CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Helping hands: the benefit of hiring people with disabilities

Smithers Interior News - 10/16/2018

If you walked down Main Street in September, you are probably familiar with the work of Perry Rath's students. They are the ones who painted the colourful logos and slogans on the windows of local business, expressing support for B.C.'s Disability Employment Month.

"The school year had just started and he [Perry Rath] came up just told us briefly about what was happening," said Brooke Delwisch, a student of Perry Rath's art class at Smithers Secondary School.

"He asked if we would be interested and we said 'yeah, for sure.' I thought it would be a great opportunity to give back to the community … So me and my friends went out there and we did what we love, which is painting, and we did it all over town. We talked to people about it a just brought awareness to a good cause."

September was first declared to be Disability Employment Month by the provincial government in 2014, signalling the start of a 10-year plan by Social Development Innovation Minister Don McRae and Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility Linda Larson to have British Columbia reach the goal of having the highest labour participation rate for people with disabilities nationwide.

"Every year in September we do something," said Diana Jex. "Last year we did a street venue outside of Bugwood Bean. We had service providers in the community provide their resources with flipcharts, posters, information resources and such."

"Our vision for this was to paint as many windows up and down Main Street as we could, to bring awareness of supporting disability month and inclusion," said Lee Storie, who approached local businesses with the idea for painting their windows. "We already have a large amount of employers that support inclusion of people with disabilities but we felt that it was a good visual impact to have the windows painted so people could walk up and down Main Street and see the colours, have a look at the logo, and read what it says."

"Then when we connected with the art class … we made a date and we set out with our paints and our logo and we started painting the businesses that agreed to let us paint their windows. It took us three days: two hours in the morning for three days. The response was really positive," said Storie.

Lee Storie and Diana Jex work for WCG Services, an organization collaborating with Community Living BC (CLBC)-funded groups (New Directions Holdings, High Road Services Society, and The Grendel Group) to increase the employment and inclusion of disabled people living in the Bulkley Valley.

"It's important for the employer to see the benefit of hiring people with disabilities," says Storie. "Oftentimes employers do have a need; whether it is for customized employment, or somebody to come in to do specific tasks that employers can't get to. So they come in with their own ability and are able to do tasks that are beneficial to the employer. They prove that they are beneficial to having in the workforce and being part of a team."

In the first week of October, WorkBC will be handing out special certificates to businesses that have hired disabled persons.

"[The certificates are] to create awareness and show appreciation to employers who hire people who have a disability," said Jex. "Each certificate is unique, hand-painted or coloured by individuals with a disability."

"Just to go and spread that awareness was a great experience for me, because it is something I truly do believe in," said Brooke Delwisch. "If you have a disability it doesn't change who you are, you are still a person; we should still treat you with the same respect and love everyone."

WCG Services, alongside with New Directions Holdings, High Road Services Society, and The Grendel Group, wish to show appreciation to the following businesses for hiring people with disabilities:

· Four Dimensions Computer Centre

· Sport Chek

· Bulkley Valley Wholesale

· NAPA Auto Parts

· Aspen Inn and Suites

· Prestige Hudson Bay Lodge

· Finishing Touches

· Smithers Home Hardware

· Smithers Interior News

· IKitchen High Road Services Society

· Two Sisters Café

· Smithers & Area Recycling Centre

· RS Janitorial Services

· Alpine Peaks- High Road Services Society

· Daddios Family restaurant

· Pharmasave Smithers

· Safeway Smithers

· McDonalds

· Pioneer Place Senior Centre

· New to You

· Stork Nest Inn

· Chatters Pizzaria & Bistro

· Bugwood Bean Smithers

· Woodmere Nursery

· Tales and Ales U Brew

· Morkel Medical Centre

· Nature's Pantry

· Schimmel's Bakery

· Fields Smithers

· Trackside Cantina

· Jerry's No Frills

· Smithers Lumber Yard ltd

· Boston Pizza

· Tandoori Bistro

· Shoppers Drug Mart

· Tim Hortons

· Bryan Matthews

· A&W Restaurant

· Mills Office Productivity –Spee Dee interior stationary

Nationwide News