Spotlight on Work Experience: Aaron P

“Let me prove it to you!”

Have you ever thought, “Hey wait a minute, maybe I can do that….let me try! Now I know I can do that….so what else can I try?” These are definitely the thoughts and motivation for Aaron Prevost, a visually impaired student participating in the Work Experience Program at W. Ross Macdonald School for the Visually Impaired in Brantford, Ontario. “I’m blind but I can do it! I like to work with my hands. It makes me mad when people say that I can’t do something – I just want the chance to try and maybe prove to them that I can” Aaron said. “When it comes to work placements I need an employer who is able to teach me new things, is willing to look beyond my lack of vision, someone who is willing to think outside of the box on traditional ways of completing the task at hand” and that is exactly what Aaron has found at both of his placement sights this year. Tracey Langley from the Habitat for Humanity Brant ReStore said “I watch him do things that people with no disability avoid doing because it’s “too hard” or “too boring”. Aaron not only jumps in with both feet with any task, he out performs many of our sighted students. He is never still, always wanting more. More tasks, more responsibility, more knowledge.” Aaron admits that when there is not much to do then “I go and find something, like equipment that I have never used before, and try to understand how it functions”. Don Chambers from Aaron’s other placement sight, Northgate RentALL shared that “Aaron is eager to learn and will try anything. His dry humour and wit keeps everyone on their toes. Aaron works as if he has no impairment whatsoever.” “I can repair small engines and objects around the house and have done that at home. I’ve even worked on the car. I was given a chance to job shadow in a garage for a day last year and it was a great experience. I learned a lot more about cars and I can successfully do an oil change now! It was a positive experience that made me want to pursue this type of work even more. Taking the Work Experience course will benefit me by helping me to make connections for the future, having some good work experience on my resume, give me an opportunity to try out some new things so that when future employers ask me if I have done certain skills before I might have some related experiences that I can fall back on. I might not have had the exact experiences or skills but at least maybe I could say that I have had some similar experiences.” Aaron stated that “because of my lack of vision I’m going to have to advocate for myself and what I can do. I’m going to have to find an employer, like I have had at my placements this year, who is willing to take the chance and let me show them what I can do!” “With Aaron’s sense of humour, enthusiasm and determination, he will prove that he can do anything, because if you let him he will open your eyes, to what he is truly capable of doing.” (Langley, T.)






Submitted by Shelley Conliffe (Work Experience Program Teacher)
To appear in Ontario Prospects 2011 (Ontario's Guide to Career Planning)