Pilot project aims to assess, accommodate and empower workers with learning disabilities

Generally it may be exhausting for Sandra Jollimore to focus or perceive. She says she struggled quite a bit earlier than she was recognized with a studying incapacity greater than 20 years in the past.

“I simply discovered it so hectic, so irritating, to the purpose the place I’d cease, not that I wished to surrender, nevertheless it was simply so hectic it was my reply.”

Now she has the abilities to manage and will probably be serving to others via a brand new program referred to as ADAPT, which stands for Accommodating Studying Disabilities to Speed up Efficiency and Thrive.

The pilot undertaking, geared toward serving to staff get higher at their jobs by pinpointing why they’re struggling, is being supplied by the non-profit Office Studying P.E.I. It runs till August 2024.

‘Reduce the stigma’

“I stay up for breaking down a few of these boundaries and reduce the stigma,” Jollimore stated.

P.E.I. is partnering with New Brunswick, the place this system additionally exists, in hopes of serving to alleviate the provinces’ labour shortages. 

This system will present free assessments and digital appointments with psychologists. Up to now there have been lengthy waits, and an evaluation may price a affected person hundreds of {dollars}.

About $1.5 million is being funded by the federal authorities, and extra from employer donations.

They hope to evaluate a whole bunch of individuals over the subsequent three years.

Employers will typically see the indicators, however it could be exhausting to know the trigger, stated Jeremy MacEachern of Office Studying P.E.I.

“Quite a lot of instances it is a failure to maintain up with work duties, it might be issues like group, working reminiscence, adjusting if there’s alterations to their particular job, adjusting to these particular issues.”

Already seeing outcomes

Charlene Miller of Office Studying P.E.I. stated they’re already seeing ends in individuals they’ve helped.

“They started to turn into a totally productive, happier individual with extra confidence within the office prepared to simply accept these challenges that maybe they weren’t prepared to simply accept earlier than,” she stated.

“All they want is a bit of assist to place in place they usually’re off and operating.”

Jollimore stated it may be exhausting for individuals to ask for assist or for employers to recommend it, however she hopes individuals will not maintain again.

Getting her prognosis was like an “aha second,” she stated. “It was like a aid, like a weight off my shoulders.”