Hi. My name is Dale Froese, and I'm from Kelowna, B.C. As a self-advocate, I asked to speak on behalf of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. It's both an honour and a responsibility. Thank you.
I am a member of an advocacy group called VATTA, Voices at the Table Advocacy. The committee has twelve members from across Canada and we are all adults with Down syndrome. Along with CDSS, we have a strong belief in our mission to encourage credible opportunities for all Canadians with Down syndrome. We are the voice of adults with Down syndrome and the highest authority of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. Yes, that is right—the highest authority.
I'll be speaking about employment issues in Canada for people with developmental disabilities. The VATTA committee has identified employment as an area of critical importance for Canadians with Down syndrome. Having a job is a matter of citizenship, quality, and personal dignity.
Like you, if someone were to ask me where I work, I would be embarrassed and feel bad if I had to say I don't have a job. It is important for all people to feel they are contributing to Canadian society. Most people make this contribution through employment. Research has shown that both advocates and employers have had poor success in the past in finding long-term jobs.
People with disabilities are often faced with a perception that they are unable or unwilling to work. When looking at employment opportunities, everyone must be part of the solution to create innovative opportunities and supports. This happens with any good employer. Why should we be different when hiring someone outside the box?
Relationship-based marketing is a very interesting concept. The idea behind this is to build a relationship based on collaboration and partnership with employers. This will build trust and benefits, and it promotes willingness for employers to hire people with disabilities, as well as to create an inclusive workplace. This type of employer-employee relationship will develop into good job retention, along with a desire by employers to envision an inclusive workplace.
I have worked at a flower shop for over nine years. My boss knows more about people with Down syndrome. If partnerships were formed to remove barriers, they would produce improvements in job variety and work hours and would support employment outcomes. The Alberta Premier's Council on the Status of Persons With Disabilities refers to a chamber of commerce study that revealed that workers with disabilities had an 80% lower turnover rate. Consider the financial savings to government agencies if people are employed over the long term.
The federal government can take an active role in creating and encouraging this type of relationship by offering incentives to businesses and employers, for instance, by providing development, training, education, and workplace accommodations. We would like to see new, innovative partnerships between government and private sector employers to identify barriers that could heighten the employment rate for Canadians of diversity; advocates who would like to be part of strategies and action; and plans that can develop and train people with the skills of relationship-based marketing.
The business rationale for employing people of diversity is about acknowledging people for who they are. It is about recognizing strengths and abilities, leveraging skills and talents, and finding good job fits. The rewards to businesses, and, more importantly, to people with developmental disabilities, include a mutually viable employee relationship leading to increased opportunities. A study from the U.S. found approximately 75% had direct encounters with persons with disabilities in business environments and that 92% of customers felt more favourable toward businesses that hired persons of diversity.
Workers with disabilities are often more aware, not less, of safety issues in the workplace, lowering insurance rates.
People with disabilities have relevant education to become creditably employed. Human Resources and Social Development Canada reports that Canadian adults with disabilities are about two-thirds as likely to have post-secondary education as adults with Down syndrome. In 1990, a study of different corporations found that 94% of employees with disabilities rated as average or better in job performance.
In November 2006, the Alberta government reported that there is a serious labour crisis.
The Voices at the Table Advocacy Committee has noted the social inequity of the minimum wage with exemptions for people with disabilities. For me to get paid less than minimum wage, I would feel underprivileged to get less money than someone doing the same job as me.
Only by engaging stakeholders and advocates can communities understand the contribution Canadians with disabilities can add to the workplace. The development of new relationships between advocates, service agencies, provincial and federal governments, employers, and people will facilitate change and create opportunities.
To leverage the power of diversity, we must maximize the capacity and value added by all people. The benefits are twofold. Employers retain skilled and committed staff and have access to long-term workers to enhance the workplace culture. People with disabilities gain confidence, skills, valuable workplace interactions, and the ability to support themselves to live independently.
Thank you.