By DDA Communications Manager, Evan Kelly
September is Disability Employment Month in BC, a time to recognize the contributions people with disabilities make in workplaces across the province and to challenge some of the assumptions about what they can do.
I had the chance to meet Kevin, a young man who, for the last two years, has worked at Nat Bailey Stadium when the Vancouver Canadians baseball team takes the field. He works in one of the concession stands, cooking and serving hot dogs. His job is facilitated through DDA’s employment service, Jobs West.
Kevin also has a developmental disability. But that’s not really what stood out when I met him.
I arrived at the stadium just as the staff was getting ready for the impending game. It was busy. Really busy – I was in the way. People were moving everywhere, food was being prepared, and there was clearly a lot to get done. Kitchen manager Luis Vidal helped me navigate the chaos.
And in the middle of it all was Kevin.
He was wrapping dozens of hot dogs in foil and getting them ready for the warmer. He was focused on the task, working alongside his coworkers and doing exactly what everyone else was there to do: getting ready for the first pitch.
I introduced myself. Kevin was friendly, chatty, and happy to meet me, but he didn’t stop working. I was there to take some photos for Disability Employment Month. Kevin was happy to oblige, mugging for the camera when he had a moment, and then getting right back to work.
What struck me most was how completely ordinary it all felt.
Kevin wasn’t there as a symbol of inclusion. He wasn’t there to prove a point. He was there because he had a job to do. And he knew how to do it.
That can get lost when we talk about employment and people with developmental disabilities. Too often, the conversation starts with what someone might not be able to do rather than what they can contribute.
“I like customer service and cooking,” says Kevin. “I will take a break next year, but right now I need to wrap 50 hot dogs!”
The reality is that people with developmental disabilities are workers, coworkers, and members of teams. They bring skills, personalities, work ethic, and commitment to their jobs. But they can only demonstrate those things when employers are willing to give them the opportunity.
Kevin’s manager, Luis Vidal, sees that every day.
“For me, the most important thing that Kevin has is the responsibility for the job,” says Vidal. “All the people love Kevin, and they support him when it gets busy. He’s a really hard worker.”
And there it is.
Kevin is a hard worker. He’s responsible. His coworkers value him. He contributes to the team.
Those things aren’t particularly remarkable because Kevin has a disability. They’re remarkable because they’re exactly the qualities any employer wants in a good employee.
That’s the real opportunity in employment for people with developmental disabilities: not to create special jobs or lower expectations, but to recognize talent where it exists and open the door.
Sometimes the support required is pretty simple – an employer willing to give someone a chance, coworkers willing to learn, and a workplace willing to recognize that everyone brings something different to the team.
At Nat Bailey Stadium, Kevin has found his place. He shows up, gets the hot dogs ready, works with his team, and helps get the stadium ready for baseball. Then the gates open, the fans arrive, and the game begins.
Kevin is ready.
