10 BY 10 CHALLENGE EMBRACES THE WORKABLE

VICTORIA – All British Columbians will benefit from having more people with disabilities in the workplace and that’s why the government is issuing a provincewide challenge to increase their employment by 10 per cent by 2010, Employment and Income Assistance Minister Claude Richmond said today.

The 10 by 10 Challenge – increasing B.C.’s current employment of persons with disabilities from 132,000 in 2006 to 145,000 in 2010 – was issued by Minister Richmond and Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan, co-chairs of the Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities, at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention in Victoria.

“Many people with disabilities have tremendous talent and skill to offer to their communities and local economies,” said Richmond. “With the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and B.C.’s current economy the strongest it’s been in decades, there have never been better opportunities for all British Columbians to fully participate in the workforce.”

There are currently 300,000 working-age people with disabilities in British Columbia. Thirty-four thousand have college diplomas, 30,000 have trade certificates, and 28,000 have university degrees – yet they only have a 44 per cent employment rate. It is also expected that B.C. businesses will need to fill one million new job openings by 2015.

“I know personally the struggles people with disabilities face trying to find their place in the workforce – and how much a person can achieve when given the right opportunities,” said Sullivan. “As mayor of B.C.’s biggest city, I intend to lead by example, committing Vancouver to meet our 10 per cent goal.”

The 10 by 10 Challenge is endorsed by 2010 Legacies Now, a community partner of the Minister’s Council that is dedicated to promoting full accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities in B.C. as the province prepares to takes its place on the world stage in 2010.

“Our goal at 2010 Legacies Now is to create an inclusive society that celebrates the diversity amongst our province,” said Al Etmanski, a representative from 2010 Legacies Now. “Meeting the 10 by 10 challenge will definitely increase participation of people with disabilities in our workforce – one of the key goals of Legacies Now.”

To assist B.C. communities, resources are available from the Minister’s Council, including a WorkAble Solutions Tool Kit that consists of an employer’s handbook, video presentation and information on accessing the WorkAble Solutions website, where employers and job seekers can directly connect.

B.C. communities will also be supported by 2010 Legacies Now’s Measuring Up Guide – a tool that provides a step-by-step approach to topics ranging from creating fully accessible public spaces to promoting employment and community involvement for people with disabilities.

“We’re providing communities with the focus, inspiration and tools to ensure everyone shares in the benefits of this dynamic and prosperous time,” said Richmond. “Just imagine for a moment what B.C. will be like once we succeed. More generous, more inclusive, and more enlightened.”

To find out more about the work of the Minister’s Council on Employment for People with Disabilities, please visit www.eia.gov.bc.ca/pwd.htm. For information on 2010 Legacies Now, please visit www.2010legaciesnow.com/content/home.asp.

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Media contact:	Richard Chambers Communications Director 250 387-6489

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