ST. PAUL – October is Disability Employment Awareness Month - a time to reflect on the journey of those who have defied adversity and stereotypes, achieving success in a variety of fields.
The observation also calls on the community to acknowledge that disabilities should not be seen as a barrier to gaining employment.
Allison Yopyk, director of career inclusion and support services with St. Paul Abilities Network (SPAN), helps connect people with employers in the community. She acknowledges that people with disabilities often experience higher rates of unemployment.
This may be due to perceived notions, such as increased accommodations being required of an employer when hiring people with disabilities, “when in fact, accommodations are minimal,” says Yopyk. There are often programs available to support people with disabilities in the workplace, provided by non-profits like SPAN or organizations like EmployAbilities.
There is also a perceived notion that people with disabilities may require more time off, or they do not have the required skillset to work. This also is not accurate, according to Yopyk, noting it is often the complete opposite. People with disabilities often stay longer in a job, she says.
Hiring people with disabilities can offer benefits to an employer by creating a more diverse workforce.
When asked how local employers have adapted their hiring or bettering workplace policies to be more inclusive, Yopyk says many of the employers SPAN has worked with have been committed to learning and making changes, as well as working with SPAN and job coaches.
“We’ve worked with a number of great businesses that have been really supportive of hiring people with disabilities.”
Yopyk thanked employers who acknowledge that all people can bring different gifts and abilities to the workplace.
Proud to be a good worker
Trevor Durocher works at Cornerstone Co-op and is part of SPAN’s programming. Durocher has also been involved with SPAN’s employment training programs. He has a diverse work history, including working in a catering kitchen in the past, and also in the oilfield.
Durocher has an invisible disability - a developmental disability. But his disability does not act as a barrier when it comes to his work and employment. Yopyk confirms this, noting that Durocher often chooses to work 50 hours a week.
When Durocher worked in the oilfield, he was away for 21-day shifts and worked 10 to 12 hours a day.
Durocher says he’s “proud to be a good worker.” His motivation to work is simple - he enjoys the various offerings of life, such as attending concerts and travelling, which comes with a price.
Durocher loves rock music and has attended many different concerts, from Black Sabbath to Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden. He has travelled to Mexico and hopes to visit the beaches of the Philippines one day.
When asked if Durocher has any advice for people who are trying to gain employment but may have challenges to overcome, he says, “Have a good resume.”
Opportunity for everyone
Eric Dupuis, the grocery manager at Cornerstone Co-op, says he has been working and supporting people with disabilities in the workplace for a decade in various roles.
“One thing that people often fail to realize is that we try to lump everyone into the same category, the same box, that everyone needs the same exceptions,” says Dupuis.
In reality, everyone needs different accommodations, even people without disabilities, says Dupuis. In the workplace, it’s not about having a disability or not, but meeting a person where they’re at, and being able to support them.
“So, adapting and having a more inclusive workplace really does come down to how we view the person as a person, and working with the person to accommodate them the same way you would accommodate anyone else,” says Dupuis.
For people with disabilities, it’s not about asking them “if they can do something,” but asking about their method of accomplishing something. Often, people with disabilities understand their limitations, explains Dupuis, and they understand what works and what doesn’t work for them.
“You just have to talk to them... meet where they are at.”
As with every other employee, helping them improve their skills and teaching them new skills is also important.
“You want to make sure that you’re developing them and helping them every step of the way,” just as employers should when it comes to all their employees, says Dupuis. “Everyone wants to be a part of a team. And it is our responsibility as a society to make sure everyone has that opportunity.”
