Clarington congratulates resident on Provincial Accessibility Award

Clarington, Ontario – A remarkable Clarington resident has been honoured with the David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility.

“Deanna Miskie is a local accessibility champion who identified a barrier in communication in her workplace and found a way to overcome it, making her workplace more accessible and inclusive,” said Clarington Accessibility Coordinator Laila Shafi.

Miskie is a long-time employee of the Foodland grocery store in Newcastle. One day while working at the deli counter, Miskie realized a regular customer was deaf, and she decided to learn American Sign Language. When her first self-taught attempt to learn sign language was unsuccessful, the team member enrolled in a course with Durham Deaf Services.

The customer was grateful for the worker’s extra communication efforts. Later, when Foodland was hiring, the customer applied for the job, and Miskie acted as her translator for the interview. After the customer was hired, Miskie began organizing sign language classes in the lunchroom for the rest of the Foodland staff.

Her efforts meant that staff could better communicate with their colleague who is deaf, and it made the grocery store an accessible environment where other deaf customers could shop and be understood.

On Tuesday, December 6, the Government of Ontario held a ceremony to recognize Ontarians who have gone above and beyond to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. Newcastle’s Deanna Miskie was honoured with a David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility for her employee engagement at Foodland Newcastle.

“Congratulations to Deanna Miskie, who has taken a leadership role in our community promoting accessibility,” said Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster. “Our ultimate goal is to create a more inclusive and caring Clarington. It’s important to recognize accessibility success stories to inspire others to follow suit.”

Background:

• The David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility commemorates the legacy of Ontario’s 28th Lieutenant Governor by recognizing Ontarians who have gone above and beyond to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. 
• Clarington’s Accessibility Advisory Committee supported the nomination of Deanna Miskie by the Municipality of Clarington to the David C. Onley Leadership in Accessibility Award.
• In 2020, Foodland Newcastle owner Ryan Ormiston and his staff received a Region of Durham Accessibility Award for being an inclusive employer. Clarington Council and the Accessibility Advisory Committee recognized the local business for their commitment to accessibility and inclusion.

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Media inquiries:
Municipality of Clarington
Jennifer O’Meara
Communications and Issues Management Specialist
905-260-2844 or jomeara@clarington.net