With a youth unemployment rate of 15.6 per cent according to the Government of Ontario’s 2017 labour market report, finding a job in Ontario can be tough for any student. However, the challenges of seeking employment can be even more challenging if you have a disability.
That’s why the Carleton Disability Awareness Centre (CDAC) is hosting its first Employment Week, in an effort to prepare students with disabilities for some of the issues they may face.
The event runs from Jan. 23-26. According to Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) president Zameer Masjedee, students with “both visible and invisible disabilities can drop by, learn more about the process, get résumé tips, [and get] interview tips.”
CDAC, in collaboration with the Paul Menton Centre (PMC) and Career Services, realized that employment aid specifically designed for those with disabilities, was previously not available at Carleton.
While the lessons offered by the events can be applied to any student seeking employment, there is a focus on the unique issues that workers with disabilities face.
“Once you get a job, what are the employer’s responsibilities in terms of accommodating any sort of request that you have?” Masjedee said as an example of one of the questions students with disabilities might have when they enter the workforce.
Dean Mellway, the acting director of the Research, Education, Accessibility and Design Initiative at the PMC , said that students with disabilities are “graduating on par” with able-bodied students. He said, however, that finding employment was “another issue” altogether, so providing employment aid for people with disabilities is “one of the most important issues,” that need to tackled.
Masjedee said that while Career Services is doing a “fantastic job” of addressing the needs of students, those with disabilities face different obstacles.
“Having this week targeted specifically to those students, I think is a great initiative, and it’s one that we’re happy is getting watched this year, and we’re excited to see how it grows in the years to come,” he said.
Photo by Meagan Casalino
