'I want to work': New hub connects people with Down syndrome to jobs
Canada has roughly one million jobs unfulfilled, and a new tool is looking to connect employers with candidates they may not have expected to hire—which is part of the problem, according to disability advocates.
Inployable is the first-ever employment network created in Canada on LinkedIn, an initiative of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS).
“[These candidates] are reliable, they have low absenteeism,” said Executive Director Laura LaChance.
“These are all business cases—where there is data to support this—that people with down syndrome contribute as much or more than other team members.”
LaChance cited figures from a 2018 Accenture study for the American Association of People with Disabilities, which investigated the financial performance of 140 companies, finding those which hired and supported workers with disabilities saw 28 per cent higher revenue and twice the net income.
Yet in Canada, according to CDSS, over half of those living with Down Syndrome in Canada are either not employed or volunteering their time and labour.
Jessica Rotolo says she was surprised and elated to discover she was being paid at her most recent job.
She works three days a week as a classroom assistant at Centennial Infant and Child Centre, where she herself went to preschool.
“I was so happy it was a paid job because I need money to move out of my house and live on my own,” she told CTV News Toronto, standing with her mother Dorlean who smiled at the answer.
Executive Director of Centennial Shemina Ladak says the centre has been hiring people living with Down Syndrome and other conditions for several years.
“Nobody’s called in sick, they’re always on time, they stay until the end, and they do the tasks that are assigned to them really, really well,” Ladak said.
Dorlean Rotolo says Jessica is like many young people living with Down Syndrome, who can succeed if given the opportunity and support along the way.
“Everything she’s accomplished in her life at 24—I was not even close to doing the things that she has done, so we’re just so proud,” she said.
As for Jessica, she herself best summed up her qualifications.
“I am smart I am resourceful, I’m always on time,” she said.
“I want people to know that I am a confident young woman who is rocking life.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Toronto eliminated from PWHL playoffs
Toronto has been eliminated from the PWHL playoffs.
Information commissioner faces $700K funding shortfall, says system is 'overwhelmed'
Canada's information commissioner says her office is facing a $700,000 funding shortfall that could impact its ability to investigate complaints about government transparency and accountability.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Backlash over NFL player Harrison Butker's commencement speech has reached a new level
The NFL is distancing itself from controversial comments by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a recent commencement address.
Dabney Coleman, actor who specialized in curmudgeons, dies at 92
Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in '9 to 5' and the nasty TV director in 'Tootsie,' has died. He was 92.
Craig Berube named as next head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Craig Berube as their new head coach.