Charlottetown man finds hope with new job board for people with disabilities
Untapped Talent platform aims to reduce barriers to employment
Jackson McKinnon has faced significant challenges finding employment over the years due to his visual impairment caused by a rare eye disease that has progressively affected his sight.
The Charlottetown resident said some employers are willing to accommodate him, but others don't offer the additional support he needs.
"Sometimes you just need a little more patience for training," the 28-year-old said.
However, McKinnon said he has a new reason to hope as Canada now has an online job board specifically for people with disabilities.
The new platform, called Untapped Talent, was launched Monday by the Canadian Council for Rehabilitation and Work, or CCRW.
The platform will hopefully ease the anxiety many people with disabilities face when looking for work, McKinnon said.
"It kind of gives you a little relief."
McKinnon is one of more than 740,000 Canadians with disabilities who are ready to join the workforce, according to Maureen Haan, CEO and president of CCRW.
"That's a lot of talent that's sitting there ready to go," she said.
"It's just that we have to make sure that the barriers come down so that the people can actually get into work, and the employers and the businesses can find the talent that they need."
Haan also highlighted a disparity in employment rates. While 82 per cent of Islanders are working, only 65 per cent of those with disabilities in P.E.I. are employed.
So far, 50 employers have signed up for Untapped Talent, and more than 1,800 Canadians with a disability have already registered.
Haan said employers who use the platform will receive training to ensure their workplaces are accessible to everyone.
'A quarter of the labour force'
The launch of the job board also includes a virtual summit designed to bring job seekers like McKinnon together with employers.
The summit focuses on a range of issues affecting people with disabilities, including career transitions, mentorship opportunities and creating inclusive, accessible workplaces.
It's still common for some employers to hesitate to invest in accommodations for workers with disabilities, said Haan, but businesses that make the effort to be inclusive are the ones most likely to thrive.
"We have a labour shortage right across the country, and we have a high percentage of people who identify as somebody with a disability in each of the provinces right across the country," she said.
"So when businesses don't change themselves and make themselves into what we like to call disability-confident or inclusive workplaces, then they are missing out on a quarter of the labour force that's out there."
With files from Island Morning