Don’t Give me Shelter! Part 2 of the history of employment for Canadians who are blind, deafblind and partially sighted

"Today’s episode continues Triple Vision’s deep dive into the difficult questions surrounding the employment, and unemployment rates, of blind Canadians. The team pulls together three panelists to discuss the daunting issue of why the unemployment rate for Canadians who are blind, deafblind and partially sighted so chronically high. Vic Pereira, Marcia Yale and David Best all share their views on what has, and continues to, hold employers back from hiring individuals within the sight loss community. The panel covers issues like the lack of awareness by employers regarding the capabilities of individuals who are blind, technological trends that have both supported us and held us back, and attitudes in the workplace, amongst other issues. “One of the major challenges that we face is that we are always at the trailing end of progress. Through the 1900s, sheltered workshops were quite popular because they were opportunities for people who could not get into the workforce. However, we have shifted from the labour-based economy to the knowledge-based economy and the policies and procedures have not kept up with the progress of the world when it comes to the employment environments of workplace tools and transportation. I think the reason why we have always been behind with employment is we have been left behind when advancements are made. There’s no policy to include our needs as progress moves forward.”"