Success Stories Canadians Are Ready to Come to Work

Denise Justin wants you to ask her about her braille logo. She owns Say Hello 2 Blindness Accessories, a product line that she hopes will raise awareness about sight loss. Watch the video for her story!

Check out our podcast with Brett Devloo, a skateboarder and entrepreneur who makes YouTube videos, a clothing line and runs a non-profit!

Ann Harnish loves working in the mental health field. If asked, she would tell you it’s what she was born to do. When she began losing her sight to Retinitis Pigmentosa, she became depressed and found herself in a very dark place – concerned that she would lose her job if she told her employer about her deteriorating sight. 

Binta has been partially sighted for five years. Her glaucoma led to several surgeries, and she lost her job when she lost her sight. CNIB’s Come to Work program was a great motivator because it helped her entertain different job possibilities and realize that there might still be opportunities for her in the labour market. 

Janna Faris wants to break down barriers and shatter glass ceilings. As a Canadian with sight loss, searching for a job was one of the most stressful experiences of her life. Through CNIB’s Come to Work program, she was able to secure a position with the Government of BC.

Stefanie Volpe loves her job! As a Mentor Coordinator with The Family Education & Support Centre, she supports youth volunteers who act as mentors for the organization’s after-school program. Stefanie loves working with the youth. She enjoys seeing them progress and grow in their roles and works hard to help them move forward with their own goals.

Michel-Anthony is not about to let his retinitis pigmentosa and the challenges his visual limitations impose on him keep him from living life to the fullest. This 19-year-old is already projecting himself into the future and planning to attend university to take business administration in order to set up a business and create social projects for other people with visual limitations similar to his own.

Since joining the Come to Work program in 2018, Deloitte has joined forces with CNIB to participate in training workshops, internal projects and networking events, recruit and engage talent with sight loss and sponsor CNIB's Connecting the Dots conference.

Since becoming a partner in 2019, The Brick continues to be an important collaborator with CNIB's Come to Work program. The furniture retailer has employed four people from the talent pool, participated in CNIB’s Connecting the Dots conference, and hosted a youth job fair.