Note to Instructors
"The Right to Work: Job Prospects for the Disabled"
is appropriate for all work related discussions. Students should be
encouraged to compare the life experiences of the people profiled with
their own personal histories. Comparisons should be made to Karen Westcott
and Elizabeth O'Brien who are also profiled in this booklet.
Government policy towards the disabled is an especially important consideration.
Students should express their views on the role of government (if any)
in helping the disabled find meaningful employment.
Many people with disabilities partake of literacy upgrading services
and Adult Basic Education. Students with disabilities should be encouraged
to share their stories. The importance of good literacy skills for all
those who want to work should also be focused on.
Issues for Discussion
- The role of government in helping the disabled find work.
- The idea of
"meaningful" as opposed to "drudge"
employment. Should a person take a minimum wage job just for the sake
of working?
- The insidious nature of prejudice. Do people always realize when
they are being prejudiced?
- Human rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as applied
to the disabled.
- The
"right to work" as applied to other minorities:
native people, immigrants, women etc.
- The role of work in our lives. How it affects our psychological
well being.
- The role of education in finding meaningful employment.
- The stigma of
"social assistance." How does this
affect the self worth of a person? Does living on social assistance
mean something different for the disabled as compared to the non disabled?
- Employer attitudes towards the disabled. Are employers' attitudes
different from those of other people?
- The economic reality of the 90s and the disabled. Should the disabled
accept that there is little or no work for them in an era of high
unemployment?
- Technology and the disabled.
- Predictions for the disabled job market. What will the situation
be in 20, 30, 50 years from now?
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