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Annual report 2009-2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Statement from the chairman and the director general
- Mission and mandate
- Board of directors for 2009-2010
- Portrait of the clientele
- SPHERE-Québec’s measures
- Activities realized in 2009-2010
- Communication and promotion
- Financial statement
- Conclusion and thanks
LIST OF CHARTS
Statement from the chairman and the director general
Whereas the year has just been completed, SPHERE-Québec can express without hesitation its pride as for the achievement of 2009-2010 and it is mainly thanks to the privileged relations maintained with all its partners. They, being in particular either professionals in specialized services of labour, in adaptation centers, in associations, experts from the economic environment, the dormant partners, all contributed for the greatest benefit of their community while working with conviction to the integration in employment of the disabled persons.
This year, with the collaboration of a committee, SPHERE-Québec worked on the organization of the Créer ensemble: un gage d’avenir symposium. This conference promises to be advantageous for the partners since its principal objective aims at the pooling and the sharing of the best practices of intervention in employment for the disabled persons in Quebec.
Moreover, as the needs related to the transition of the young people from school to the labour market are innumerable, SHERE-Québec had the opportunity of initiating the Imagine… ton avenir project. This project is mainly an intervention tool elaborated for young people with disabilities transiting from school to work.
In addition, as essential work, SPHERE-Québec carried out a survey on the needs of self-employed disabled persons. The conclusions of this investigation offer various means in order to improve the services offered to self-employed handicapped persons both for the organization and for several partners.
Other major work was undertaken and completed in 2009-2010, for example, the design of a promotional video: L’intégration en emploi des personnes handicapées : trois histoires de réussite, giving information on financial measures offered by SPHERE-Québec and highlighting the partnerships of three success stories. Last fall was the launch of the video which many participants attended.
Also, SPHERE-Quebec’s team took time to review the structure of its website in order to make it more userfriendly for all net surfers.
Admittedly, each year, we underline the important work of the SPHERE-Québec’s team, of its administrators and its partners. But this year is even more special taken into account the colossal work and the efforts of dialogue for which the results promise to be significant. Thank you from the bottom of our heart to SPHERE-Québec’s team, its administrators and to its precious partners.
Lastly, we will continue to sow and cultivate to have the pleasure to harvest and to live in a society where the rich potential of each and every one is made profitable.
Welcome in the SPHERE-Québec’s adventure and good reading!| Martin Trépanier | Nancy Moreau |
| Chairman | Director general |
 |
 |
Mission and mandate
SPHERE-Québec is a non-profit organization that was created as a result of the desire of partners to ensure the integration of disabled individuals into the workforce.
Its mission is to foster the participation of a greater number of disabled individuals in economic and social life.
Its role is to financially support the creation of quality adapted positions; to participate in meetings with experts for the transfer of knowledge and practices; and to cooperate with local, regional, and provincial partners in the development of initiatives that foster the emergence of new models for workplace integration.
Board of directors for 2009-2010
The composition of SPHERE-Québec’s board of directors reflects the organization’s preoccupation to have solid foundation by well representing the interests of people with disabilities.
For the year 2009-2010, the board of directors consists of :
- Mr. Martin Trépanier (chairman) - Regroupement des associations de personnes handicapées de la Gaspésie et des Îles (RAPHGI);
- Mr Steve Vaillancourt (vice-chairman) - Conseil québécois des entreprises adaptées;
- Mr Louis Adam (Treasurer) – Multiple sclerosis Society of Canada;
- Mrs Gaétane Lacroix – Regroupement d’organismes de promotion des personnes handicapées de l’Estrie (ROP);
- Mrs Isabelle Coulombe - Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ) replaced in the course of the year by Mrs Louise Miller;
- Mr Denis Boily - Regroupement des organismes de services spécialisés pour l’emploi des personnes handicapées (ROSEPH) replaced in the course of the year by Mrs Lise Boucher;
- Mrs Isabelle Tremblay – Alliance québécoise des regroupements pour l’intégration des personnes handicapées (AQRIPH), replaced in the course of the year by Mrs Wassyla Hadjabi.
During year 2009-2010, the members of the board of directors met on 4 occasions :
- 26th meeting - June 16th 2009;
- 27th meeting - October 6th 2009;
- 28th meeting - December 14th 2009;
- 29th meeting - March 8th 2010.
And they held their annual general assembly on June 16th 2009.
Portrait of the clientele
In 2009-2010, SPHERE-Québec has served 465 disabled individuals who have for main characteristic to be unequipped for the workforce meaning that they have little or no training, and they have a very low level of experience or none at all.
Indeed, 40 % of the persons with disabilities who have participated in our measures had never worked. Also, 8 % had not worked for more than 10 years.
The following chart indicates that 81 % of SPHERE-Québec’s clientele has not attained a level of education higher than the high school leaving certificate.
Level |
Men | Women |
Total |
% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | 36 | 27 |
63 |
14
|
| High school | 183 | 134 |
317 |
68
|
| College | 30 | 23 |
53 |
11 |
| University | 21 | 11 |
32 |
7 |
| TOTAL | 270 | 194 |
465 |
100 |
We notice in the following chart that 61 % of our participants are under the age of 35. We also notice that 55 % are men and that 45 % are women.
Group | Men | Women |
Total |
% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 16 – 25 | 113 | 73 |
186 |
40
|
| Ages 26 – 35 | 56 | 40 |
96 |
21
|
| Ages 36 – 45 | 44 | 33 |
77 |
16 |
| Ages 46 – 55 | 45 | 37 |
82 |
17 |
| Ages 56 – 65 | 12 | 12 |
24 |
6 |
| TOTAL | 270 | 195 |
465 |
100 |
(58%)
|
(42%)
|
Chart 3 shows the breakdown of our clientele in 2009-2010 by type of disability.
| Category of disability | % |
|---|---|
| Intellectual | 36 |
| Psychic | 26 |
| Motor | 18 |
| Organic | 9 |
| Auditory | 4 |
| Visual | 6 |
| Autism and PDD | 1 |
| TOTAL | 100 |
SPHERE-Québec’s measures
Assistance for participants
In 2009-2010, SPHERE-Québec offered services to its clientele through four measures, these measures being Targeted salary subsidy, Work experience, Assistance for self-employed workers, enhanced employment assistance services. Each measure is designed to improve the employability of the individual and to foster their integration into the workforce on short or longer basis. SPHERE-Québec’s financing is received through the Opportunities Fund for persons with disabilities, a program of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.
Measures and eligible expenses
Targeted salary subsidies
This measure is intended for participants who are better equipped for the labour market. Its objective is to put in place the means necessary to help out participants by providing interim support to facilitate their short-term integration into sustainable employment.
Work experience
The purpose of this measure is to enable the participant to improve his or her employability through the acquisition of significant experience. This experience also encourages the development of good work habits, and helps increase self-confidence and the development of people skills, etc.
Assistance for self-employed workers
Thanks to this measure, a disabled person can start up a small business and thereby create his or her own job.
Enhanced employment assistance services
With this measure, a participant can take part in internship that may or may not be remunerated. This type of on-the-job training places the participant in a concrete work situation thanks to individualized accompaniment provided by professional resource.
Different categories of expenses are admissible in each of these measures. SPHERE-Québec may pay a portion of the salary and reimburse costs related to adaptation, accompaniment, adapted transportation or any other living and assistance expenses to allow each individual to succeed in their intervention plan.
When a request for grant is deposited, a professional resource evaluates the person’s needs and works out a personalized intervention plan. It is important to mention here that SPHERE-Québec’s contribution is complementary to existing programs. The flexibility of SPHERE-Québec’s measures makes it possible to meet the real needs of disabled individuals. This way, the chances of success regarding their projects are maximized.
SPHERE-Québec does neither encourage the precariousness nor the hiring of unskilled low-cost labour, since the subsidies that are granted take into consideration salary scales in effect at companies.
b) Jobs held
The clientele of SPHERE-Québec holds jobs in different categories. Thus we notice that 83 % of the clientele is mainly concentrated in the areas of support services and day-labour.
TYPE OF JOB |
Men |
Women |
Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive personnel | 7 |
2 |
9 | 2 |
| Support personnel | 54 |
71 |
125 | 27
|
| Day-labourers | 164 |
98 |
262 | 56
|
| Personnel professionnel | 7 |
5 |
12 | 3 |
| Technical personnel | 30 |
13 |
43 | 9 |
Non-specialized personnel |
8 |
6 |
14 |
3 |
| TOTAL | 270 |
195 |
465 | 100 |
c) Investment by measure and budget headings
The following chart presents the distribution according to the use of the measures in 2009-2010.
Measure |
Investment |
% |
|---|---|---|
| Targeted salary subsidies | $655,554 |
28,7 |
| Work experience | $690,989 |
30,3 |
| Assistance for self-employed workers | $163,888 |
7,2 |
| Enhanced employment assistance services | $770,719 |
33,8 |
| TOTAL | $2,281,150 |
100 |
We notice in chart 6 that 60 % of the funds are invested in salary expenses for the participants.
Measure |
Investment |
% |
|---|---|---|
| Salary and salary wages for participants | $ 1,368,524 |
60 |
| Costs of subsistance | $ 284,808 |
12,5 |
| Support measures: adapted equipment | $ 41,122 |
1,8 |
| Support measures: accompanying | $ 365,902 |
16 |
| Support measures: others | $ 24,274 |
1,1 |
| Professional fees | $ 60,315 |
2,6 |
| Fixed assets – adaptation costs | $ 38,921 |
1,7 |
| Business trips and transportation | $ 97,284 |
4,3 |
| TOTAL | $ 2,281,150 |
100 % |
d) Related contributions
SPHERE-Québec brings good leverage by its contribution. In other respects, employers and other partners contribute financially, each as they can, in a collective effort leading to the integration of people with disabilities to the workforce in the province of Québec. Therefore, as an indicator the following chart gives an overview of the contributions.
| SPHERE-Québec | employers |
other partners |
|---|---|---|
$2,281,150 |
$1,002,609 |
$568,948 |
The average investment in 2009-2010 was $ 4,906 per participant.
Besides the financial input, it is important to mention the essential contribution in expertise of the partners which is determining in the success of the plans of intervention of the disabled persons supported by a measure of SPHERE-Québec. This partnership includes specialized labour services (SSMO’s), rehabilitation centers, local development centers and other experts of the community economic environment, associations and government agencies.
e) Regional use of funds
Chart 8 provides information on the use of funds in each region of Québec. The use of funds is tributary of many factors determining the opportunities and the obstacles related to the integration in the workforce, for example the availability of the services and the socioeconomical structure of the region. This way of doing things allows SPHERE-Québec to modulate its intervention where the needs are.
Furthermore, this chart indicates the number of participants who benefited from one of the measures of SPHERE-Québec according to the administrative regions.
| Region | Investment |
% |
Number of participants |
Average by participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 – Bas-Saint-Laurent | $233,295 |
10,2 |
37 |
$6,305 |
| 02 – Saguenay/Lac-St-Jean | $54,257 |
2,4 |
9 |
$6,029 |
| 03 – Capitale nationale | $261,718 |
11,5 |
28 |
$9,347 |
| 04 – Mauricie | $216,306 |
9,5 |
26 |
$8,319 |
| 05 – Estrie | $188,025 |
8,2 |
47 |
$4,001 |
| 06 – Montréal | $242,076 |
10,6 |
42 |
$5,764 |
| 07 – Outaouais | $38,658 |
1,7 |
12 |
$3,222 |
| 08 – Abitibi/Témiscamingue | $68,765 |
3,0 |
14 |
$4,912 |
| 09 – Côte-Nord | $63,712 |
2,8 |
19 |
$3,353 |
| 10 – Nord-du-Québec | $12,630 |
0,6 |
1 |
$12,630 |
| 11 – Gaspésie/Les Iles | $82,588 |
3,6 |
17 |
$4,858 |
| 12 – Chaudière-Appalaches | $103,899 |
4,6 |
23 |
$4,517 |
| 13 – Laval | $24,918 |
1,1 |
14 |
$1,780 |
| 14 – Lanaudière | $127,500 |
5,6 |
23 |
$5,543 |
| 15 – Laurentides | $132,610 |
5,8 |
41 |
$3,234 |
| 16 – Montérégie | $429,147 |
18,8 |
111 |
$3,866 |
| 17 – Centre-du-Québec | $1,046 |
0,0 |
1 |
$1,046 |
| TOTAL | $2,281,150 |
100 |
465 |
f) Obtained results
The sustained efforts of the entire SPHERE-Québec’s team in 2009-2010 allowed 465 disabled individuals throughout Quebec to progress in their journey of integration to the workforce. The following chart shows that 57 % of participants remain active after having participated in SPHERE-Québec’s measures. On the other hand, we know that 23% of participants give up a measure for different reasons : mainly for health issues, difficulties related to the other spheres of life (housing, transportation, support at home, etc.) and the withdrawal of the labor market.
| RESULTS | % |
|---|---|
| Employed | 49 |
| Self-employed | 2 |
| At school | 6 |
| Unemployed | 43 |
| TOTAL | 100 |
The follow-up of all clientele having participated in a SPHERE-Québec’s measure shows that 46 % of said clientele is still active after one year.
| Results | % |
|---|---|
| Employed | 37 |
| Self-employed | 4 |
| At school | 5 |
| Unemployed | 54 |
| TOTAL | 100 |
These results confirm that the support offered by SPHERE-Québec to its clientele allows not only improved short term employability but also encourage greater long term social participation of disabled people. This is the heart of SPHERE-Québec’s mission.
Activities realized in 2009-2010
Just like its partners, SPHERE-Québec is constantly aiming excellence when it comes to employment integration of disabled persons. Each year, its participation is concretized either by financial assistance or by the expertise contribution of its team members. They have the privilege to be able to contribute to already existing projects or others which are rising everywhere in the province. For example, during the year 2009-2010, the organization took part in more than 40 steering committee meetings on disabled people at work and more than 50 partners’ committee meetings for specific projects in bond with the work path of disabled persons. In addition, more than 60 check and follow-up visits can be counted for this year.
It is important here to mention that SPHERE-Québec also acts as initiator for different activities developing through the partnerships. In addition to the current activities, this year was devoted to projects of scale requiring the engagement of many SPHERE-Québec team members as well as various partners’ collaboration.
Symposium Créer ensemble : un gage d’avenirFirst, this idea to hold a provincial symposium was simmering for quite a long time. Choosing the right moment was a pre-requisite for the success of its planning because the symposium Créer ensemble: un gage d’avenir (Creating together : a guarantee of future), had as first objective, to bring together and share the best intervention practices when it comes to work for disabled persons in Quebec. How? By supporting the transfer and diffusion of knowledge, information and examples to allow other innovative projects to emerge and to be transferred.
As of October 2009, SPHERE-Québec improved its team by adding the services of a specialist in events management, and this, in order to coordinate the operations.
To prepare the symposium, a steering committee (orientation) was obviously essential. SPHERE-Québec thus benefited from the collaboration of Marie-Andrée Lemieux of the OPHQ, Liette Landry of the SSMO Montérégie, Sophie Beauchemin of the ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, François Côté, representative of the Caecitas foundation, Martin Trépanier chairman of the board at SPHERE-Québec, Lyne Vincent, team manager at SPHERE-Québec, Nancy Moreau, director general of the organization and Véronique Gravel, events coordinator. Three meetings were held by the committee members.
This symposium constitutes a first opportunity of the kind allowing partners of SPHERE-Québec to gather around the same topic: bringing together and sharing the best intervention practices when it comes to work for disabled persons in Quebec.
Implementation of the project Imagine… ton avenir for young disabledAll those which revolve around young disabled recognize the difficulties they have to face reaching the labour market. Holding account the fact that the lack of adapted tools when it’s time to move from school to work contributes to this integration difficulty, SPHERE-Québec created the project Imagine… ton avenir (Imagine… your future). The project’s coordinators undertook the development of a toolbox and will test its use to allow the interveners to put these young disabled persons in contact with their own work capacities, and this, in order to increase their chances to integrate employment.
It is thus with this idea of intervention tools for young disabled transiting from school to labour market that SPHERE-Québec filed, in spring 2009, a financing request for the experimental project Imagine… ton avenir in the frame of the appeal of proposal from the Social Development Partnerships Program – people with disabilities’ section (SDPP-PD) of the Human resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).
In short, the purposes of this project are to familiarize young disabled with the labour market by using a creative and structured orientation approach, to equip the interveners improving then the services offered to young disabled and finally sensitize the employers to a new workforce.
The project reaches young disabled persons with any deficiencies, which, in their school path, can beneficiate from an adapted process of vocational guidance.
Since January 2010 until now, the project was carefully structured and the roles well defined. In addition, partnerships between French communities of Manitoba, New Brunswick and Ontario were established in order to better understand their school reality and to allow them to benefit from such tools. Partners from the Eastern township area are closely associated to the project. Finally, works concerning the creation of workshop plans and the development of workshops themselves are well started.
SPHERE-Québec’s team works on this project in partnership with people from the community. For the province of Québec, they are representatives from the ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS), Trav-Action and the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec. For Ontario, the hired collaborators come from the school council of the catholic district Center-South, for Manitoba, they are representatives of franco-manitobaine School Division and for New Brunswick, they are delegates of the New Brunswick Department of Education.
The toolbox consists of 10 modules including the student and the teacher’s manual as well as all necessary material for the workshops. For this experimental project, it will be offered free of charge to schools.
Consequently, a hundred young people will be able to try it out until July 2011. For the province of Québec, the project will be introduced in school districts of Eastern Township, considering the region’s expertise on school-active life transition.
Study on the self-employed disabled people needsAs the self-employed work constitutes a possible avenue for people with disabilities and that SPHERE-Québec advocates the participation in social and economic life of a greater number of them, a study on the last development in regards to help offered to self-employed disabled workers and a study on the self-employed disabled persons’ needs, benefiting from the measure Assistance for self-employed workers became essential.
The first objective of this study was to collect the necessary data for the improvement of the services offered by SPHERE-Québec to the self-employed workers with disabilities.
The research, managed by Mr Dominic Garneau consisted firstly in gathering scientific writings relating to the self-employed disabled persons’ situation. At the beginning of the investigation, Mr Garneau could count on the collaboration of the team members of SPHERE-Québec and the interveners in specialized services in labour. These collaborators largely contributed by providing key data, especially on their perception regarding the needs and the contribution of all the actors who intervene and meet the needs of self-employed disabled workers committed in an entrepreneurial process.
In addition, answers from the 38 participants to the Assistance for self-employed workers measure constituted another data source. Indeed, these participants answered a questionnaire evaluating 41 needs by means of a scale of importance. Lastly, a discussion group of 5 participants was formed in order to enrich the results obtained from the questionnaire.
The conclusions of this investigation confirm that the self-employed work is a viable option for the persons with disabilities with the set-up of certain favourable conditions, of which, in particular, coaching in the launch period of the project. All documents relating to the complete study are available on WWW.SPHERE-QC.CA in the « Administrative documents » section.
Communication and promotion
Following the stream of its activities, the communications sector was particularly active in 2009-2010. Initially, in the tread of the efforts made to promote self-employed work, a special number of the Interface bulletin was published in the fall of 2009 and was mainly devoted to successes of self-employed workers.
Moreover, SPHERE-Québec still continued this year its participation in about fifteen promotional activities such as conferences, jobs and training fairs which some gave to the organization the privilege to hold a stand. SPHERE-Québec also brings its contribution to the Canadian council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) and participates as a member to activities of certain chambers of commerce and to the Coalition des organismes communautaires pour le développement de la main-d’oeuvre (COCDMO).
In its information activities, SPHERE-Québec held meetings regarding, among others, possibilities and measures that are offered by SPHERE-Québec to improve employability for disabled persons. They can, at the same time, be addressed to employers or other partners such as the advisors from SSMO, experts of the economic community circle, interveners from the rehabilitation centers. This year, SPHERE-Québec held about 38 of these meetings, which were, for the organization, also extremely enriching.
Also, to facilitate its use, SPHERE-Québec improved the structure of its Website. Surfing is henceforth more convivial and the partners concerned can find electronic forms online. The Website got not less than 40 335 visits during the year; information documents and the symposium section where the most frequently visited pages.
In another connection, during the summer of 2009, the organization took the initiative to conceive a promotional video in which it is possible to obtain information on SPHERE-Québec’s measures and to learn about stories where partnerships led to three successful integrations in employment. Moreover, many of SPHERE-Québec’s partners were able to assist to the launch of this video L’intégration en emploi des personnes handicapées: trois histoires de réussite organised last fall at the Saint-Pierre Center in Montreal. Until now, SPHERE-Québec distributed nearly a hundred copies.
Financial statement
SPHERE-Quebec's annual operations are audited by an external accounting firm, Laberge Lafleur Brown, which ensures that SPHERE-Quebec operations were carried out in accordance with the agreement that binds it to its funding partner. This audit also includes the evaluation of SPHERE-Québec’s internal control process thus guaranteeing healthy management of public funds
The following chart illustrates the breakdown of incomes and expenses for the year ending March 31st 2010, based on the audited financial statements. The complete verified financial statements are available on request.
INCOME AND EXPENSES |
2009-2010 |
|---|---|
Incomes |
|
| Opportunities Fund for persons with disabilities | $3,074,068 |
| Project Imagine… ton avenir | $25,800 |
| Symposium Créer ensemble : un gage d’avenir | $29,691 |
Total |
$3,129,559 |
Expenses |
|
| Opportunities Fund for persons with disabilities | $3,074,068 |
| Project Imagine… ton avenir | $25,800 |
| Symposium Créer ensemble : un gage d’avenir | $29,691 |
Total | $3,129,559 |
OPERATION PROFIT |
$0 |
Conclusion and thanks
In 2009-2010, SPHERE-Québec undertook several activities in collaboration with partners and these concerted efforts promise to have positive repercussions in terms of integration at work for the disabled persons.
These activities could neither have been initiated nor lived without the commitment of each one. This is why, SPHERE-Québec makes a point of expressing its recognition to all its partners, its dormant partner, Human resources and Skills development Canada, and finally its team members.
The upcoming year will allow SPHERE-Québec to concretize activities started in 2009-2010 like the symposium Créer ensemble: un gage d’avenir, the project Imagine… ton avenir, dedicated to the transition from school to labour market for the young disabled, to continue activities initiated such as the diffusion of the promotional video L’intégration en emploi des personnes handicapées : trois histoires de réussite as well as other projects supporting some partners and even more.
The year 2009-2010 was animated by a unique collective energy and one can expect just as much for the next term.
See you next year!
SPHERE-Québec includes through employment. One person at a time.
