Art collective opens at Kingsway Mall in response to ADAP

A new art store at Kingsway Mall aims to make it easier for former AISH recipients to transition into employment under the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program.

Set to officially open on Sept. 8, the Prospect Art Collective store will help adults with mental health challenges acquire employment experience in a supportive and flexible environment. The social enterprise is part of the Retail Mental Health Program from Prospect, a 30-year-old non-profit dedicated to overcoming barriers to employment.

"We recognized that there was going to be an awful lot of people going into an employment situation that they weren't necessarily prepared for," program manager Lorraine Henderson told Taproot. "(ADAP) was one of the reasons why we came up with this program … (as) a lot of people with disabilities of any sort were going to be told that they were expected to be looking for employment."

Over the summer months, Henderson's team has been preparing the art store to be a space where participants can develop skills and confidence. Participants will be able to practice customer service, organizing merchandise and inventory, and supporting various tasks on the floor or behind the scenes. They'll also work on skills such as writing résumés and cover letters.

Henderson believes those who have been outside the workforce for extended periods of time have valuable skills that employers look for. But extra support may be needed to make it possible to get and keep a job. That's where Prospect comes in.

"We don't just send them out with a kick in the pants and say 'Here's your job, get to it,'" Henderson said.

As of July 1, nearly 80,000 Albertans who previously qualified for Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped were shifted to the Alberta Disability Assistance Program. ADAP recipients will receive less than they did on AISH but are allowed to earn more before their benefits are affected. The change has been heavily criticized by disabled Albertans and advocates, and its implementation has been rocky.

As advocate Zachary Weeks put it, AISH is for those whose disabilities permanently prevent employment, while ADAP is for those whose disabilities "substantially impede employment," and the latter will be expected to seek work.

"Many disabled Albertans want to work," Weeks wrote. "The concern is what happens when government adjudicators or contracted employment providers misunderstand someone's disability, overestimate their ability to work or fail to provide the accommodations and supports they need."

Prospect tries to ease the transition to work in a manageable, sustainable manner. "We'll keep checking in, making sure things are going steady, because we know anybody with any health situation … can always have a setback," Henderson said.

Since Prospect's Edmonton offices are located on Kingsway Mall's third floor, participants will have easy access to Prospect's entire suite of support services. Some may need to go through the 28-week program a couple of times, and that's fine, Henderson said.

"We just take it at their pace," she said. "It is meeting people where they're at."

Seth Shulak, a participant at Prospect's art collective, views the program as a stepping stone to a meaningful job. He said he hopes to improve "speaking to people and (to) be more approachable."

Since the art collective contains both a classroom and creative space behind its main retail section, Prospect's participants have room to flex their creative muscles to balance their workday on the shop floor.

"I do plan on making art in the future for this program," said Shulak, whose artistic practice explores themes of strength and passion. "It (has) helped me with my creative thinking."

Shulak has already demonstrated prowess in printing and pressing artistic designs on shirts and buttons. "Once the design's fully on there, boom, happy shirt," he said, describing how to heat-press a design onto a T-shirt.

In addition to ADAP recipients, the program is also open to people on AISH or Income Support. Henderson is looking forward to the official opening, which government officials are expected to attend, and she hopes to make a difference.

"We're really passionate about making sure nobody falls between the cracks while they're with us," Henderson said. "We'll get people what they need to start their job."

Correction: This story has been updated to correct program manager Lorraine Henderson's name.