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 Ability
Talks:
Summer Special
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To write is to express. To express
is to educate.
This edition of Youth@bilities
supports that. A group of dynamic
writers who participated in the the
first series of the
Youth@bilities Creative Writer's
Workshop held at the
Scarborough Centre for Employment
Accessibility, have contributed
written pieces to this newsletter.
By popular demand, a new series of
the Creative Writer's Workshop
begins Tuesday, September 11th at
1pm.
To learn more about the writers or
the Writer’s Workshop contact,
Ashima.suri@tcdsb.org
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David's
Blog:
To Be is to be 'ME'!
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Why can’t my
parents stop bothering me sometimes
and mind their own business? I mean
I can understand their concerns on
the fact that I don’t have a job yet
and that they plan on retiring
soon. But I don’t need anymore
pressure than what I already have
from myself. I don’t like the fact
that you compare me to other
relatives and your fellow co-workers
kids to me, telling me how they are
working hard on their jobs while
they think I do nothing. I am not
them. I am me, and I feel I will
get one soon, more so than a couple
of years ago. I now have a stronger
job goal than just applying
everywhere without even knowing what
I’m applying for.
Don’t say my
time at ALDER is a waste, because
they’ve help me with my confidence,
plus I’ve gotten training, a job
trial, and more interviews than the
last few years combined. I’ve also
found out about various job fairs
thanks to them.
Mom, don’t ask
me to give you my resume so that you
can give it to someone because every
time you do, you never tell me who
they are, what company they are
from, and you always manage not to
give me any info, especially when it
comes time for the interview (Never
forgotten the Ryerson incident).
Don’t help me on the job searching
because I’m fine with how I’m
handling it.
Don’t say that
if you die at work, it’s my fault,
because it will just make me want to
not look for a job from time to
time, or even if an opportunity
comes up, it could add more pressure
to what I already have or I may do
something stupid like turning it
down. Plus, it does affect my
concentration because I end up
thinking just about that than
concentrating on finding a job.
Matter of fact, don’t ask or talk to
me about anything job related
because it tends to de-motivate me.
And please, if I’m in the room and
you are talking about jobs to each
other, please be considerate to me,
and my feelings.
If something
comes up, I’ll tell you. I’m trying
to find a job that I would like and
not complain about it too much,
because I don’t want to be like you
and complain about it from time to
time, like how I’ve heard. Mom,
don’t over worry about the fact that
I don’t have a job because it’s not
good for your health and you already
worry about other things. And just
stop complaining that ODSP isn’t
sending me cheques in the mail,
because like I told you a 100 times,
you make enough income that I don’t
require ODSP Income Support. All I
ask is that you just do what you’ve
been doing, support me, have a
little faith, and let me be, for I’m
sure it won’t be long before I get a
job.
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FRIENDSHIP |
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Pam Zammit |
Friendship is one of the most
important relationships in a
person’s life. A true
friendship can be built on the
unconditional love that two
people share. It is a rare
occurrence but when it happens
to an individual, they are
deeply blessed. This person
knows how you feel and what you
want out of life, although you
haven’t told them. They just
appear to be ‘in sync’ with
you.
I was fortunate to have obtained
a relationship with a ‘true’
friend. My friend had been my
confidante and defender for many
years. He knew how to keep
smiling regardless of the
circumstances.
In the past four years, my dad
and my brother passed away and
may world begun to fall apart.
Basically my friend “saved” my
life by listening to me on the
telephone daily and teaching me
that I can smile again. There
was life after my two family
members that I loved dearly were
swept away from my life. My
friend never faltered. He was
there for me through thick and
thin.
My friendship was important to
me also. I tried my hardest to
be supportive and understanding
person for him in return. Our
mutual admiration lasted for
many years, through my battle
with multiple sclerosis and his
illness.
Then one evening, unable to
reach him on the telephone a
strange feeling of fear gripped
my body and I sent for the
police because of his health
condition. Like I feared, the
police found my friend dead and
my world began to fall apart.
As I drifted through the next
few days, including the
memorial, I tried to remember
what my friend had taught me
about life and that “true”
friendship and its lessons can
last forever, even in death. I
realized that a ‘true friend’
can make you feel that your
goals and dreams can be
achieved, regardless of what
happens as long as you believe.
My friend had made me realize
that I could do anything that I
wanted to as long as I
believed. Although my friend
died, he had respected me enough
and showed a great deal of pride
in me while was alive, which
gave me confidence in my
abilities.
Although I still feel down at
times, when I look at his
photograph and see his smile, I
remember his words about seeing
the best in all that life throws
in my direction and I smile to.
By: Pam Zammit
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PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES AND EMPLOYMENT
A
Persausive essay
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Farzan Khan |
There are more than hundreds and
thousands of people living in
Canada and many are currently
working in various positions.
However there are many people,
including persons with
disabilities, who are having
difficulty finding a job because
of the lack of opportunities
available.
According to research, persons
with disabilities search for
jobs by looking at the newspaper
classifieds or on the internet.
In the past, different companies
across Canada hired more people
based on their experience and
their education background (such
as University degree or MBA).
Many people would then become
employed and begin working in
permanent positions. But many
other companies did not open up
those same opportunities for
other people, including persons
with disabilities, because of
their lack of skills and
experience. Therefore they
became disappointed and ended up
looking elsewhere for work.
Years later, the federal,
provincial and municipal
governments decided to allow
anyone including persons with
disabilities a chance to look
for work and find the right job
that they always dreamed about.
Most of the people with
disabilities went to employment
centers across Canada to attend
workshops and special events
that related to employment
opportunities, learning about
job search, labour market, cold
calling, networking and others
including positive thinking in
the workplace and transitions to
employment organized by other
community agencies across
Canada.
Finally, the thought about this
topic is that they are more
people who are still currently
working and others including
persons with disabilities who
are not working but will
continue to search and find the
right job as soon as possible.
Another thing is that the
Provincial government have
provided persons with
disabilities with employment and
income supports along with
accommodation with job coaching,
devices including jaws and the
ability to learn and understand
the concepts in the workplaces.
Let’s hope that persons with
disabilities continue to reach
their employment goals so that
they will become successful in
the future.
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By:Farzan Khan
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Workshop offers creative
perspective to essential
employability skill
Article
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Like a piece of clay, writing can be
sculpted and molded, and with
patience, revision, imagination over
time, it can be transformed into a
work of art…a masterpiece. Each
piece of work such as article,
story, play, poem, blog, essay,
novel or song, reflects the author’s
personal expression. The goal is to
leave a leave a lasting impression.
An impression ...a fingerprint.
The Creative Writer’s workshop
sessions at the Scarborough Centre
for Employment Accessibility (SCEA)
helps people gain and improve their
ability to write. SCEA is a
wheelchair accessible facility
located at 3478 Lawrence Avenue
East, Unit 006 (northwest corner of
Markham Road).
Creative writing offers freedom of
expression and as well it can be an
asset to one’s professional life.
Through résumé writing, cover
letters, the essentials of
interviewing and communicating to
employers, and job searching
techniques, all require oral and
written communication and is
enhanced by creative writing.
The Ministry of Colleges and
Universities of Ontario list that
graduates demonstrate the ability to
“communicate clearly, concisely and
correctly in the written, spoken and
visual form that fulfills the
purpose that meets the needs of the
audience.” Graduates should also be
able to “respond to written spoken
or visual messages in a manner that
ensures effective communication.”
Writing is an important skill
because everyone has talent, is
unique and has something important
to say, whether it is writing a
proposal or to offer a fresh
perspective to a situation or raise
consciousness to evoke change.
Want a stimulating, engaging way to
spend two hours once a week? Are you
interested in writing to gain
experience and improve your skills?
The seven-part workshop sessions are
held once a week for two hours and
provide a fun-filled, engaging spin
to the writing process.
“I started the Creative Writer's
Workshop series because I wanted to
open up opportunities for people to
express themselves through writing.
In addition to learning about
various forms of writing,
participants in the Creative
Writer’s workshop can have their
articles and or blogs published in
the
Youth@bilities Newsletter. By
contributing to the content for the
newsletter or our website,
participants gain exposure,
experience, and volunteer hours,”
explains Ashima Suri, Creative
Writer’s Workshop facilitator.
The session topics and group
activities include: blogging, the
fundamentals of article writing and
writing persuasively, Brain Tease
and Once Upon A Time. The sessions
allow people to think creatively, be
introduced to different styles of
writing, the fundamentals of writing
effectively and receive comments on
their written work in a relaxed
non-judgmental atmosphere. David is
a participant of the workshop who
attends other
Mazemaster/Youth@bilities
workshops in partnership with SCEA.
He told me why he attends the
workshops and how he hopes the
workshop series has benefited him.
“I decided to and the creative
writers workshops more merely out of
interest. I have known the
presenter then of the workshops
(Ashima Suri) for a little while
now, and have been to some of the
presenter's previous workshops as
well. I thought it would be
interesting to go to it, and that
there was a possibility that it
could improve or provide more
confidence on my writing skills as
well. Plus, there was a chance that
some of the written material could
end up on the Mazemaster Newsletter
and or website. While that did
interest me, I still went to the
workshops more out of my own
interest.”
Anyone wishing to gain and improve
their ability or passion to write
should contact contact Ashima at
youthabilities@mazemaster.on.ca
or visit the
Mazemaster/Youth@bilities
website at
www.mazemaster.on.ca
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By:Gillian Sumi |
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