SafeAbility News - WSIB links up with Link Up Employment Services for Disabled Community

News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WSIB links up with Link Up Employment Services for Disabled Community

Toronto, Ontario (May 3, 2004) – Thousands of people with disabilities, visible and non-visible, in Toronto seek employment each year but receive little or no workplace health and safety awareness training prior to getting a job. That is why the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has partnered with Link Up Employment Services of Toronto to launch SafeAbility: Safe and Able to Work, a health and safety awareness program for persons with disabilities.

David and LouAnn face health and safety issues in the workplace.
David (above) and LouAnn (right),
who have faced health and safety
issues in the workplace, are
featured in a video at the launch
of the SafeAbility program.

The program is being officially announced today at the WSIB, Simcoe Place, 200 Front Street West in Toronto, during North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. The program is being developed jointly by the WSIB, Link up Employment Services and representatives from various organizations that assist persons encountering employment barriers.

“The objective of the program is to provide health and safety awareness training to people with disabilities who are seeking employment through employment service agencies,” said Roy Mould, Chief Prevention and Corporate Strategy Officer, WSIB. “Our goal is to help them become better prepared for the job market and prevent work-related injuries and illnesses.”

LouAnn and David face health and safety issues in the workplace. SafeAbility program material can be adapted by participating service agencies to different accessibility formats to suit the particular needs of a client. Delivery and ongoing administration of the material will be co-ordinated by Link Up Employment Services to ensure the information is available to other employment service providers.

“The WSIB is proud to be a partner with Link Up in this worthwhile endeavor,” said Jill Hutcheon, Interim Chair, WSIB. “The SafeAbility program reinforces the WSIB’s commitment to meeting the needs of all Ontario workers.”

Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board plays a key role in the province’s occupational health and safety system. The WSIB administers no-fault workplace insurance for employers and their workers and is committed to the prevention of workplace injuries and illnesses. The WSIB provides disability benefits, monitors the quality of health care, and assists in early and safe return to work for workers who are injured on the job or contract an occupational disease.

For more information, contact:

Perry Jensen
Senior Officer, External Relations, WSIB
Telephone: (416) 344-4202 or 1(800) 387-0750 ext. 4202
E-mail: perry_jensen@wsib.on.ca

Information on the WSIB is also available at our website: www.wsib.on.ca

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