At Société VIA, 60% of our employees are people with functional limitations. Every day, VIA welcomes and supports these workers with a genuine desire to make a difference in their lives. We offer them the opportunity to lead fulfilling working lives, while respecting their limitations.
There are dozens of adapted companies like Société VIA throughout Quebec. In all, they employ over 4,000 people with functional limitations or disabilities.
But what does an adapted company… eat in winter? What exactly is social integration?
The mission of adapted companies is to create and maintain quality jobs, in a work environment adapted to people with disabilities or limitations. (Source: CQEA)
“If you work with us, we’ll work with you!”
For Audrey Picard, social worker at Société VIA’s Lachine plant, these are not empty words, but a powerful message that motivates her every day. She’s a firm believer in it and puts her heart and soul into it. Audrey is in charge of recruiting and retaining people with limitations.
“Every day is unique, and my involvement with employees varies enormously,” she explains. I’m there to meet their needs, to support and motivate them. “My job is to accept them as they are, to understand them. To equip them to do their job and function as well as possible.”
For some, Audrey helps them organize their schedules to create a routine, while others come to her to talk about their symptoms, which they experience some days more difficultly than others. “You have to understand that many of them experienced discrimination in their former environment, which created a lot of anguish and psychological distress,” she explains. “They really need us to support them and trust them. We’re here to help, we believe in each and every one of them, and we want them to believe in themselves too. Instilling this dynamic in them changes their lives; it considerably reduces their stress and the pressure they put on their own shoulders. We’re breaking the isolation; we want to give them wings.”
Many employees with limitations stabilize and find a good balance at VIA. For many of them, an adapted company is the only way they can succeed in working. “We hired a visually impaired man whom one of our employees had known at another adapted company. He came to meet us at Société VIA to apply for a job. We welcomed him warmly, created a tailor-made position for him, and he became one of the most reliable employees we’ve ever had.”
Jérôme’s case
Finding and keeping a job has never been easy for Jérôme. Struggling with mental health issues, poverty, and drug use, he is often disorganized. Jérôme has already experienced an episode of homelessness, which only worsened his sense of exclusion.
Throughout his somewhat chaotic journey, Jérôme was taken in hand by an employment counselor from an organization offering employability services that works with adapted companies in his sector. It was this counselor who led him to Société VIA. “He contacted me to tell me about Jérôme, and I organized a plant tour for him. A recycling plant is a unique environment, so this visit is an excellent way to see if the person will like it. Sometimes, when the reaction is positive, we offer a one-hour trial, and if that’s successful, the application is evaluated by the hiring committee.”
Jérôme was hired by Société VIA in the days that followed. However, Audrey’s first intervention with Jérôme was significant for his progress. “After a short time with us, we realized that things weren’t going well. If he continued like that, he was going to lose his job.” We met with him and supported him with the help of other team members. Jérôme committed himself seriously to the process and quickly achieved great success. “This success is thanks to him, his will, and his determination. I’m here to give them tools and encourage them.”
The team of social workers who work full-time at Société VIA is entirely dedicated to keeping workers with limitations in their jobs and helping them find their place in the sun. “We act beyond the workplace; we organize activities for them. Among the outings, we’ve already gone apple picking and visited the Granby Zoo. I have all sorts of ideas along these lines to help break social isolation: outdoor brigades, lunch-and-learns, etc. People are surprised to see how flexible and open we are. For example, to make it easier for employees to get to and from work, Société VIA even bought a minivan. This made their lives easier and created a driver position, which was naturally given to a worker with limitations.”