Hunter works as a line cook at a popular pub in Vancouver. Whether he’s preparing food or relaying a ticket to other kitchen staff, the job requires effective communication to get the job done and to stay safe. He is hard of hearing and needs to use hearing aids.

“I need to be able to hear and understand instructions properly in order to ensure orders go out correctly, to ensure safety for myself and others, to avoid any potential problems with allergies, to hear timers and alarms, and more. I am unable to read lips at work as everyone is required to wear a mask,” he shares.

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Trina is starting a new business as an intuitive coach in Delta and throughout the Lower Mainland. In starting her own business, she has to build up her brand through social media, advertising, and finding new clients. Her line of work also involves continually learning new skills and techniques.

However, Trina lives with learning challenges in reading and writing, as well as memory retention.

“This impacts both learning new tasks, retaining information, and overall interest in any function that includes written words,” she shares. “I find I am often behind in paperwork, new updates, and learning when they are self-directed or are written.”

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Sheryl is an administrator for a youth soccer organization in the Okanagan, handling everything from registration to scheduling to taking minutes and enacting decisions made in meetings. She has hearing loss.

“I need to be able to hear to take notes and minutes for all aspects of communication: phone calls, in-person meetings, zoom calls, training sessions, etc. I find people with accents and those calling from cars extra challenging to understand. In situations where more than one person is talking, I can only focus on one person at a time which means I miss another speaker’s input,” she shares.

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Brian has about 40 years of experience as a realtor. Based in Victoria, he is passionate about serving his clients needs, and as a senior, wants to keep working.

“My most important duty is understanding the needs and desires of my clients, and then translating those needs into results,” he shares.

“My problem over the last few years has been mainly communication. My hearing has been deteriorating leading to embarrassing episodes where I have misheard my clients and had to have [them] repeat [themselves], sometimes several times. That is not conducive to trust and confidence.”

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Vanessa works seasonally with Community Living BC. Born with spina bifida, a left ventricular shunt, and a cognitive delay, she does workshops for high school students with disabilities looking for the next steps out of high school, as well as with families looking into their services.

Her occupational therapist referred her to the WorkBC Assistive Technology Services program.

Through WorkBC Assistive Technology Services, Vanessa received a power elevating seat lift, allowing her to reach things higher up at work. She also received the components to retrofit it into her current power wheelchair.

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“Retirement was not for me, but I did not have necessary technology to enable me to be productive,” says Randy, who is blind.

Randy is a founding board member of the One in Spirit Healing Arts Society, a non-profit society facilitating transformative healing moments, rooted in First Nations teachings. He recently started work as the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Elder-in-Residence for the Nanaimo campus of Vancouver Island University, a job he credits WorkBC Assistive Technology Services helping him to get.

He had heard about the program on the radio and decided to apply.

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Linda used to work as a pharmacist but had to stop due to severe pain in her hands and wrists.

“I live with chronic pain in my hands, feet, and hips from previous injuries. It is very difficult for me to use a mouse and keyboard, to use a pen to write, to hold and use my smart phone, to sit for prolonged periods of time or to stand for prolonged periods of time,” she says from Richmond. “As a result, working at a computer station is very difficult for me. For a long time, I was not volunteering or working as a result of these limitations.”

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Justina works part-time as a medical office assistant at a physiotherapy clinic in Comox. Her job includes everything from cleaning and dressing the patient rooms, answering the phones, and taking payment for appointments.

However, the job is physically demanding and taxing on her body.

“I have struggled with lower back pain for more than a decade, which affects my ability to lift heavy objects, as well as stand or sit for long periods of time,” she explains. “I also have extremely painful planters fasciitis, flat feet (no arches), weak ankles, and heel spurs which affects my ability to stand or be on my feet for long periods of time.

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Karman works as a Business Development and Communications Coordinator for a non-profit organization in Victoria.

“I have lower spinal and cervical spinal injuries, a degenerative condition in lower spine, and sacroiliac joints and chronic pain,” she explains.

She learned about WorkBC Assistive Technology Services from a conversation with a program representative and decided to give it a try for herself. She was assessed by the Assistive Technology Services team to find the right ergonomic and assistive technology solutions for her.

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Lonnie was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, chronic renal failure, and type two diabetes in 2018, forcing him to find a new career.

“This had left me with life changing circumstances where I found myself looking for a new career because physical work was no longer an option,” he explains, noting he also has hearing loss in his right ear.

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