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BURNABY – People with disabilities will have greater employment opportunities, thanks to the Neil Squire Foundation’s new Disability Supports Centre, said Human Resources Minister Stan Hagen and foundation executive director Dr. Gary Birch.
The centre was made possible by a $50,000 grant from the Disability Supports for Employment Fund, a $20 million endowment fund established by the Government of British Columbia in 2003. Since June 2001, the government has invested more than $60 million in specialized employment and training programs so people with disabilities can pursue their employment goals.
“We know that people with disabilities face employment challenges. That’s why we established the Disability Supports for Employment Fund,” said Hagen. “Through this fund, organizations like the Neil Squire Foundation can help British Columbians with disabilities obtain the employment-related disability support they need to achieve personal success in the work force.”
The centre will provide employment-related technical aids, assessments, personal services and equipment modifications for persons with disabilities who are otherwise ineligible for such assistance.
“In the past, the Neil Squire Foundation provided recommendations for adaptive technology for the people in our programs,” said program co-ordinator Brian Stride. “Now we can actually provide the adaptive technology that participants need to find and keep good jobs.”
The Disability Supports for Employment Fund, managed by the Vancouver Foundation, provides a million dollars a year to provide a range of supports that help remove employment barriers to people with disabilities.
“The Neil Squire Foundation has all the required elements in place to make good use of its grant and reach the goals set for the fund,” said Richard Mulcaster, president and CEO of the Vancouver Foundation.
Removing barriers to employment is a priority for the British Columbia government. According to the Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities, there are approximately 350,000 British Columbians with disabilities of working age – 128,000 are employed.
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