2003
Executive Council

Entering the public service as a career development officer with the Public Service Commission in the late 1980s, Jim McDonald had the main duty of implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on Equity and Disability. Being visually impaired, Jim well understood the need to implement the findings of the task force. A new program implemented in 1990 to create positions within the public service for the disabled came about as the result of much work and creative thinking on Jim’s part.

As of 2003, the program consisted of 75 positions, with a $3 million budget. The Opening Doors Program works closely with the federal government, acting as the hiring agency for the disabled in Newfoundland and Labrador. The single clearinghouse nature of the program makes it easier to transfer employees between the two levels of government. This arrangement is unique in Canada and makes it easier for disabled individuals in the province to seek and secure employment in either level of government.

Jim is known for his tenacity in convincing decision-makers that people with disabilities can be valuable and contributing employees. Furthermore, he has demonstrated that government can be a model employer. He works tirelessly to ensure that the Opening Doors Program remains visible throughout government, and his innovative methods have resulted in the creation of new services and programs aimed at increasing opportunities for people with disabilities.