November 3, 2022
Every October is Disability Employment Awareness Month. Last month, we shared stories from our employees about being in the workplace while experiencing disabilities. We are so grateful to Chantal, Jasmine, Kevin, and Jake, who took the time to share their experiences with us. We hope these stories help you understand your colleagues better and remind us all to create work environments where everybody belongs!
Chantal Huinink is the Organizational and Spiritual Life Coordinator at Christian Horizons.
“I am legally blind, and I use a power wheelchair. Before I could find meaningful employment, I had to learn about work environments and roles in which I could succeed. I then developed a plan to meet educational requirements for the jobs I enjoyed and could do well. It was important to persevere until my goals were achieved. This involved utilizing all kinds of support.
It was also important to believe that my skills and abilities are worth the wages I receive. My work as a spiritual care provider, author, speaker, and advocate enhances my sense of purpose, broadens my skill set, increases my standard of living, and grows my social support system.
May stories like mine, shared throughout Disability Employment Awareness Month, help us all recognize the potential of disabled people to contribute in diverse ways to the workforce as employees, colleagues, and friends.”
Jasmine Duckworth is a Community Development Manager in the East District.
“I’d been working for Christian Horizons for over a decade when I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis. As I was navigating the beginning of that journey one of my coworkers asked me “would you consider yourself to have a disability now?” I thought of myself as sick, or chronically ill, but I had not yet applied the word disability to myself. As soon as he asked, I knew the answer immediately; “yes.” It was an easy identity to claim because I had no stigma attached to it.
For years I have been connected to, mentored, and cared for by people with disabilities, both at Christian Horizons and in my personal life. I am grateful for the way my career prepared me to live in a disabled body, and for the continued support I’ve had from colleagues and from the people I serve. Christian Horizons is a unique employer in that most of my coworkers have been, or are, direct support workers so they intuitively offer support when they see me struggle with tasks. They have been willing to help carry my lunch when my hands are weak, lift heavy boxes, demonstrate NCI techniques when I led training, and offer an arm to steady me as I walked.
I am grateful for my disability and how it allows me to connect with the people I serve in a new way. We often find we have had similar experiences with the medical system, with needing support in daily tasks, and with ableism. When I show up to events with my walker, they’ve been happy to see that I have wheels like them just as much as I have been glad to see they have wheels like me.”
Kevin Isaac is an Employment Coordinator with the Pathways Program in the Niagara Region. In his words, he shares the stories of individuals who participate in the Pathways Program.
“I have the real pleasure of working with eleven wonderful people here in Niagara. I cannot with good conscience single out one individual, so I want to highlight all 11. I’m so proud of Dean, Rob, Scott, Liz, Carol, Marc and Corey cleaning their own Pizza Pizza franchises here in Niagara. We also have Carlo doing administration work for DBR Transport, and Ryan keeping the Welland NAPA Auto Pro Service Centre organized.
Let’s not forget Terry volunteering at the Northend Church Foodbank or Vatsla volunteering at Meals on Wheels.
All these wonderful hard-working individuals are proud of their positions and their contributions to their community.
Planning a trip to beautiful Niagara? Give me a call and come and see these great people in action. Come and support their employers who are very grateful for their hard work. Sincerely, Kevin Isaac 905 327-4046.”
Jake Millar is a Communications Specialist at Christian Horizons.
“I was diagnosed with autism at age 24. Growing up undiagnosed was a constant struggle to survive in an inaccessible world. I couldn’t understand why I felt so different, had sensory issues that no one else seemed to deal with, was unable to make friends, and had difficulties in every social interaction. I love learning and knew I wanted to pursue secondary education, but I had to find strategies to fit in with the environments around me.
I ignored my own accessibility needs and was able to make it through college and got a career in the field I studied, but as the exhaustion of constantly putting on a show set in, my mental and physical health began to decline. The more obvious social struggles often overlook the health struggles that come with autism. The constant stress from social anxiety and dealing with sensory issues wears us down and leaves us feeling empty, both mentally and physically. This is a significant factor in why the likelihood of premature death in autistic individuals is over twice that of a neurotypical (non-autistic) individual. After three years of working in the career I had dreamt of for so long, I broke. I developed an auto-immune disease that caused intense stomach pains. This caused me to stop eating, and I became very unwell.
My mind couldn’t seem to focus on anything anymore and the coping mechanisms I had developed to mask my differences over the years began to fall away. I resigned from my job, stopped leaving my house, and tried avoiding all contact with others to keep my “true identity” as a strange failure hidden. I had heard about autism before and wondered if that could be the answer I was looking for. I began the lengthy and expensive process of trying to find a neuropsychologist in Ontario that was willing to work with me.
After multiple rounds of tests and interviews, I was diagnosed with autism. Being diagnosed was one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. I was finally able to understand, acknowledge, and accept the differences in me. I was able to develop healthy strategies, which allowed me to re-enter the working world equipped with the knowledge I need to contribute and even thrive while still acknowledging and respecting my accessibility needs.
Now that I have accepted and begun to work with my differences, my career has been an incredible blessing. I get to learn new things every day, I get to solve complex problems that challenge me to find creative solutions, and I get to collaborate with a fantastic team of people! I am incredibly grateful that these challenges have led me to a workplace in which my God-given gifts are valued and respected.”