Despite living with a disability, one Regina man has been able to turn to technology to be able to work a full time job.
For the last year and a half, 20-year-old Carter Carls has worked at SaskTel as a warehouse assistant. From a young age, Carls struggled with reading, writing and math.
Originally, it was thought to be a vision issue but he was later diagnosed with global developmental delay.
At work, Carls is able to use his phone’s text-to-speech feature to read things aloud to him that he may otherwise struggle with.
Carls said working a job brings purpose into his life.
“It’s pretty cool, you know? I actually wake up in life and have meaning to life and go do something and I actually enjoy coming here because of the people and SaskTel is such an inviting environment,” he said.
“People are people are people, and we all have skills and talents, we’re all deserving to contribute. Everybody needs a purpose and I think that contributions can look different for different people,” said Raelynne Doka, SaskAbilities program manager.
Doka encouraged business owners to hire those with disabilities. She said hiring people living with disabilities not only helps the employees, but improves workplace chemistry and customer relations.
Elle Grzeda, co-owner of Elle’s Cafe, is in the process of rehiring a trainee with a disability who worked at her cafe under the SaskAbilities training program earlier this year. Soon the trainee will be a full-time employee.
“It’s the smallest adjustments that make a world of a difference. And these people, they want to be there, they want to be a part of something and they’re going to work so hard and be so ecstatic just to be there and it’s honestly one of the best thing you can go through,” Grzeda said.
“We all have our little hurdles and what not, but 100 per cent, I actually enjoy working and doing what I do and giving back to Saskatchewan,” Carls said.