Cara Loverock
Northern News Services
Published Friday, January 4, 2008

YELLOWKNIFE - For disabled people in the territory, finding and keeping a job can be a challenge, particularly in terms of accessibility in the workplace.

If someone with a disability is hired and their condition worsens there may be changes needed to upgrade the building they are working in.

Doreen Reid, who has cerebral palsy, works for Community Justice and Community Policing with the GNWT. She said more is needed for disabled individuals in the work place. - Cara Loverock/NNSL photo

However, there is little to no funding available from governments to help.

Cecily Hewitt, executive director for the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities, said that businesses face added expense if they have a disabled employee who is in need of special accommodations.

"If it is outside a building downtown, the city will contribute up to $1500 to someone who wants to improve the outside of their building," said Hewitt.

"That might be a way for someone to go about it who has a business downtown."

She said that there is funding for those who qualify to upgrade their residence, but not for employers.

"We have some people who've been hired by places and they become disabled," said Hewitt, adding that most try to work until obstacles in the workplace become unbearable.

"They mostly quit and go on disability," she said.

According to Hewitt, more government funding for businesses would mean more opportunities for disabled individuals to obtain and keep their jobs. Rae Celotti is the project coordinator with Employability, an employment agency program with the Yellowknife Association for Community Living for people with disabilities.

She said there is some federal funding through the Opportunities Fund available for those currently unemployed to apply for and receive financing to obtain a job.

"Basically we try to use the money for training or wage subsidies," said Celotti, adding that some of the funds could go to renovations to the workplace but it would depend on cost.

"It depends what kind of adaptations we're doing. If it's major renovations, no, that's not going to happen. But if it's, like someone with a visual problem that needs zoom text put into their computer, there's money for that," said Celotti.

Cornelius Van Dyke is a senior technologist with PSAV Architects. He also suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. Van Dyke said that he has been lucky enough to have an employer who has been willing to accommodate his needs.

"When I became disabled about eight years ago my employer modified my work, job description in order to accommodate my disability," said Van Dyke, adding that the employer took care of the majority of the cost.

"I'm important enough to them that they've made these accommodations...They're is a lot of people out there that if they get disabled they're faced with being at home and vegetating and going downhill," said Van Dyke.

Doreen Reid, FASD Consultant and Project Coordinator with Community Justice and Policing with the GNWT, has Cerebral Palsy. She said that in her job she has an employer that works well with her needs, but that having ease of access is only half the battle, people need to understand as well.

"What people with disabilities want is equal citizenship," said Reid.

"Why shouldn't things be made available for me to make my life as equal to yours in being able to do things?"