Workshop # 6

If it is true that our collective wealth depends on our capacity to accept diversity in terms of race, talent, culture, language, and age then it must be equally true that, as persons or businesses, we have to take whatever steps are required to mainstream the handicapped. Our collective success depends on our recognition of that fact and on our ability to overcome the major impediments we face in our attempts to do "what is right": fear, discomfort, ignorance, and prejudice.

This workshop aims to give you the tools to improve your personal relationships with the handicapped as well as your personal capacity to help your business develop a vision that will allow it to prosper in an environment that is sensitive to such a challenge. To that end, it will allow you to:

• Control your emotions in relation to the handicapped
• Learn to better interact with the handicapped
• Prepare an action plan that will favour mainstreaming of the handicapped
• Learn about the resources and grants available to you in your mainstreaming efforts
• Evaluate your capacities and the available resources
• Hire handicapped staff and adapt policy for reasonable accommodations
• Analyse strengths and capacities in the context of different handicaps
• Recognize the human and financial benefits of mainstreaming
• Identify internal support means for both handicapped and staff
• Manage your executives' challenges and fears
• Find information and support resources