LETTER: Make inclusion happen

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/09/2023 (1090 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

My child has some mental health diagnoses, some learning challenges for which they need support and a medical condition which affects their mobility. They are very bright and get very good marks in school, but it requires them a lot of mental effort and time.

The supports that they have received at school and through the mental health system have been excellent and very much appreciated. They are of the age now where they have gotten their licence and have just gotten a job.

I am very proud of them for having achieved these tasks, as it took a lot of courage on their behalf.

However, achieving these goals has not been without a lot of disappointments, anxiety, and frankly discrimination and ignorance on the part of employers and other individuals within the community. In school, my child has and continues to receive accommodations while completing the same work as other students — reduced course load, written instructions, additional time.

However, the idea of providing such accommodations in the workplace or in the process of obtaining a driver’s licence appears to be a very foreign and misunderstood concept within the community.

Over the last year, we have heard every excuse and have witnessed blatant human rights violations by the same companies that have policies regarding inclusion, belonging and the acceptance of differences.

In applying for employment, we were upfront with my child’s challenges and were met with no call backs whatsoever or as indicated discrimination.

However, we keep hearing how businesses struggle to find staff. And there are many individuals within our community like my child. Their disabilities and needs do not disappear the minute they graduate.

Their disabilities, which are frequently invisible, persist as adults and in the workplace. They are not lazy or unintelligent. They simply need accommodations in the workplace.

Yes, there are programs that are meant to support individuals with mental health, learning and physical disabilities offered by the province.

However, these programs cannot do it all. These individuals have a right to work, and businesses need to do much better and actually implement the inclusion and equal opportunity policies they have posted on their websites.

After several months of looking for work, my child was recently hired at Sobeys Brandon South, and I cannot describe how ecstatic I am.

Mr. Ryan Hackett, the owner and general manager, is amazing. He truly understands the need to and how to support individuals with various needs and implements Sobeys’ policy of diversity, equity and inclusion.

The staff at Sobeys Brandon South are amazing and have been nothing but welcoming to my child.

STEPHANE TOUZIN

Brandon