Our webpage Stories about Livelihoods hosts a series of composite stories, which are fictional narratives based on real-life experiences from individuals’ interviews as part of the Live Work Well Research Centre’s Disability and Livelihoods in Canada project, with support from academic literature. Each story’s purpose is to demonstrate challenges and successes that arise from diversity.
The stories have been in development since the summer of 2024, with valued creative and factual input from undergraduate students Vanessa Bonham, Jordyne Craig, and Mabel Mechery, and graduate students Mrittika Ghosh, Aurora Matteocci, and Kathryn Reinders. The stories are part of the Reimagining Livelihoods project, which consisted of a Reimagining Livelihoods Forum held in August 2023 and the development of this Livelihoods.ca website where the stories are housed. The project was guided and informed by an Advisory Committee, made up of interested individuals from the University of Guelph as well as civil society organizations such as DAWN Canada and the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW).
The first story to be published, Lily’s story, illustrates the struggles of a young, 19-year-old girl with cerebral palsy as she shares her challenges in finding a stable job, navigating public transit, and wanting to move out on her own, while facing a lack of accessible and affordable options. Lily’s story also demonstrates the benefits she gains from volunteering to help advance and widen her skill set, and to gain assistance from others. Lily gets support from the local employment centre to strengthen her job applications and her confidence for interviews. The story truly does show the reality of making one’s livelihood dreams a possibility.
Lily’s story will be one of three published. Watch for upcoming stories from Evelyn and Wren, which are coming soon!
