Open House focuses on possibilities and strengths
As Marco Pasqua and Karen Lai spoke of their vocational success and life experiences, Employment Resource Centre for Persons with Disabilities (ERCPD) Social Worker Shannon Todd heard the client sitting next to her say he was inspired.
It’s one of the positive outcomes of the ERCPD’s recent open house to mark the UN-declared International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3.
“I think it was very powerful in showing (clients and employers) examples . . . that success is possible,” Shannon says of the two guest speakers, both of whom have a disability.
The ERCPD’s event “celebrates those successes,” Shannon says. It also shows “how much people with disabilities can achieve and points out how much we don’t necessarily realize that the people succeeding came really far,” she says.
Marco, who’s worked in the video gaming industry, is starting his own business as a motivational speaker. Karen is a project co-ordinator, involved with Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports and has earned a Master’s of Arts degree in human kinetics.
In addition to hearing the speakers, current and new ERCPD clients as well as service providers and local businesses attending the open house could test their knowledge of celebrities who have a disability. Shannon, the quiz creator, says it surprised people and “brought to light the point of how prevalent disability is within what we as a western world consider success.”
Eyes were also opened to the diversity of success achieved by people who have a disability as they work in various roles and sectors, Shannon says, adding employers learn that perceived insurmountable barriers in the workplace can be overcome.
“We promote that everybody has an ability and strengths . . . And persons with disabilities are no different than anybody else — they bring extremely good strengths and skills to the table, high levels of education, and they should be looked at for what they can offer, not for what they can’t,” Employment Specialist Rod Embree says.
He notes that a local tourism and travel school represented at the open house wants to learn more from the guest speakers about the needs of travellers who have a disability.
It’s an example of the realization that there is a pool of people with talent, spending power and links to the community waiting to be tapped, Rod says.
In addition to spreading awareness and information about the ERCPD, which is a program of the BC Centre for Ability, the open house strengthened ties to the community as clients and employers networked.
Vocational program manager Nicola Oliver says the event’s goal was achieved “as attendees left with a message of hope and resilience.”
These are key attributes to a valuable mindset for any person looking for work, she notes.
Nicola also acknowledges all the local businesses that sponsored the afternoon with generous donations.