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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Our friends at the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation are recruiting Canadian subjects to test two new assistive switch designs. If you have ALS or Muscular Dystrophy and would be interested in participating, see below. Even if you are ineligible to take part in the research, there is an opportunity to help improve the designs, which will be released on the Makers Making Change library when the study concludes.

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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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Bradley works as a rehab equipment sales rep in New Westminster, helping clients and therapists find the right equipment for mobility, safety, and quality of life.

As an incomplete paraplegic with a T8, T9 spinal cord injury, he brings a vast knowledge and personal experience to his work.

“Without the proper equipment for my mobility I couldn’t do the job,” he explains.

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Judy works as an outreach worker at a non-profit in Salmon Arm, supporting young parents and their children in one-on-one sessions. Her work involves a lot of time on the computer, filing documentation and reports on her sessions with clients.

She has Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, making long days on the computer difficult.

“I deal with chronic nerve pain and fatigue,” Judy explains. “Repetitive actions, weather and stress tend to flare up my nerves, so proper ergonomic supports help me immensely.”

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After “many years” out of the workforce, Roberta was entering training through WorkBC to work part time from her home in Port Alberni.

She has Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, which can make her studies difficult.

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