Raising awareness about disability employment, inclusion and accessibility in Edmonton

Advocates and community members in Edmonton are raising awareness about disability employment in Alberta’s capital, and making the city more inclusive and accessible.

It’s coinciding with Disability Employment Awareness Month in Canada.

Tanner Arnold, who is autistic, says he struggled in college and when looking for a job – until he was introduced to a pilot program that helps autistic youth find long-term employment through NorQuest College.

“I flourished in the program, becoming one of the top students,” Arnold said. “Connections led me to an interview for Legacy X. It’ll be three years in November that I maintained employment as a full-stack soft developer.

“I used to believe that I will never provide value to society, that I’d be a burden.”

According to the Canadian Association for Supported Employment, one in five working-age Canadians experiences some form of disability.

Tanner stressed the significance of having employers who are inclusive in the workforce during a disability awareness event at Edmonton City Hall Tuesday.

“It helps for employers to be inclusive,” said the Legacy X dev. “It helps that they consider people like me as people of value.”

Gateway Association, an employment resource centre for those with disabilities, says the world must be more inclusive.

“If you look at our school systems or post-secondary education and a community, as a neighbourhood, do we really embody the value of inclusion?” asked Sahana Parameswara, the group’s executive director. “If we did, we wouldn’t need community partners and non-profit organizations.”

Aleem Jaffer, who uses a wheelchair for mobility, says it took him years to be able to find a job he enjoys. After he got involved with non-profit organization Employ Abilities, he now helps people with disabilities find work.

“The issue I was having is that nobody was able to take a chance,” said Jaffer, a job developer with Employ Abilities.

“If you take risks, it benefits everyone in society. It benefited me because I got employed. I became a contributing member of society. It’s a win-win situation for both myself and the organization I work for.”

As a disability advocate, Jaffer also highlighted the importance of making Edmonton more accessible for people with mobility disabilities, especially now that we’re heading into winter.

“The struggle is real for anyone in my situation in winter,” Jaffer said. “It’s very hard when we have snow that is on the sidewalk that hasn’t been shovelled, and when they’re plowed, they’re plowed in the middle of the pathway. That’s something we need to be mindful of.”

“If more than half of your city is having difficulty trying to allow people to be able to get around, we’re automatically creating the disability,” added Heath Birkholz with the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

“We need to start looking at things with broader perspective, with equity in mind,” said Parameswara.