. Our mission âempowering people impacted by blindness to live their dreams and tear down barriers to inclusion.
In the last five years, weâve:
Launched new and innovative programs like CNIB Guide Dogs.
Launched the Phone It Forward program, which has since given out more than 2,300 smartphones to people with sight loss who need them nationwide.
Championed changes to the Accessible Canada Act, to make Canadaâs new accessibility legislation stronger and more accountable.
Developed thousands of new virtual programs so every Canadian with sight loss could continue to have a community of support, free from geographical and physical barriers.
Joined forces with Moneris Solutions and created an accessible in-store payment terminal for use nationwide.
But the work is far from over.
Our community is telling us that what weâve accomplished so far is great, but our mission will be limited if we donât break through some key barriers that continue to exist in our society. We have to draw a line in the sand that says âWeâve had enough and weâre not asking for change anymore. Weâre demanding it.â
The Way Forward
John M. Rafferty President and CEO | CNIB
Together, weâre demanding a more inclusive Canada where...
Employers can discover the full potential of Canadaâs talent.
There are no barriers to transportation and transit for people with sight loss across Canada.
Misconceptions about people living
with
sight loss are dispelled.
But we canât tear down these barriers alone. We need allies. We must shout our message from the rooftops and engage everyone we can â including the general public, like-minded organizations, political representatives, and community advocates â to stand with us.
We want people who are blind to be seen the way others are seen. Being blind is a characteristic; it doesnât define who I am. We have to get past the stage where society says about a person who is blind âthey canâtâ, and change that societal attitude to âthey canâ.
Robert Fenton, CNIB Board Chair
Lack of awareness about the realities of life with blindness and sight loss is the underlying barrier that creates some of the most harm to our community. We need to take bold and swift action now It âs time to find our loudest voices and be relentless in advocating for people with sight loss. Our community deserves nothing less.
Keya Osborne, Provincial Director, CNIB (Ontario)
Empowering People with Disabilities through a Culture of Accommodation
For people with disabilities, gainful employment is key to personal empowerment, and hereâs what employers can do to accommodate their employees.
NIDMAR
At a time of drastic labour shortages across the country, people with disabilities remain a valuable untapped workforce. Yet approximately 1.5 million Canadians with disabilities are unemployed and living in poverty.
An additional half million employed Canadians are unable to work every week due to mental health issues. Both mental and physical health impairments impose negative economic and social outcomes on affected individuals, their families, and society at large.
With an estimated 80 per cent of all mental and physical health impairments occurring during an individualâs working life, one of the most important empowerment strategies for people with disabilities is maintaining their inclusivity in the workforce through effective workplace-based accommodation efforts.
Itâs only through a dedicated workplace commitment in support of effective accommodation that people with disabilities can maintain their financial independence. Many jurisdictions around the world have already implemented supportive regulatory conditions, recognizing that employers who accommodate their own disabled workers are also more likely to reduce disability-related stigma across the organization.
As the world marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, similar efforts across Canadian
jurisdictions are picking up steam. Under the Accessible Canada Act, the federal government aims to establish a barrier-free Canada by 2040. Accessibility legislation is in force in six provinces so far, including under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The Accessible B.C. Act has now been mandated in 750 public sector workplaces.
In addition, return to work programs are also on the agenda. Employersâ return to work obligations are embedded under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act.
Disability rights champion, Wolfgang Zimmermann, is the Executive Director of the National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR) and President of the Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences (PCU-WHS). PCU-WHS is a leading-edge university in the field of disability management and return to work education and research.
opportunity to have their disability management practices assessed free of charge. A Workplace Disability Management Assessment (WDMA) establishes a benchmark, identifies gaps, and creates a roadmap for improvements.
Zimmermann asserts, âGainful employment is key to long-term personal empowerment and self-determination for people with disabilities. But we wonât achieve an equitable, diverse, and inclusive society until employers accommodate their own employees who acquire a mental or physical health impairment.â
When it comes to accommodating people with impairments, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities advocates for accommodations that are reasonable and doable. Job restructuring, changes in assignments, and flexible working hours or breaks are all examples of reasonable accommodations.
In support of the UNâs evidence-based strategy, NIDMAR received funding from the federal government and the BC provincial government, offering employers the
AMIâs Kelly and Ramya Discusses Issues That Impact the Disability Community
New name. New platform. Same great hosts. Accessible Media Inc. is excited to announce the launch of KellyandRamya!
Beginning Monday, January 9, 2023, Kelly and Company will be rebranded as Kelly and Ramya as it joins AMI-tv, airing weekdays from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern from AMIâs new production studio in Toronto. Kelly and Ramya will continue on AMI-audio and a podcast.
On Kelly and Ramya, viewers join hosts Kelly MacDonald and Ramya Amuthan for the latest on lifestyle and entertainment, community events across the country, and thoughtful discussion on issues that impact the disability community. Joining the duo are over 30 contributors who share expert advice on everything from assistive technology to human rights, employment, health and wellness, all through a disability lens. Additionally, eight community reporters from across the country â all from the blind and partially sighted community â share local events and happenings viewers and
listeners should be aware of.
âI look forward to being able to smile at our audience every day and share with them the joy I feel about coming into their homes,â Kelly MacDonald says. âI canât wait for new viewers to meet our amazing contributors, learn from them, and see how diverse and inclusive Kelly and Ramya is.â
âThe show is thoughtful, lively, and a good time on AMI-audio, and it will continue to be all those things on AMI-tv,â Ramya Amuthan says. âWe value sharing our on-air space with the community, we enjoy laughs together, we make room for the difficult conversations, and we listen and learn as much as we share.â
Veteran broadcaster Kelly MacDonald has been a part of AMI since the companyâs fledgling days as VoicePrint, where he joined as a studio producer. A ubiquitous presence in the blind and partially sighted community,
âEffective accommodation support through workplaces is pivotal in maintaining sustainable workforce participation following onset of a health impairment, and is critical in breaking the often-vicious cycle of disability-unemployment-poverty,â stresses Zimmermann.
article was sponored by
Kelly launched Kelly and Company in 2016 to share a wealth of information, entertainment, and thoughtful discussion on dis ability issues.
An alumna of Seneca Collegeâs Broadcasting - Radio program, Ramya Amuthan is a second-generation broadcaster. Soon after becoming an intern at AMI in 2017, Ramya joined Kelly and Company as a contributor. Ramya began mentoring Kelly and Company âs team of contributors and took up the co-host seat a year later. She has offered blind and partially sighted audiences her unique brand of quick-witted humour and insightful perspectives as a woman of colour with low vision.
Technology that Champions Equity and Empowers Ability
Technology is all around us â it touches every part of our lives. Yet many people take it for granted.
For people with disabilities, technology is often essential and can be transformative. It facilitates work, education, and community participation. Devices help connect them with loved ones, enable independence, and, in many cases, lead to career success. That is if they can afford it.
Liubov Moisieieava needed financial support to access vital tech after losing her job â sheâd been working as an insurance broker when she lost her voice to dysphonia. Fortunately, she heard about March of Dimes Canadaâs Tech for Impact Fund and applied. Liubov received a new laptop that sheâs using to train for a new career, which will help her build a brighter future for herself and her family.
So much of todayâs life-changing technology â whether itâs a large-print keyboard or voice-recognition software â is often too expensive for people who need it most, like Liubov. March of Dimes Canada is changing that.
As a leading national charity, March of Dimes Canada provides a suite of Accessible Technology programs and services that empower people with disabilities to live and thrive in their communities. That includes removing barriers to technology so people can access the devices and training they need. You can make this life-changing support available to someone with a disability by donating to March of Dimes Canadaâs Power of Tech Campaign today.