Helping disabled find work in tough economy

CTV Calgary: Jobs for the disabled Inclusion Alberta helps the disabled find jobs in this tough economy. Kathy Le reports.

The economic downturn is hurting a lot of people and one group that is being hit hard is the disabled, but there are groups in Calgary doing their best to help.

Sheila Cravbe’s adult daughter has a complex developmental disorder that limits her in some ways.

“Her size definitely becomes an issue,” she said. “She is about the size of an average 8-year-old, so it’s hard to go through life in an adult world when everything is built at a certain level.”

Melissa Cravbe has been told all her life what she couldn’t do, but that didn’t dampen the 24-year-old's spirit.

“It was kind of like I was being doubted, and like, don’t believe me? Just watch,” she said.

Erin Palashniuk is with Inclusion Alberta, one of the groups helping out, and says people with developmental disabilities have a hard time with traditional interview processes.

“It’s important to have a parallel hiring process.” she said. Inclusion Alberta helps support businesses that hire special needs employees and encourages them to be open to hiring people with many different ability levels.

Melissa’s mom says having a job has been a dream come true for her daughter, and others should be given the same chance.

For more information on Inclusion Alberta, look at their website here.