Take your MLA to Work Day

In Manitoba there are many individuals with disabilities who are successfully working in local businesses, earning minimum wage or higher with benefits. These employees are utilizing their unique skills and abilities to become contributing members of society while obtaining increased incomes, financial assets and economic wealth.

To celebrate October’s Disability Employment Awareness Month, we have invited our local Brandon MLA’s, as well as the MLA from Riding Mountain to tour and meet an employee (who happens to have a disability) at two local businesses.  The tours will be taking place on Friday October 27, 2017.  Rotary Villas Assisted Living will welcome Len Isliefson (Brandon East) and Greg Nesibitt (Riding Mountain) at noon.  Reg Helwer (Brandon West) will be joining Telus in the Brandon Shoppers Mall at 2 p.m.

The local MLAs will be observing the work of the employees to see first‐hand the power of community‐integrated employment for people with disabilities. “Take Your MLA to Work Day” provides a powerful opportunity to showcase the skills and talents of Manitobans with disabilities in the workplace. The itinerary will be as follows:

‐ MLA will be provided a 30‐45 minute tour of their workplace highlighting where the employee works and the tasks they do,

‐ MLA will be introduced to the employee’s co‐workers and employer, if possible, and

‐ We will hear about this employment success story from both the employer and employee perspective.

As part of Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM), the Manitoba Supported Employment Network (MSEN) is championing the Take Your MLA to Work Day Campaign. This campaign is intended to raise awareness about the benefits of hiring Manitobans with disabilities by showing that integrated, community based employment and careers should be the expected and preferred outcomes of publicly funded services for those with disabilities. By highlighting these success stories, we hope to encourage more inclusive hiring practices, celebrate inclusive employers doing such, and highlight the contributions of Manitobans with disabilities to the workforce.