A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our #ATWorldRecord on The UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Neil Squire Update: December 2021
#ATWorldRecord Wrap-Up
Thank You for Your Support
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our #ATWorldRecord on December 3rd. You helped raise awareness around the need for affordable assistive technology on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The folks at Guinness World Records are busy verifying the entries and we can't wait to share the results soon!
And of course, we want to extend a thank you to our partners for the #ATWorldRecord! We couldn't have made this happen without you!
Every Gift Makes an Impact
#PoweredToEnable
Our Powered to Enable fundraising campaign is on now and runs through to the end of December. Your support enables access to life-changing technology and knowledge, and invests in bridging the divide between disabled and non-disabled Canadians.
For other ways to give or to learn more about how your donation will make an impact, please visit our website.
Digital Jumpstart Helps Laura on Her Path to Employment
A Digital Jumpstart Success
Laura had been unable to work for 15 years due to pain and mobility issues from a herniated disc, after an operation didn’t relieve the pain.
She was looking to get back into the workforce and learned about Neil Squire. Needing to update her computer skills, she was enrolled in our Digital Jumpstart program.
“It’s not that I have not got some basic general knowledge of computer skills, but because I’ve been out of the workforce for so long, [. . .] I wanted to go over them with somebody just so I could feel confident that I knew how to use them,” she explains.
Laura received Distance Computer Comfort tutoring on Microsoft Office — Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in particular — remotely from the comfort of her home on Vancouver Island.
“It’s really a good program, because especially with COVID, to be able to do it via Zoom has been really great,” she says. “[I like] the accessibility that it provides.”
Through Digital Jumpstart, Laura received Microsoft Office on her Mac, and a riser for her laptop, which allows her to put her laptop more at eye level, making it easier on her back. She also received help on connecting her wireless keyboard and mouse to her new laptop.
Laura is currently working with a job developer in the Working Together program, where her interests for employment include tutoring, working in an art gallery or museum, and writing and proofreading.
“It’s good to be able to say you have these skills and can use these programs, people I think take for granted that you can nowadays,” Laura says.
“[Digital Jumpstart] gives a person like myself a certain level of ease in knowing that you are up to date on the fundamentals of the programs and you have a basic understanding of what you can do with them, how to use them, and therefore when you do go into a position, that will be at least one thing that won’t be part of the learning curve.”
Stephany had just received her diploma in Business Administration and Marketing from New Brunswick Community College.
She wanted to work as an advertising professional over the summer and then continue studying in the fall to obtain a diploma in Graphic Design and Communications.
Diagnosed with ADHD, PTSD, and a working memory learning disability, a friend referred her to our Working Together program. She was hoping they could help her find a summer job in advertising.
Stephany had previously completed her co-op program at Toner Realty Ltd, an advertising billboard business, and really wanted to continue working there.
Stephany approached the owner and told him about the Working Together program and he wanted to know more. Neil Squire's Job Developer called him and presented information on the Working Together program as well as the benefits of the program. Toner Realty Ltd is a small business and the wage subsidy provided the resources to hire her.
“She has been a perfect addition to our team,” the employer says, noting the hiring process was “terrific and easy.”
In fact, due to her great performance, they are keeping her on part-time as she attends community college for her second diploma.
The employer says he recommends the Working Together program to other businesses “every day of the week.”
Bluejay is a long-time participant and supporter of the Footprints Centre, which is run in partnership between Neil Squire and the Penticton Indian Band. Bluejay has Goldenhar syndrome. He has a smaller left hand than his right, and the facial muscles on his left side don’t work.
Over the years, he has participated in a variety of courses and programs at the Footprints Centre, including the Working Together and Distance Computer Comfort programs, learning employment skills and computer skills.
After going back to school to get his Grade 12 thanks to the encouragement he received at Footprints, he put the job search skills and the confidence he learned in the Working Together program to work. Four years ago, Bluejay cold called his future boss.
“The same day I cold called him was the same day he said I could come in for an orientation. So I got myself out there and he said you start tomorrow,” Bluejay explains.
With his job, he bought his first vehicle, and even recently upgraded that to a brand new 2020 Ford Ranger. Now, he’s looking at buying a new home.
“The supervisors really like me because I work hard,” he says. “I didn’t realize until I started working that I’m a hard worker.”
“[I’m] Much Happier, I Enjoy Working So Much More Now”
A WorkBC Assistive Technology Services Success
Bradley, an incomplete paraplegic with a T8, T9 spinal cord injury, works as a rehab equipment sales rep in New Westminster. He helps clients and therapists find the right equipment for mobility, safety, and quality of life.
However, commuting to and from work was causing Bradley pain, having to lift his wheelchair in and out of his vehicle for the past 25 years.
Through WorkBC Assistive Technology Services, Bradley got a conversion kit for his new van, which included a side folding lift, powered seat, and hand controls.
“I am not in as much pain,” he says. “Transfers are so much easier. At days end I am not wiped out.”
He “100 percent” recommends WorkBC Assistive Technology Services to others in need.
“[I’m] much happier, I enjoy working so much more now,” Bradley says. “[I’m] just glad that such a program exists.”
Do you have difficulty using your hands and arms and have trouble using a traditional mouse or track pad? Do you use an alternative mouse pointing device such as Quadjoy, Jouse, LipSync, trackball, etc.? If so, we could use your help with our pointing devices study.
Participants will be paid a $55 honorarium for a 30 minute session that you can do from your own home.
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