‘We’re asking to be a part of the business solution’: Brockville Career Services challenges misconceptions about hiring people with disabilities

As Brockville businesses navigate rising costs, economic uncertainty and staffing challenges, a local organization is encouraging employers to consider a workforce that is often overlooked: people with disabilities.

October is National Disability Employment Month (NDEAM) and the Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN) is raising awareness about the benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workforce, highlighting the potential of 741,000+ Canadians who have a disability and are not currently employed.

Sixty-three per cent of employers identify skills gaps as the biggest barrier to business transformation between 2025 and 2030, the World Economic Forum reports; however, the opportunity for improvement may lie in broadening how talent is recognized and fostered.

Career Services of Brockville is actively trying to address this gap, encouraging employers to reconsider how they recruit by recognizing the potential and skills of people with disabilities.

Founded as a grassroots organization in 1976, Career Services are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2026, marking five decades of helping job seekers and supporting local businesses. Located at 89 Hubbell Street, Career Services offers a wide range of services and opportunities to the business sector, including employment preparation, job placement, support services, job training models, and more.

Career Services also operates as an industrial facility, providing co-packing, employment solutions, ISPM 15 pallet manufacturing and cardboard recycling that is shipped all over the world. They also produce kollage SQUARE Knitting Needles, which are specifically designed to be ergonomically suited to different types of hands and especially beneficial for knitters who have arthritis, carpal tunnel, or stiffness in their hands and fingers.

In an in-depth conversation with Brockvilleist, Wendy Galloway, employment services manager and Tina Marples, employer engagement specialist, said that inclusivity and accessibility are truly at the core of their mission.

“All of our businesses are integrated,” Galloway explained. “We’re working with employers and completing jobs that they have, and we hire people, and some of them happen to have a disability. That supports our other main program, which is the specialized employment services.”

According to Galloway and Marples, employers often overestimate the cost of onboarding and accommodating an employee with disabilities, yet underestimate the many benefits of doing so.

For disability-inclusive businesses, profit margins are 30 per cent higher and revenue increases by 28 per cent, according to research by Accenture. Despite the data, employers can often overlook what skills a person has or what they can contribute because they are more focused on their disability.

“Everybody has these assumptions and these misconceptions as to what a person can or can’t do, and they’re looking at the disability and they’re blinded by that,” Galloway told Brockvilleist. “They’re not looking for the person’s skills or how they can solve their problems.”

Career Services works directly with job seekers to identify their strengths, develop workplace skills and prepare for employment.

“We go right into the employer’s site with them if that’s a benefit to both the employer and the employee, and help them with onboarding and learning the job,” explained Galloway, “We’ll put in place things like performance aids, like checklists and those sorts of things so that they can actually meet the standards and the quality expectations from the employer.”

As an employer engagement specialist, Marples main goal is to work directly with local businesses to understand their operations and identify where a candidate could fill a specific need. She says the better she gets to know the business, their functionality and their operations, the better she can make matches.

“I take a very much a business approach,” Marples shared. “I have a passion for small business and for the
community. I really look to specialize and look for pinch points businesses are finding, especially in their staffing, where we can come in and provide a solution that’s actually going to save them a little bit of money in their payroll in the long run.”

Career Services can also help employers find practical solutions such as identifying duties that could be grouped into a separate position or creating a job that fits an individual’s abilities while still addressing the business’ needs.

“We’re not asking for charity,” Marples reiterated. “We’re asking to be part of the business solution because these are members of our community that can contribute in a very meaningful way.”

Galloway said that a common misconception among employers is the cost of accommodations, when in reality, she said most accommodations amount to $0. “We are one of your accommodations,” she stressed. “We come in and we’ll do help do the training because we know the approaches and the strategies for training.”

While some employees may require specialized equipment or other changes, Galloway said many accommodations involve inexpensive tools, clearer instructions or small adjustments to how a job is taught. In addition, if a person needs more time while training or on-boarding, Career Services will look for access to a wage subsidy to extend the amount of time the person can learn their job while offsetting the cost for the employer.

“They’ve worked very hard to get here. They have they want to be working. They want to be contributing and they’re absolutely valuable members of this community,” Marples stated.

When asked about the real-life effects of economic uncertainty and a worsening job market, Marples said the business community is “very much in a fight or flight mode right now,” and job-seeking individuals with disabilities are evidently feeling the impact.

“I’m definitely seeing that out in the field,” acknowledged Marples, “and one of my primary concerns right now is that closing gap between minimum wage and management, and I’m finding employers aren’t hiring as much entry level as they were before.”

Marples told Brockvilleist that her challenge right now is educating and talking to businesses and employers, and letting them know that there are ways to save money, restructure and carve out new positions rather than adding on to other employees.

Galloway added that finding the right match can also help employers reduce turnover rates, particularly in entry-level positions where workers may leave after a short period of time, noting that Career Services has supported employees who have remained in their positions for 15 or 20 years.

“Employers should look at people with disabilities as being a valuable source of talent,” Galloway stated. “Inclusive employment benefits everyone from the the individual as well as the employer,
and that if they’re curious and don’t know where to start, just give us a call.”

Both Galloway and Marples emphasized that inclusive employment involves more than simply giving someone a job. Employees need continued opportunities to participate in the workplace, receive feedback and develop their skills.

“Treat them like a person, just like everyone else,” Galloway advised employers, “If you’re having a Christmas party, the person gets invited. If you’re at the lunch table, they’re sitting at the lunch table. If they need to be reprimanded, then they’d be reprimanded.”

Career Services previously worked directly with Canadian Tire in Brockville, an experience both parties considered a resounding success.

“Working with Career Services of Brockville has opened our eyes to the positive impact that inclusive hiring can have, not only for an employee, but for the whole team,” said general manager Ryan Hopkins. “From the beginning of the hiring process to seeing the employee become part of our team, we have witnessed a real change in confidence, connection, and engagement. The difference between someone coming through the door for an interview and seeing that same person becomes comfortable, social, and genuinely part of the team has made a lasting impression on us.”

Galloway emphasized that working with Career Services can be just an hour of the employer’s time, but can have a lasting impact on their business and the greater community.

“The two things that are really affecting our job market right now is the employers don’t have time and they don’t have money so it’s a great ticket in,” she told Brockvilleist. “It doesn’t cost any money and it doesn’t take much time. It can create opportunities, and it can set goals or rearrange goals.”

“It starts with a conversation,” Marples concluded.

To learn more about their services, opportunities and more, visit the Career Services website or email careers@careerservices.ca.