Enabling Individuals through Art

Back in 2003 I was lucky to have private art lessons taught by Emillie Chan, who is a great artist in her own right. She has an art program for persons with disabilities which help individuals pursue a career in art and she promotes their work through art shows and other events. Her students are mainly based in Hong Kong and many of the students have adapted using their head, mouth, or foot to create their artwork. Ms. Chan is a kind hearted and caring person, and I am very thankful to her for taking the time to teach me art.

My grandpa

A few years later in 2009 I was asked by Ms. Chan to be part of the Embracing Life Art Exhibition, an art show hosted by the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto featuring her students of all abilities from Hong Kong and Toronto. Three pieces of my artwork was showcased at the art show. It was a fun experience being part of my first art show.

At the end of the week there was a big dinner gala to raise funds for the Fu Hui Education Foundation. During the gala there was a live auction for our artwork, where one of my favorite art pieces was sold to a gentleman and his wife. Later in the evening the couple gave my art piece back to me, which I really appreciated because I created the piece for my mom for Mother's Day. In appreciation I decided to give them a copy of the piece.

My artwork at Hong Kong Central Library

During March 27 to 31 this year, I was once again part of another art show hosted by the Hong Kong Central Library, which I could not attend in person. This time five pieces of my artwork was showcased and one of them was sold, which I was really surprised about. The proceeds from any artwork sold goes back to the student and part of it goes to the Fu Hui Education Foundation.

Below are some of my art work.

My Impending Job Loss – Part II

Source: AndyCore.com

The good thing is that the thing is still impending. It is now ten weeks since I was told by my boss that they would "transition me" and I had responded that they would have to address me in writing. So far nothing has come in writing. Some efforts are being made to delegate the work assignments. It is our lean season and there is relatively less work load. Most of the assignments given to me were fairly routine, however, there were one or two difficult ones.

Since a lot was said about my poor performance in the past year, I took the effort of compiling some statistics about my in-out dates and find that the performance was, in fact, on par with the previous year and in some cases, there was an improvement. When I mentioned this to the boss, I was told, "The quality of your work has deteriorated!" Well, there are no yardsticks to measure the quality of one's work. Right now, things seem to have reached a stalemate. The company will not put anything in writing and I will not budge without seeing the letter.

The only action I have so far done is to move out of my downtown apartment into a 1960's apartment further north. The new place is smaller and is located somewhat far away from the office. For me the advantage is that it is cheaper and the owners allowed me to install safety bars in the shower. Therefore the problem of homelessness has been resolved.

I have been exploring the new neighbourhood and there are some things good and some things not so good. I shall write about my experiences in the new place as time goes by.

Coming back to the job situation – the authorities have ruled that I cannot claim Employment Insurance (EI) or the Ontario Disability Support (ODSP ) if I were to get a disability payment from the insurer. So I need to get a concrete idea of the comparative numbers before I can choose. I understand that all payments are subject to income tax, so there is no escaping the annual ritual of filing a return.

I have also been thinking of setting up a registered charity or non-profit organization that will try and address some of the needs of a person with disabilities. I am being helped in this area by a good friend and mentor, who is well versed in writing up such proposals for the authorities. His name is Vince Dumond and we hope to get this moving soon.

I am also working with another friend – Hanny Hosny – to set up a website for persons with disabilities, seeking to reduce barriers we face in accessing the 3 Es – Education, Employment and Entertainment. The website has been registered and we hope to launch it soon. The proposed name is Able Canada. Look out for www.ablecanada.ca.

Look forward to getting ongoing feedback from you, especially in exploring the possible ways in which the proposed charity/NPO can begin the task of generating careers or businesses for persons with disabilities.

Career Fair CCRW’s Day for hiring persons with disabilities in Toronto

Source: Experientia.com

Here's an opportunity for those of you looking for employment. There will be many employers participating in this career fair. You will need to apply by submitting your resume to careerfair@ccrw.org.

Once accepted, you will attend the fair that takes place on October 15, 2014 from 9:30am – 3:00pm downtown Toronto. Professional attire required. Bring résumés and business cards.

The employers participating include: Abbott Canada, Accenture, Air Canada, BMO, CIBC, Express Scripts Canada, Hewlett Packard, Mosaic Home Care, Mount Sinai Hospital, Pepsi, RBC, Ricoh, Scotiabank, Starwood Hotels, TD Bank, TD Insurance, Telus, Topnotch, United Way, YMCA.

For more information please contact the Workplace Essential Skills Partnership (WESP) at 416-486-2500 extension 8342 or visit our website at www.ccrw.org/wesp.

This project is brought to you by the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work www.ccrw.org.

My Impending Job Loss

Source: AndyCore.com

Since we first conceived  this blog - “WorkEnables.Me” - there has been a significant development in my work situation.

I was called in by my local boss for a private meeting, with a U.S based HR person on the phone. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss a “transition” plan. My boss used the first part of the conversation to outline my various failures and performance shortfalls.

The HR person said that the company had decided that I would be offered a disability package which is basically what is available under our group insurance. I had one week to get back to them agreeing (or disagreeing) with the offer. I told them by email that I would respond only to a written communication. At the time of writing, it has been 4weeks and nothing has yet been sent in writing.

One of the performance shortfalls stated was my speech impediment. As a result of my medical situation, my speech is slurred (one of our support groups suggested carrying a card which states – “No, I am not drunk, my speech is slurred because of my medical condition”). My boss said I was not able to participate fully in internal meetings and could not pick up the phone and talk to clients.

Since the transition conversation seemed definitive and a significant career development, I took the precaution of consulting an employment lawyer. He says that there are specific laws governing termination of a disabled person in Canada. Lack of performance is not a valid reason for termination (who knew?) and an employer must demonstrate having taken steps to mitigate the effect of the disability and improve performance.

The matter is now apparently at a stalemate and will move again only when my office puts things in writing. I do hope the matter is settled amicably.

I wanted to find out if I am eligible for payment of Employment Insurance (EI) in addition to these disability payments. In that search, I ended up at a Services Canada website. From there I was directed to a page where you need to apply for your Personal Access Code, which will be mailed to my home address.

Just created this blog to provide a blow-by-blow saga of losing a job to a disability and its aftermath.

Welcome to WorkEnables.Me!

Source: BenefitsCanada.com

The posts on this blog will be done by the respective writers as well as other well-wishers and friends who are interested in accessibility issues.

It is our belief that the economic life of any person is of utmost importance. The amount of money available in a household determines the quality of a child’s nutrition and healthcare, their education and extra-curricular activities. which have a direct impact on future employment and overall quality of life. These issues are more pronounced in the case of a person with a disability, as there are additional challenges to be overcome in any of these areas.

This blog is aimed at providing information about money making and/or money saving avenues available for such a person and their families. We will also feature stories of entrepreneurial spirits in our community who have created ventures where they seek to combine their creative instincts and business savvy.

Inspiration for Innovation: How disabilities are changing big business

Learning about the Ontario Direct Funding Program for People with Disabilities

Source: Ontario.ca

Hi my name is Connie and I would like to write a bit about Ontario’s Direct Funding Program for people with disabilities.  My disability is called Friedreich’s Ataxia.

This Direct Funding program which is run through the Local Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) allows you to operate your own personal attendant care company to meet your personal care needs whether at home, work, in the community or on vacation, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.  In exchange for taking on responsibility to manage your own personal care needs and attendants you receive control, choice and flexibility over your personal care needs.  Instead of having attendants picked for you, you choose or hire and fire them.  Furthermore, instead of following some outside agency’s rules about what personal care is received or how if at all you can get that personal care, you are the one to set the ground or house rules within the limits of laws, workers’ rights and your allocated hours and other services as budgeted and negotiated between you and the administrators of the program at the CILT.  After negotiations there is a wait time, depending on available funds, to begin the Direct Funding self-management program.

I have been a self-manager for fifteen years and have set up, with money in my direct funding budget for “stationary needs”, files for each employee.  These files include time sheets (there is also an app available for tracking attendant hours) as well as a file for other direct funding budgetary information.  With the help of a bookkeeper (also funded for in your budget) payrolls and employee cheques are made along with necessary tax deductions and Workplace Safety and Insurance Board payments.

As you can see in exchange for management responsibilities you are able to get control over your personal care unlike any other personal type care you may get from an outside agency without paying out-of-pocket.  There are risks to managing your own personal care, just like any other management job, like having an employee walk out and leave but there are ways to minimize these risks which the direct funding staff at CILT can help you with, like drawing up employee contracts and having a back-up list of people that you can quickly call for temporary assistance.  You are also responsible for training or having training available to your new staff.   However, in time you will find the benefits of being your own self-manager of your own personal care far outweigh the risks. Personally I know that I would not have been able to do what I do and go places that I want to visit or just live alone in my own condominium without the help of the people I have hired to help me in my daily tasks.  For more information refer to the official Direct Funding website at: www.dfontario.ca.

My experience with the WESP employment program

Source: CCRW.org

In April 2014, I was depressed. It had been more than a year since I had been employed. Seeking employment is often twice as hard if you’re a person with a disability. Fortunately, there is a program that has helped me get back on track.

The Workshop Essential Skills Partnership (WESP) program is an initiative of the Canadian Council of Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW). Held at the Canadian National Institute for the Bind (CNIB) in Toronto, WESP is for people with various physical disabilities who are either struggling to find work again, or are looking for the first time. I had heard of WESP through a friend who had gone through it about five years ago.

I had been accepted into WESP four years ago, but dropped out due to coming down with a sudden illness. When I recovered, I managed to find employment again on my own for a while. At the beginning of this year, I looked at WESP again, hoping it would help me rebuild my sagging self-confidence, and give me a fresh perspective on the types of careers and jobs I should be pursuing.

My professional background includes the journalism field, as well as office positions involving data entry, information and referral and webdesign. My main goal in WESP was to find a position that would complement one or more of my varied skills sets and talents.

In March 2014, I was re-admitted to WESP the same day I had my intake interview. It was one of the happiest days of my adult life. My program began in April, for four weeks. In those four weeks, I learned (or re-learned) how to write effective resumes and cover letters that conform to today’s expectations from working professionals. I was also enlightened on preparing interviews and doing mock interviews, networking, labour market trends, and got tips on how to stay motivated in the job search.

One of my favourite activities during my time at WESP was doing an informational interview. I did my assignment with an acquaintance who works as a social media specialist for an organization that provides rehabilitation services for children with and without disabilities. During my visit with him, he told me that having something that stands out will often get you a job. For him, it was podcasting, writing a book and hosting an online support group for people who stutter. He also said that, if possible, taking courses to upgrade and advance your skills and knowledge (in a relevant area) will help your professional development.

There were a total of 12 job seekers in the group I was in.Two of them were lucky to find employment before the program ended. When we started I didn’t know any of the other job-seekers. Since then we have managed to keep in touch and update each other on our respective journeys. The three main workshop facilitators were always kind and helpful, and made themselves available for questions and one-on-one consultations.

I learned a lot in my four weeks as a WESP participant. Here are some important pieces of wisdom that can help anybody regardless of where they are in their journey:

- Believe in yourself
- Never give up
- Make realistic goals, but anticipate changes, and be open to them
- Don't take rejection personally (I'm still working on that one)
- Don't be scared of the future, because you don't know what it will bring!
- The past is in the past--let it go!
- Keep in touch with your references periodically

Since my WESP term ended, I have managed to find employment again. I worked as an Information Officer for the Ontario election, and also for a federal by-election under Elections Canada. At the end of July, Toronto Staffing Solutions hired me as a part-time data entry clerk, where I still work today. I also have work lined up as an Information Officer for the upcoming Toronto municipal election. Things are looking up! Meanwhile I still look for other opportunities, and keep in touch with the WESP staff, including their job developer.

WESP is a worthwhile program for any job-seeker with a disability. Though WESP does not guarantee employment by the end of the program, it does empower people to keep active and informed in the job-hunting process.

To learn more about WESP, you can contact them directly at 416-486-2500 x8605 or aparusis@ccrw.org.