The Voice - Alberta Employment First Network

Please join VAD as we talk with AEFN about their programs and October's DEAM events.

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Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Welcome to the voice of Albertans with Disabilities podcast for September 2024. I'm Teresa Makarewich, your host and VADs program and services manager. Thank you for joining us today. Voice of Albertans with disabilities gratefully acknowledges that what we call Alberta is the traditional and ancestral territories and gathering place for the diverse indigenous people whose histories, languages and cultures continue to influence our vibrant community. We make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to the many First Nations, Metis settlements and the six regions of the Metis Nation of Alberta and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations HY HY. 

VAD has been talking with local agencies to learn about the resources that are available to the disability community, and today we'll be speaking with representatives from AEFN, Alberta Employment First Network. Their website says the purpose of AEFN is to build upon existing foundation for connection and collaboration by employment ecosystem stakeholders across Alberta and to serve employers, service providers and community stakeholders through a range of province wide delivery events and employment services to create equity, diversity and inclusion  Within the workforce. Please join me as I speak with the representatives MarieBelle, Angela and Steve about the service they offer. Together, We hold the power. Hello everyone can you please take a moment and briefly introduce introduce yourself and state your role at AEFN.

Angel F - AEFN

Hello, I'm Angela flemmon. I'm the director at Alberta Employment First Network. It's great to be here. Thank you.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Thank you, Angela.

Mariebelle S -AEFN

Hi, my name is Mariebelle Selma. I'm the marketing and communications lead with Alberta Employment First Network.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Thank you, Mariebelle.

Stephen W - AEFN 

And I'm Stephen Wright. I sit on the advisory Committee for the upward Employment First Network.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Thanks Steve. So first we'll start with Steve. Can you tell us a bit about the history of the foundation and how It came to be.

Stephen W - AEFN

AFN actually was I was conceived around 2015/2016 and and that was at the time that in Alberta we started celebrating DEAM Disability Employment Awareness Month. And Calgary employment first net worked really hard and we received a formal proclamation from the government. Is a really big group and then we started chatting with other people and it spread to Edmonton and the Pan disability network. They do a lot of work there. Lethbridge and other areas, but the one point that we were missing and that we were really conscious of is the fact that there was a lot of organizations throughout the province  Events outside of the larger urban centers that just really didn't have any exposure or support whatsoever. And so really and it's been a dream of a lot of people that worked in the area of inclusive employment for a number of years to to develop a Resource Center  So those smaller organizations that are say up in northern Alberta could actually have an opportunity to participate In a lot of these inclusive activities. And so that's how our employment first network was conceived. We submitted a proposal. So, and lo and behold, we actually received the funding, which I think is a real coo because we are the only Resource Center in the whole province of of of Alberta. And I think that's a that's an important thing to distinction just to make.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Nice. Thank you very much. Can you tell us what are some of the challenges providing supportive employment services for the community in your Role.

Stephen W - AEFN

Sure. Do you have to have half an hour or so? There's still lots of challenges, so I just want.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

I do.

Stephen W - AEFN

To. Clarify that we've. The latest stats have come out that we've actually the number of of  Persons with disabilities that have been employed has increased by 3% from 2017 to 2022. There's some people that work in the field that are celebrating. I still think we have a long way to go because we probably put in three times as much work, to  Actually increase those numbers. So I think the largest. Barrier to support employment is really those lack of opportunities to have these conversations with employers. This is the first time actually I think in my whole career that really we've there's enough services out there. I do some work with GHEDI, which is really a Resource Center also for employers in the province to really build up their capacity. So now we have the resources, we have the capacity. The only thing that's really lacking is that desire. To become more inclusive, and I think the way to do that is really to engage in conversation. Hence  You know the the creation of upward employment First network, right, which really provides those opportunities to have those conversations.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

And you said you're just kind of off the cuff here. You said you're across the province, so north to South, east to West.

Stephen W - AEFN

Absolutely, absolutely. From 1 border to the next.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Nice. Angela, can you please share your thoughts on how Alberta Employment First Network betters the lives of individuals with disabilities?

Angela - AEFN

Yeah, Alberta Employment first network like Steve has talked about, brings Albertans together and and the overall goal is to increase those employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. So this network exists to really fill in those gaps and it is key to to ensure that we have community at the table - that we have voices of Albertans At the table and and and sharing their perspective the. That's the whole reason why, you know, AEFN is here to make sure that the Service providers are providing the supports employment supports and services and programs that meet the needs of the community. We want to make sure that we're having those conversations alongside the community with employers to have those conversations and to really act in removing employment barriers and creating more innovative and inclusive workplaces. For all Albertans with disabilities, we are very intentional in the foundation setting, the foundation of Alberta Employment First Network to engage, to continually listen and hear from community. And again, just making sure that we are moving the needle to reduce those employment barriers within the province.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Hey, can you talk about DEAM and what it is and how the community can get involved?

Angela - AEFN

For sure, it's getting to be DEAM. We're October 1st marks the start of disability and Employment Awareness Month across Canada and in. Disability Employment Month was first proclaimed in Alberta in 2011 and is supported by the Government of Alberta. It's an it's part of a national campaign that celebrates, educates, raises awareness and promotes employment inclusion within the job market for people with disabilities. Their celebrations, events, webinars, training, And networking opportunities happening, we encourage the Community to attend to meet employers and network to share their story with employers who want to hire their skills. That's exactly what those businesses are looking for is to have that talent within their organization. We also have the annual DEAM Idea Conference and that's another opportunity to bring Albertans together to build upon the knowledge of inclusive employment and to hear first hand from disability advocates and to talk about the resources and tools that are available for employers.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Just to follow up on that, the conference, is it geared more towards the employers or People looking for employment.

Angela - AEFN

So the DEAM Idea conference is led By persons with disabilities. And it's for Employers and it's backed by service service providers. Yeah. And if anybody from the community is interested in joining the Alberta DEAM Provincial planning Committee, please reach out and contact us.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Perfect. MarieBelle what DEAM activities are happening in the Community this year

Mariebelle S -AEFN

Yeah. So AEFN promotes DEAM activities that happen all over Alberta. So that can be in person virtual from north to South, central Alberta. And I think this is a great resource because it's often hard to find all the events that are happening during October. We do encourage everyone to use the keyword deem when they Our planning events for Disability Employment Awareness Month in October and so the AEFN calendar has a breakdown of all the events happening this October. We have kickoffs happening all over Alberta. We have a virtual kickoff happening on October 1st that is being planned by AEFN, Gateway Association and GHEDI hub. I think this is one of the first virtual kickoffs of its kind. Obviously not forgetting the ones that were probably virtual during COVID, but we're excited to bring that virtual and make it a bit more accessible. But I know Sherwood Park is having a kickoff, Edmonton has a kickoff, Medicine Hat, has a kickoff. There's other industry information sessions happening in October that are geared towards job seekers. MentorAbility Alberta is planning one of those. And then we have Good will that is planning a couple DEAM speaker series so they bring in some entrepreneurs with disabilities and really showcase the work that they do. I believe that their CEO also speaks at these events and just shares the strides and inclusivity that the organization has. Cova has some events as well. I know Gateway Association has their inclusion events. Inclusion Perks is what that one is called. Catalyst in Lethbridge has an onboard conference. Most of these conferences will have service providers, community members and employers in attendance. Because DEAM is led by people with disabilities, we make sure that in the events that we plan, we have people with disabilities speaking on their own experiences. But we always love to see employers in the audience. That's one thing that I hope that all the DEAM events happening across the province have employers attending and employers engaged in those conversations during DEAM, a lot of these events are free or on the cheaper end conferences usually have a bit of a higher cost, but there's really an option for everyone. And again, you can Find those on the AEFN events calendar.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Perfect. Can you guys tell me how does someone get a hold of yourself at the AEFN foundation?

Mariebelle S -AEFN

Course, there's a few ways to do it. If you follow us on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn, you can always send us a direct message and you can e-mail me personally. That's comms@afn.ca, and there's also a contact form on the website. And if you e-mail anyone at Gateway Association or GHedi Hub, they will direct you straight to me as well. So there's a few ways to get a hold of us.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Perfect. Can you just quickly tell us what your website address is?

Mariebelle S -AEFN

Yeah, it's very easy http://afn.ca. 

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Perfect. Angela, what do you hope to see in the future for your organization both internally and externally?

Angela - AEFN

Yeah. I want to see continued growth and building upon the strong foundation of being transparent and inclusive and centering the voices of Albertans with disabilities. We want to be that one stop. Network hub within the province for where businesses, service providers and community can come to to find resources to look at different programs to share the work that's being being done within the province on inclusive employment. We want to expand and  Connect with all the  Regions and the province we would love to have and we want to hire ambassadors and consultants with lived experience to actually be within those regions, to connect and collaborate and share the resources because we know what's happening in the rural areas within the province is very different from what's happening in the bigger centers. You know what's happening in Calgary is very different from What's happening in red Deer versus Lethbridge and Fort McMurray. We want to make sure that we're sharing the resources that we're amplifying the work that's being done within the province and accessibility is front and center within the daily operations within the events that we host and and sharing that with employers.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

What do you see for the future of employer inclusivity within the organizations?

Angela - AEFN

To continue to build those relationships, increase the employer engagement with the community and within the service providers. Again, it's the strengthening of those relationships. We want to make sure that employers are engaging in the DEAM celebrations that they're connecting within and attending the community events ,want employers to be reviewing their hiring policies. And procedures and having audits done and really looking internally as to Are they truly being inclusive employers and really aiming to  eliminate those barriers within the workplaces?

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Just a quick question there. How would somebody  Get an audit done.

Angela - AEFN

WE have connections to businesses and organizations and individuals that are leading the work, their lived experience and they have a full accessibility audit available. They will work with organizations and businesses for specific events. I know that we have had and we've got them throughout the Province also some of them are willing to travel. They've done trying to think of. Maybe MarieBelle, you can pop in here with. So I'm just  I'm thinking some of the venues they've done with some of the recreational centers when they're doing their renovations, they've gone on site and done a physical walk through. But they also look at their, you know their IT.

Their access point, they look at the communication that's happening within those organizations and in those businesses.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

So it's policy, procedure and built environment.

Mariebelle S -AEFN

Yeah, an audit.

Mariebelle S -AEFN

Yeah, the businesses we've seen audited are restaurants. So the service industry, airports, one connection of ours was working at the great comedy, The Great Canadian Comedy Festival. So traveled around and those accessibility audits don't just have to be for the physical space, but also for work, work culture or policies, Hiring practices, onboarding, and we also work closely with consultants that we can connect you to as well. Steve, one of them has met with a lot of employers. Doing those audits, less about physical space, but I'm sure that that's a conversation that comes up and we can direct anyone to any resource that we have.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Wonderful, Angela. How about the future of engagement Within the community.

Angela - AEFN

To continue to build those relationships and to really engage and listen to What are the means of the community? What does inclusive employment mean? What are the barriers? What are the improvements? What are they  What are they noticing and making sure that they're being represented represented?

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Wonderful, Steve, what do you see for the future of employment support services?

Stephen W - AEFN

Sorry, nothing but good things and I think the future of employment support services is going to be constantly evolving and becoming more inclusive. So I I actually and I'm going to be so bold as to say is that Employment Support Services is going to continue to be around for a long time. It doesn't mean that companies and organizations Aren't going to get their act together and become more inclusive themselves, but we're always going to need support because things are always changing all the time.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

What is an interesting fact about Alberta Employment First Network that everyone should know?

Stephen W - AEFN

Well, I think there's two really important things to remember. 1 is is that everyone, this is the first time actually we've had paid positions. For MarieBelle and Angela, which is is such a relief, but the rest of the people on the advisory committee are people that are really passionate  About inclusive employment, right, so that every one of us are volunteering our Time. And if you really go back and take a look at any organizations that have been created, it's usually been created by groups of people with lived experience by parents and Alberta Employment First Network is actually created by service providers that are really passionate about what they do. The second thing I'd like to to really mention is because we have such a wide diverse group of people sitting on our advisory committee, I think really AEFN is going to be a leader in promoting and advocating for accessible services simply by association, right? So it's a real mixture of people. It's not led by service providers alone or by employers.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

How is accessibility going to be impacting inclusive employment in the future?

Stephen W - AEFN

Well, I think accessibility is going to be impacting our all of our communities as time goes on. If you ever say take a look at our  demographics. It's going, it's becoming fairly obvious that that Albertans who identify as having some sort of disability, the numbers are increasing. And so I really think that accessibility is going to be a key. To really developing inclusive services for all, including employment services, really what we should be doing is steering the conversation towards the principles of universal design, because if we get it right the first time, it won't be so arduous and painful to make make changes as we go along. So I'm a real strong advocate or really looking at that, And I think the question of accessibility should be the first question we ask for anything that we do. How accessible is it going to be?

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

I agree with our present education coordinator. It's the first question she asked to ask with every presentation - is accessible and does that mean? Are there stairs? Are there a ramp? Are the hallways big enough and she has to go through that same process?

Stephen W - AEFN

And you know, Teresa, really the the really important thing about that. But I think it's really really exciting is that is that, that folks that don't identify as having a disability are going to actually be learning. It's a real learning opportunity because I think a lot of times we take things for granted, not just the physical space but Structures and systems and material, everything that goes on isn't really accessible. So to me it's going to be exciting times.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Nice. I agree with that. Thanks for your time and energy today everyone. Your support of the Community is of value to all. Is there anything else you want to say that I haven't asked you today?

Mariebelle S -AEFN

I think you've covered it all.

Teresa Makarewich, VAD Program & Services Manager

Awesome. OK. Well, thank you again for joining VAD's podcast voice of Albertans with disabilities is across disability nonprofit organization of and for people with disabilities. We are guided by the principles of accessibility, equity and inclusion. Learn more about VAD services on our website.

www.vadsociety.ca or call 780-488-9088 For more information if you have a topic you would like to hear more about in a contact podcast, please e-mail Teresa at vad@vadsociety.ca with topic ideas, speaker suggestions, or your feedback signing off for today, together we hold the power.