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.