Minister's
Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities
Council
Mandate
The Council advises the Ministry of Employment and Income
Assistance (MEIA) on solutions and strategies for increasing the
employment, employability and independence of persons with
disabilities, particularly through partnerships with business and
industry throughout British Columbia.
Leadership, partnership and action by employers, persons with
disabilities, governments, community-based organizations, and
other stakeholders are integral to the success of the Employment
Strategy for Persons with Disabilities and to the achievement of
British Columbia’s Great Goal Three: to build the best system of
support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with
special needs, children at risk, and seniors.
The Council is a “call to action” and a positive challenge to
British Columbia’s business community.
Letter From the Minister
On behalf of the Government of British
Columbia, I am pleased to present the
2006-07 Annual Report of the Minister’s Council on
Employment for Persons with Disabilities.
The Council’s many positive achievements are
made possible through the excellent partnerships
we enjoy with business, community-based
organizations and municipal government. This past year,
together, we have made tremendous progress in our drive to
increase the hiring of persons with disabilities. I would like to
thank each of the Council’s members, including His Worship Sam
Sullivan, Mayor of Vancouver and co-chair of the Council, for the
hard work and dedication they have brought to this important
undertaking.
One of the most innovative things we have done this year is issue
the 10 by 10 Challenge. The aim of the Challenge is to increase
the employment of persons with disabilities by 10 per cent by
2010. We are striving to accomplish this in all regions of the
province – community by community – in time for the 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Community and business
support has, to date, been outstanding and we continue to gain
momentum as we work towards our goal.
To support the 10 by 10 Challenge, the Minister’s Council
launched a greatly improved WorkAble Solutions website. This
site is the provincial government’s first truly inter-active,
accessible website for the disabled, making it much easier for
employers and potential employees to connect. The website is
both for persons with disabilities looking for work and for
employers looking for great talent in our booming economy.
The $25 million Disability Supports for Employment Fund
continues to remove barriers to employment by funding creative
projects that provide disability-related supports to improve the
employability of individuals with disabilities.
To actively promote initiatives like the 10 by 10 Challenge and
WorkAble Solutions, the Council’s Speakers’ Bureau extends a
“call to action” to the community. Presentations to encourage the
hiring of persons with disabilities are being made by Minister’s
Council members throughout the province.
Of course, who can better speak to the benefits of hiring
persons with disabilities than those with a disability? That’s why,
in early 2007, the Minister’s Council developed the WorkAble
Solutions Marketing and Mentoring Project. Seven highly
motivated and qualified individuals with disabilities were hired
to reach out to employers in local communities and present the
strong business case for hiring persons with disabilities using
the WorkAble Solutions tools.
I firmly believe that the Council’s initiatives are having a truly
positive impact in communities across our province. Inclusion is
the right way to go – socially and economically. The Council will
continue to stand squarely behind employers, communities and
the disabled in this very important endeavour.
Yours sincerely,
Claude Richmond
Minister of Employment and Income Assistance
Introduction
to the 2006-2007 Annual Report
In June 2006, His Worship Mayor Sam Sullivan was announced as
Co-Chair of the Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons
with Disabilities. Mayor Sullivan is a recipient of the nation’s
highest honour, the Order of Canada, for his community service
on behalf of marginalized people. He is the founder of six
non-profit organizations that have improved the lives of
thousands of North Americans with disabilities. The Council is
pleased to welcome Mayor Sam Sullivan as Co-Chair.
This fiscal year marked the continuation of initiatives undertaken
in 2005 – 2006, and the launch of new community-focused and
multi-sector approaches to allow the Council to attain its vision of
access and inclusion in employment for persons with disabilities.
In the 2006 – 2007 fiscal year, the Minister’s Council
on Employment for Persons with Disabilities in
partnership with 2010 Legacies Now launched the
10 by 10 Challenge, a province-wide challenge to all
communities and employers to raise the number of
employed persons with disabilities by 10 percent by
2010. This equates to 13,000 new jobs for persons
with disabilities.
This fiscal year also marked the beginning of the WorkAble
Solutions Marketing and Mentoring Project which followed a
nine-month pilot project conducted in 2005 – 2006 fiscal. The
pilot project exceeded expectations and has now been enhanced
with the addition of an energetic new marketing team ready to
increase employer awareness and understanding of the issues and
benefits of recruiting and retaining persons with disabilities using
the WorkAble Solutions tools (see page 8). The project has
expanded its geographic scope to include all five regions of the
province, and now includes a formalized mentorship component
for the marketers.
The Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities
2010 Legacies Now is a not-for-profit society which actively assists communities to
discover and create inclusive
social and economic
opportunities leading up to,
during and beyond the 2010
Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games
The 2006 – 2007 year announced the re-launch of the WorkAble
Solutions Online Service www.workablesolutionsbc.ca. After
months of consultations, planning and development, the
WorkAble Solutions website was publicly released with a new
look, increased functionality, employer authentication and
navigation all with the highest level of Web Accessibility Initiative
compliance.
In addition, the Disability Supports for Employment Fund (DSEF)
continues to provide support for organizations throughout
British Columbia who are working to increase employment
opportunities and ultimately the rate of employment for persons
with disabilities in their communities. In fiscal 2005 – 2006,
Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance endowed an
additional $5 million to the fund. In 2006 – 2007, 18 grants were
awarded to projects providing disability-related supports to
improve the employment situation of persons with disabilities.
Approximately $1.25 million is available annually to be disbursed.
Since its inception, the DSEF has awarded 63 grants,
totaling $3,284,682.
The Minister’s Council is committed to building on initiatives
undertaken over the past four years and continues to develop
strong and lasting partnerships with British Columbia’s business,
not-for-profit and training communities. The 2010 Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games is British Columbia’s opportunity to
showcase the province as a leader in access, inclusion and
employment for persons with disabilities. The Council is focussed
on building capacity in communities throughout the province,
nurturing multi-sectoral partnerships, setting realistic and
meaningful employment related goals, and challenging
communities to assess and address issues of accessibility and
inclusion.
Background
B.C.
'
s Employment Strategy for Persons with Disabilities
Achieving economic and social potential to the fullest
The Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance envisions a
province in which British Columbians in need are assisted to achieve
their social and economic potential. The ministry also provides
services that move people with disabilities toward sustainable
employment and assists individuals and families in need.
In April 2002, the ministry announced a new Employment
Strategy for Persons with Disabilities. The Strategy is a
comprehensive approach to supporting persons with disabilities
who want to take advantage of opportunities to be employed on
a full-time, part-time, temporary, or voluntary basis. It also
provides continued assistance to those who are unable to gain
full independence. The Strategy focuses on developing a broad
range of services and employment-related programs to assist
persons with disabilities move into the labour market and to
improve their employment outcomes.
Components of the Employment Strategy for Persons with
Disabilities include:
- Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities (EPPD)
www.eia.gov.bc.ca/pwd/eppd.htm
EPPD provides a range of specialized services to help persons with
disabilities participate in their communities, pursue their
employment goals as they are able, increase their self-reliance and
build skills and experience that may lead to further employment or
volunteer opportunities. Participation in EPPD is voluntary.
Employment under EPPD includes part-time or full-time paid
employment, self employment or volunteer employment.
The Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities
Extensive consultations have been held with stakeholder groups
and service providers as a basis for an integrated, and streamlined
provincial program. The redesigned program launched July 2007.
- Disability Supports for Employment Fund (DSEF)
www.vancouverfoundation.bc.ca
The DSEF is a $25 million fund that initiates and funds innovative
projects that provide disability supports that enhance the capacity
of agencies and communities to assist adults with disabilities
secure and retain meaningful employment, self-employment and
volunteer work.
Each year, approximately $1.25 million in income from the fund
is available for grants to British Columbia charities. The Minister’s
Council acts as an advisor to the fund, along with four members
appointed by the Vancouver Foundation.
- Minister’s Council on Employment For Persons with
Disabilities
www.eia.gov.bc.ca/epwd/Index.htm
The Minister’s Council establishes a partnership between
government, business, education, community-based
organizations and persons with disabilities. The Council advises
the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance on solutions
and strategies to increase the employment, employability and
independence of persons with disabilities in British Columbia
and undertakes initiatives and partnerships that contribute to the
achievement of this goal.
The Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons with
Disabilities also plays an important leadership role in the
implementation of a Provincial Disability Strategy and in reaching
the Province’s Third Great Goal for a Golden Decade: to build the
best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities,
those with special needs, children at risk, and seniors.
The Disability Strategy has a vision in which British Columbia is a
leader in Canada as a place where people with disabilities live the
life they choose, enabled by an innovative, integrated system of
networked services and personal supports that generate and
sustain welcoming, accessible, and inclusive communities.
A key focus of the Disability Strategy is ensuring that the Province
takes a citizen-centred approach to the planning and delivery of
disability services and supports.
- WorkAble Solutions
www.workablesolutionsbc.ca
In December 2003, the Minister’s Council report, “A Profile of
Persons with Disabilities in British Columbia: Employment, Labour
Market Needs, and Occupational Projections,” examined issues
concerning the employment and employability of persons with
disabilities in British Columbia. The research concluded that
employers were not using the skills and abilities of persons with
disabilities to their maximum potential. Moreover, researchers found
that employers needed access to better, more readily available
information about the benefits persons with disabilities can
contribute to the work place.
This research, coupled with the Minister’s Council report
“Recruitment and Retention of Persons with Disabilities in
British Columbia Research Report” (2004), informed the
development of WorkAble Solutions. On December 3, 2004
WorkAble Solutions was publicly released.
WorkAble Solutions takes a business approach to
marketing the employment of persons with disabilities
to the business community, providing employers with
“Top 10 Reasons to Hire Persons with Disabilities” which dissolves myths about job performance,
attendance, accommodation costs and educational
attainment levels of persons with disabilities.
The WorkAble Solutions tools include:
I. Employer Handbook and What Every Employer Needs to
Know Brochure
The Employer Handbook is a practical ‘how-to’ guide to
recruiting, retaining and accommodating employees with
disabilities. It provides useful information to employers on
how to implement the seven components of the recruitment
and retention cycle.
1. Getting started
2. Job design
3. Recruitment
4. Orientation and Preparation
5. Employee Development
6. Retention
7. Return to work
The brochure highlights the Top Ten reasons for hiring persons
with disabilities, as well as new tools to support employers in
recruiting and retaining persons with disabilities.
- British Columbia employers are facing
increasing challenges to find and keep
skilled workers in a globally
competitive market.
- British Columbians with disabilities
provide a talent pool of 300,000 working
age persons.
- Persons with disabilities represent $25
billion in spending power in Canada.
- British Columbians with disabilities
have virtually the same educational
achievements as those without
disabilities.
- The job performance of persons with
disabilities has proven to meet or exceed
that of employees without disabilities.
- The cost of many workplace
accommodations is minimal.
- Disability management and return-to-work programs are proactive,
cost effective measures.
- The reluctance to hire persons with
disabilities is often based on myths,
attitudes and a lack of information.
- A diverse network of agencies and
service providers are ready, willing and
able to assist you in hiring and retaining
persons with disabilities.
- When you hire persons with disabilities,
you build an inclusive, effective and
productive work environment.
II. Website: www.workablesolutionsbc.ca
The WorkAble Solutions website is a job source that connects
employers, job seekers with disabilities and employment
service providers in British Columbia. All the WorkAble
Solutions tools are available on the website.
III. Corporate Video
The WorkAble Solutions Corporate Video is a short, energetic
and informative tool that offers employers a quick summary
of the benefits of recruiting and retaining people with
disabilities in their organizations.
The video’s testimonials illustrate how hiring persons with
disabilities provides tangible benefits for both the employer
and the employee with a disability.
Annual
Report 2006-2007
10 by 10 Challenge
http://www.eia.gov.bc.ca/epwd/10by10/
Showcasing British Columbia as a leader in access and
inclusion for persons with disabilities
In October 2006, Minister Claude Richmond and Mayor Sam
Sullivan jointly announced a British Columbia-wide challenge to
all communities and employers to raise the number of employed
persons with disabilities by 10 percent by the year 2010. This
challenge, appropriately called the 10 by 10 Challenge, will
translates into 13,000 new jobs for persons with disabilities in
British Columbia over the next four years.
The Challenge encourages all communities and employers –
large, small, private and public – to work together to increase
employment of this largely untapped labour pool of persons
with disabilities.
There are currently 300,000 working age persons with disabilities
in British Columbia – as well trained and educated as those
without disabilities. Of this group, 34,000 have college diplomas,
30,000 have trade certificates, and 28,000 have university degrees.
The timing couldn’t be better for communities to participate in
this challenge. There are labour shortages in many parts of the
province, yet at the same time, persons with disabilities continue
to face an employment rate 20 percent lower than the
non-disabled of the population.
To launch the Challenge, every community in British Columbia,
Chamber of Commerce and over 50 business sectors received
information from Minister Richmond that included customized
target numbers. 10 by 10 Toolkits were also provided which
contain materials that make the business case for, and describe
the benefits of, hiring persons with disabilities. The tools provide
practical information to help communities and industry sectors
achieve their specific 10 by 10 goal.
What’s in the 10 by 10 Challenge Toolkit?
1) Resolution – a document for communities to use as a
formal expression of accepting the 10 by 10 Challenge.
2) Proclamation – to be signed by the Mayor and City
Councillors once the 10 by 10 Challenge is accepted.
3) Getting Started Guide – tips for communities and employers
to use once the 10 by 10 Challenge has been accepted.
4) Measuring Up Guide – information
provided by 2010 Legacies Now on how to
measure and improve your community for
accessibility and inclusion.
5) WorkAble Solutions Employer Handbook – a practical “how-to” approach to recruiting
and retaining persons with disabilities.
By March 31, 2007, only six months into the 10 by 10 Challenge, 25 communities and two corporate participants had formally accepted.
| Communities |
Corporations |
| 100 Mile House |
THEO BC |
| Alberni-Clayoquot |
Vancouver Island
Vocational and
Rehabilitation Services Ltd |
| Ashcroft |
|
| Cariboo Regional District |
|
| Central Okanagan |
|
| Chetwynd |
|
| Creston |
|
| Duncan |
|
| Fruitvale |
|
| Golden |
|
| Invermere |
|
| Kamloops |
|
| Lake Country |
|
| Langford |
|
| Mission |
|
| Nelson |
|
| Penticton |
|
| Pitt Meadows |
|
| Port Alberni |
|
| Powell River |
|
| Prince George |
|
| Princeton |
|
| Trail |
|
| Vancouver |
|
| Whistler |
|
Visit the 10 by 10 website to
register your community or
company with the 10 by 10
Challenge and support the
hiring of persons with
disabilities. Post your 10 by 10
stories and share your success
with other communities.
www.eia.gov.bc.ca/
epwd/10by10/
Partners
BC Transit and Translink
In support of the 10 by 10 Challenge, BC Transit donated over
700 advertising spots on their buses for ads dispelling the myths
and presenting the realities of the value persons with disabilities
offer the workplace. Shortly after, Translink donated advertising
space in transit vehicles serving the Greater Vancouver Area.
2010 Legacies Now
The Accessible and Inclusive Cities and
Communities Project of 2010 Legacies Now,
is an official 10 by 10 Challenge partner. The
organization is a not-for-profit society which
actively assists communities discover and
create inclusive social and economic
opportunities leading up to, during and
beyond the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games. Measuring Up is a guide
included in the 10 by 10 toolkit which assists
communities work toward increased access
and inclusion in their community for persons
with disabilities.
BC Human Resources Association
As the official partner of WorkAble Solutions, the BC Human
Resources Association has been active in profiling WorkAble
Solutions regularly in their seasonal publication People Talk and
working collaboratively on events targeted to human resource
professionals in British Columbia.
$2 Million Accessibility and
Inclusion Fund
British Columbia is investing
$2 million to support community
projects aimed at increasing
accessibility and inclusion for
persons with disabilities. The
Accessibility and Inclusion Fund,
managed by 2010 Legacies Now, will
provide approximately 70 grants of
up to $25,000 in support of
community projects that are aligned
with the 10 by 10 Challenge and the
Measuring Up initiative.
WorkAble Solutions Online
Service Enhancements Project
www.workablesolutionsbc.ca
In March 2007, the final phase of the upgraded WorkAble
Solutions website was publicly released. After months of
consultations and a year of enhancements, planning and
development the new and improved website is now available to
the public, employers, staff and service providers.
During the consultations, the ministry heard from Employment and
Assistance Workers, Disability Consultants, service providers,
employers, and persons with disabilities on their recommendations
for an enhanced online job sourcing resource for persons with
disabilities and employers in British Columbia.
Key enhancements include:
- Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) compliance: provides the
highest levels of web accessibility for persons with disabilities;
- Tabs and “breadcrumbs:” allows users to easily identify
where they are in the site and where they would like to go;
- Job Seeker Profiles: allows job seekers to enter an
anonymous profile that includes their professional experience
that employers can search;
- Added Functionality for Registered Employers: provides
employers with additional resources to manage their job
postings;
- Online Application: allows job seekers to apply directly to job
postings online through the website;
- Search Function: allows employers to search registered job
seekers profiles and contact them by e-mail; and
- Employer and Service Provider Authentication/
Registration process: provides increased safety for job
seekers and allows service providers to maintain updated
contact information.
Moving into the next stage of ongoing maintenance and
enhancements, the website will be used as a resource for related
initiatives such as the 10 by 10 Challenge.
WorkAble Solutions Marketing and
Mentoring Project
The WorkAble Solutions Marketing and Mentoring Project
will continue to build a presence for the Minister’s Council and
its initiatives with employers in British Columbia through the
training and support of a marketing team comprised of persons
with disabilities. The team of marketers, spread geographically
across the province will present the business case to employers
for hiring persons with disabilities, using the WorkAble Solutions
tools. The marketers will advise employers on strategies to recruit
and retain persons with disabilities. For details on the business
case and resources see pages 8-10.
The project aims to build on the successes of the British
Columbia Employer/Persons with Disabilities Inclusion Marketing
Pilot Project, completed in November 2005, and to address the
gaps identified through the pilot project. What differs in this
project from the previous one is the enhancement of the training
for the marketers, the addition of a mentorship piece and the
expansion of the geographic scope of the project. The project
will also work to create linkages with other access and inclusion
initiatives in the community.
Next steps for the project include hiring a Project Coordinator
and a team of marketers. Labour market research and training of
the marketers will be completed, followed with employer
workplace presentations and community outreach commencing
in early Summer 2007.
Minister’s Council Speakers’ Bureau
The Minister’s Council Speakers’ Bureau was launched in late
2006 to extend the Council’s “call to action” through
presentations that make the business case to employers for hiring
persons with disabilities. At each event, participants are provided
with the WorkAble Solutions tools to assist them in the process.
Vancouver Board of Trade
On December 3, 2006, in celebration of International Day of the
Disabled, Minister Claude Richmond and Mayor Sam Sullivan
spoke to members and guests of the Vancouver Board of Trade
about employment and participation as being the key to
inclusion of persons with disabilities in British Columbia. Other
presenters include Kevin Evans, Vice President, Western Canada,
Retail Council of Canada and Vice Chair, British Columbia Small
Business Roundtable and Carla Qualtrough, Director, Sport
Tourism and Inclusion Initiatives, 2010 Legacies Now and
President, Canadian Paralympic Committee.
Surrey Board of Trade
In January 2007, Minister Claude Richmond and Mayor Sam
Sullivan, on behalf of the Minister’s Council on Employment for
Persons with Disabilities, presented “A WorkAble Solution” to
British Columbia’s labour shortage, encouraging Surrey Board of
Trade members and employers of all sizes and industry sectors to
consider persons with disabilities as an able, traditionally
overlooked labour market.
Embrace the WorkAble Symposium
In March 2007, The Ministers Council presented a full day
symposium, in partnership with the British Columbia Human
Resources Management Association (BC HRMA) for human
resource professionals and employers on solutions and strategies
to successfully recruit and retain persons with disabilities. The
sessions provided information on disability management
programs, best practices and workplace accommodations. The
audience was receptive to the panel of speakers including
Minister Claude Richmond, Mayor Sam Sullivan, Minister’s
Council members Wolfgang Zimmerman, Executive Director,
National Institute of Disability Management and Research, and
Richard Rudderham, Senior Vice-President, BC and Yukon
Division, BMO Bank of Montreal.
The Disability Supports for Employment Fund (DSEF)
Removing Barriers to Employment
In April 2003, the Disability Supports for Employment Fund,
administered by the Vancouver Foundation and advised by the
Minister’s Council, was created to fund innovative projects that
provide disability related supports to improve the employability
of persons with disabilities by reducing barriers to employment.
The DSEF is a donor-advised fund which is administered by the
Vancouver Foundation because of its province-wide mandate and
long-standing history of philanthropic leadership. The fund was
established with a $20 million endowment from the government
of British Columbia. In 2006, the Ministry of Employment and
Income Assistance endowed an additional $5 million to the fund,
increasing the DSEF fund total to $25 million with an annual
granting capability of $1.25 million.
In the fall of 2006, the DSEF strategic direction was refined to
support:
- Initiatives developing community linked solutions that will
provide meaningful employment opportunities and assist
people to maintain and enhance their career or
entrepreneurship path.
- Initiatives that will increase the sustainability and
organizational capacity of organizations that provide
employment programming and related supports to persons
with disabilities.
- The development of approaches that have the potential to
create systemic change in the provision of disability supports
that enhance employability of persons with disabilities.
- Initiatives that encourage organizational and community
learning on employment for persons with disabilities.
The new strategic approach is based on the following
considerations:
- Broad-based community commitment is required to create
the desired range of work experience opportunities.
- Engaging community stakeholders is required to develop
commitment and community based solutions.
- Organizations require the skills and organizational capacity
to support persons with disabilities in employment.
- Approaches that foster sustainability and transferability for a
broad long-term impact.
The fund recognizes the diversity of the population of persons
with disabilities in British Columbia and supports initiatives by
non-profit, charitable organizations that promote the social and
economic independence of individuals with disabilities through
employment, self-employment and volunteer work.
The Disability Supports for Employment
Fund Successes
Abilities Plus/Reliable Business Outsourcing
$80,000
Reliable Business Outsourcing matches freelance contractors with
administrative, technical and professional assignments that
respond to employers business needs. This project provides an
alternate employment option for persons with disabilities for
whom traditional work presents challenges due to pain, fatigue
or cyclical disability. It also helps employers to
overcome hesitations and maximize the
expertise and valuable talent of those
with disabilities.
Businesses are taking notice . . .
“When I found myself in need of freelance services
I contacted Reliable Business Outsourcing. The
set-up fit my needs perfectly. I was able to post the
position with them and soon after received a very
qualified contractor whom I was able to hire
quickly and efficiently.” Jason LaRonde, Pacifica
Nurseries Inc.
And so are the contractors . . .
“For a number of years I have struggled with a disability but
my mind and my body are still quite functional. Having
been previously self employed I had a valuable skill to offer
the community but I lacked self-confidence. Reliable Business
Outsourcing paved a way for me. This was my answer and
they gave me back my life. Today I have a successful business
and I have regained my self confidence.” Heather McKenzie,
Mackenzie Bookkeeping & Accounting
Connecting contractors with disabilities to freelance assignments
provides mutual benefits to all parties by creating economic self
reliance, addressing labour market challenges and encouraging
community inclusion.
Pacific Cinémathèque Pacifique Society $36,400
open i: A Digital Film making Initiative
The groundbreaking open i project enabled 28 young adults
with disabilities from Vancouver, Burnaby, Abbotsford and the
North Shore to realize their creative visions and tell their own
stories through the medium of digital video. In small
collaborative production teams, participants worked with Pacific
Cinémathèque instructors, youth mentors – both with and
without disabilities – and artists with disabilities from the
National Film Board’s Access National Film Board network
(Pacific/Yukon Studio of the National Film Board) to write,
rehearse, perform, shoot and edit digital video productions. The
process and results of the program were videotaped for a short
National Film Board-produced documentary. In April 2006, the
documentary and youth videos were screened at a public Gala.
Excerpts were featured that same month at a Symposium on
Media and Disability.
DVDs of video created by participating youth as well as a study
guide about the process and possibilities associated with this
kind of initiative are available free to the public from Pacific
Cinémathèque.
The success of the open i initiative is evidenced in the following
testimonial from a youth participant
“I love open i. I love it.
‘Cause I can use so
many of my talents. I
have found a new
talent that I never
thought I had.’ –
Brenda Van Boven
Grants are awarded bi-annually in June and December. For more
information about the Disability Supports for Employment Fund,
including funding guidelines, the grant application process and
application deadlines, you can visit the Vancouver Foundation
website at: www.vancouverfoundation.bc.ca
2006 DSEF Grant Recipients
Steps Forward – Inclusive Post-Secondary Education
Society $60,000
STEPS Alumni/STEPS Kelowna (STEPS Co-Op)
The Alumni Programme will provide support to six individuals
with developmental disabilities who have been enrolled in the
STEPS Forward post-secondary co-op programme to transition
from their summer work to permanent attachment to the
workforce. This grant will also support the development of
inclusive campus and co-op initiatives in two additional
communities.
British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability
(BCANDS) $10,000
Sustained Capacity Development Plan for the Board
The mandate of British Columbia Aboriginal Network on
Disability is: To promote the betterment of Aboriginal people
with disabilities. This independent, non-political, non-profit
society with a membership of over 6100 persons in British
Columbia experienced a 40 percent increase in membership
since 2004. This grant will support the capacity development
needs of the organization.
B.C. Association for Community Living $53,000
Opening Doors to Work Project
This project is designed to increase employment opportunities
for people with developmental disabilities by building
relationships, knowledge, capacity and leadership, among
employment service providers, employers, families and
self-advocates within the Community Living Sector.
B.C. Coalition of People with Disabilities $122,000
Provincial Equipment and Assistive Devices Committee – Taking
Action on Personal Supports
People with disabilities will be employed as caucus facilitators in
four communities where a participation model for the delivery of
assistive devices, equipment and other personal supports for
people with disabilities will be tested. This model focuses on
providing people with access to the personal supports they need
in order to achieve their goals and realize new opportunities to
fully participate in the social and economic life of the province.
Successful testing of the model will lay the groundwork for its
province-wide delivery.
Canadian Mental Health Association – $22,620
A New Approach to Promoting Volunteering for Individuals
Recovering from Mental Illness
The development of a curriculum and implementation guide for
a peer-supported volunteer program.
Canadian Society for Social Development $50,000
Low Interest Financing for Entrepreneurs
This grant will support the establishment of a low interest
financing program for entrepreneurs with disabilities as well as a
lending inventory of adapted devices to assist students with
disabilities to start their own web-based businesses.
City of Vancouver $250,000
The Accessible & Inclusive Cities & Communities Project (AICCP)
An initiative to develop new opportunities for people with
disabilities in every community across British Columbia through
dialogue on how communities can become more accessible and
inclusive.
Connec Tra Society $80,000
Abilities Plus Business Outsourcing/Reliable Business Outsourcing
This grant will support the maintenance and expansion of a
unique matching/placement service model for contractors with
disabilities in operation in Abbotsford and Vancouver. This
service will add value to existing self-employment programs by
filling the gap between development of a business plan and initial
business start-up and the need to enhance the longer term
success of entrepreneurs with disabilities.
Grendel Group (Family Advocates) $40,000
GRENDELivery: Work Experience Program for People with
Special Needs
GRENDELivery is a lunch catering social enterprise that will
provide work experience for people with developmental
disabilities living in Smithers.
Kindale Developmental Association $32,519
Kindale Secondary Student Transition Program
This program supports youth with developmental disabilities who
have been out of school for the last three years. Youth will be
assisted to prepare for, obtain and maintain mainstream/supported
employment, or volunteer work that may lead to employment.
Ladysmith Resource Centre Association $52,080
Ladysmith Community Options
This project will increase the employability and independence of
people with disabilities and create a climate of inclusion in
Ladysmith and the surrounding area.
Nanaimo Brain Injury Society $52,894
Volunteer Skills Development Program – Phase Two
This program provides participants with practical opportunities
for skill development in a range of areas including injury
prevention, website development and maintenance, newsletter
design and publication, clerical and peer support.
Neil Squire Society $155,000
ATEC Network/Neil Squire Solutions Project
This project will strengthen the Assistive Technology Employment
Centres Network and in particular their ability to outreach
effectively to employers in their communities for the purpose of
increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
New Beginnings Community Society $50,000
Kakwe/l/a
This pilot project will provide pre-employment training for adults
with neurological disabilities, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder, in a classroom setting with supports. Graduates of the
program will be assisted to secure employment.
Powell River Model Community Project for $60,000
Setting the Standard: Access at the 2007 Disability Games
This grant will support the employment of two people with
disabilities who will be responsible for facilitating the
participation of people with disabilities as volunteers and as
participants in the 2007 Disability Games being hosted by Powell
River. They will also be using the momentum of the games to
leverage ongoing employment opportunities for people with
disabilities.
Prince George Brain Injury Group Society $25,000
Working for a Living
This employment program will work with adult survivors of
acquired brain injury to provide both pre-employment and
on-the-job support.
Richmond Society for Community Living $46,500
Handycrew Cooperative
This project will involve the formal creation of a “handycrew
cooperative,” enabling 20 individuals with developmental
disabilities to work in paid employment, undertaking tasks
related to landscaping, maintenance and repairs.
TTS Theatre Terrific Society $30,000
Professional Company of Actors with Disabilities – New Work
Artists with disabilities will produce and perform a professional
theatre production. This is a multi-year collaboration between
the community of artists with disabilities and the mainstream
theatre community. The first year will be spent in exploration
and development of both actors and text in a series of
workshops, with results and discoveries shared with the public at
key points.
University of Victoria $48,000
Online Learning and Community Building
This is an online program for adults with disabilities. Users will
have access to web based learning and skill development
modules that will increase their community and economic
participation opportunities.
The Next Steps
We are living in a dynamic and prosperous time in British
Columbia. Vancouver is hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic and
Paralympic Games and British Columbia’s economy is the
strongest it has been in decades. This is an exciting time for
persons with disabilities in British Columbia and the Minister’s
Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities has worked
diligently to broaden awareness of disability issues and
positioning British Columbia as a leader in access and inclusion
for all citizens.
The 10 by 10 Challenge is quickly gaining momentum with
communities and corporate participants accepting the challenge
and creating innovative ways to engage employers and members
of the community.
WorkAble Solutions continues to be a leading initiative of the
Minister’s Council – a tool to assist employers through the
recruitment and retention of persons with disabilities. The
Minister’s Council is committed to updating and promoting this
important employment resource. WorkAble Solutions
demonstrates the success of an initiative to support the full social
and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities in British
Columbia, and is a key component of the Ministry of
Employment and Income Assistance’s Employment Strategy for
Persons with Disabilities.
The WorkAble Solutions Marketing and Mentoring Project aims to
build on the successes of the previous BC Employer/Persons with
Disabilities Inclusion Marketing Pilot Project, completed in
November 2005. The project will work to increase employer
awareness and understanding of the issues and benefits of recruiting
and retaining employees with disabilities by dissolving the myths
about persons with disabilities as both individuals and employees.
The Minister’s Council Speakers’ Bureau will continue to offer
communities an opportunity to access information on the 10 by
10 Challenge, WorkAble Solutions and the business case for
hiring persons with disabilities. Council members and members
of the Speakers’ Bureau are available to present in communities
throughout the province.
The continuation of initiatives undertaken in 2006 – 2007 and
the addition of the 10 by 10 Challenge and WorkAble Solutions
Marketing and Mentoring Project demonstrates the commitment
the Minister’s Council has to address the issues of accessibility,
inclusion and employment for persons with disabilities in
British Columbia.
A Final Note
The Council encourages you, as an employer, person with a
disability, stakeholder, or interested citizen to join the Council’s
“call to action” challenge to increase the employment,
employability and independence of persons with disabilities.
For more information on Council initiatives, please visit the
Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities
website at: www.eia.gov.bc.ca/epwd/
Members of the Minister’s Council on
Employment for Persons with Disabilities
Honourable Claude Richmond (Co-Chair)
Minister of Employment and Income Assistance
His Worship Mayor Sam Sullivan (Co-Chair)
City of Vancouver
Doug Alley
Vice President, Business Council of BC
Dave Anderson
President and CEO, WorkSafe BC
Alice Downing
Consultant, Trustee, BC Pulp and Paper Industry Health and
Welfare Plan
Ron Drolet
Senior Vice President, Customer Service and Corporate Secretary,
BC Transit
Al Etmanski
President, Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN)
Roger Garriock
Vice President, Destination ImagiNation, Inc.
Dan Gunn
Executive Director, Vancouver Island Advanced Technology
Centre (VIATeC)
His Worship Mayor Clint Hames
City of Chilliwack
Arlene Keis
CEO, go2
Winston Leckie
Executive Director, Opportunities through Rehabilitation & Work
Society (ORW)
Dr. Nigel Livingston
Founding Director, University of Victoria Assistive Technology
Team (UVATT)
Cairine MacDonald
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance
Michele Mawhinney
Vice President, Human Resources, YVR Vancouver International
Airport Authority
Drew Railton
President, BC Human Resources Management Association
Bill Ross
Regional Executive Head, Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada, BC-Yukon Region
Richard Rudderham
Senior Vice-President, BC & Yukon Division Personal &
Commercial Client Group BMO
Jim Skinner
General Manager, Human Resources, London Drugs Limited
Dallas Smith
Chairman, KNT First Nations
Frazer Smith
President, BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS)
Faye Wightman (Ex-officio)
President and CEO, Vancouver Foundation
John Winter
President, BC Chamber of Commerce
Wolfgang Zimmerman
Executive Director, National Institute of Disability Management
and Research
Special thanks to past Council members:
Maurizio Baldini
Coordinator, Peer Support, Canadian Mental Health Association,
South Okanagan
David Berrington
President, BC Human Resources Management Association
Bonnie Campbell
Vice President, Human Resources and Public Relations,
Thrifty Foods
Mary Mahon Jones
Chief Executive Officer, Council of Tourism Associations
Jim Reed
President, BC College Presidents
Mike Touchie
President, BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS)
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