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Hiring Individuals with Diverse Abilities Will Enhance Kelowna

An effective labour market and strong economy is driven by the employment of individuals with diverse abilities.

On Thursday morning, Kelowna business representatives, local agencies, and eager employees discussed the many benefits attributed to hiring individuals in our community with developmental disabilities and autism.

The campaign, Ready, Willing, and Able, was co-hosted by Inclusion BC, the Canucks Autism Network, as well as the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance, and included a variety of key note speakers and guests including Mayor Colin Basran and MP for Kelowna-Lake Country Ron Cannan.

Attendees enjoy their breakfast while listening to opening remarks from Mayor Colin Basran. (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com.)

As the crowd enjoyed their breakfast, speaker Shelley Decoste shared her thoughts on the importance of inclusion, as well as the benefits of hiring individuals with diverse abilities.

“Everyone has a right to employment,” said Decoste. “Employment means I’m doing something meaningful in my life. I to want to be able to pay my own bills and be independent.”

Reiterating that individuals with diverse abilities are ready, willing, and able to work, Decoste pointed out that valuable employment is about finding the right fit for both employee and employer—as is the case for anyone in our community.

“We need to think outside the box and provide different opportunities,” added Decoste.

Sean Pihl from Pihl Law Corporation was happy to boast about the success his law firm has had thanks to his valued, hard-working, and diverse employees.

“Success of the business depends on the people who work there,” said Pihl. “It’s not about charity, it’s about adding value to your team, and as a business we’ve truly been able to understand the value of employees.”

Attendee Michele Neill, with Mosaic Books, will be hiring an individual with autism, and following Thursday morning’s networking event, she’s looking forward to working with local agencies such as WorkBC and Pathways Abilities Society to provide equal opportunity for hard-working individuals in our community.

This event “has reinforced my thoughts on hiring someone with diverse abilities. I feel a lot more confident and I know this can work,” said Neill.

At the end of the day, equal employment opportunity comes down to altering perceptions within society and the workplace, and realizing that everyone has different strengths, weaknesses, and a diverse set of abilities.

“The opportunities are immense and the skill set that individuals with diverse abilities have is huge,” said MP Cannan.

For more information on employment opportunities, visit the Inclusion BC website or the WorkBC website.



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