Ability beyond the disability

By: Dale Cabuquin 

The sun hasn’t risen but the day has started for a local Windsor woman as she prepares for work. At 3 a.m., the alarm goes off for Michelle Hornsby. 

She gets out of bed, walks about 10 steps to her fridge and her eyes dart to the box of cereal she eats every morning. 

She reaches for a bowl and spoon and placed them on a circle-shaped table embroidered with green and red diamond patterns. 

On top of the table is her tablet she uses at night to play games before she goes to bed. She pushes it aside to make room for her cold cereal.  

After eating, she changes her clothes to a beige blouse that serves as her uniform. She also grabs her black apron that has been hanging in front of her bedroom, before heading out of the house to call a blue and yellow Windsor cab. 

With that, Hornsby is ready to face the day and do the janitorial work that she has been doing for 30 years. 

What sets Hornsby apart is she is a person with an intellectual disability. She has worked at Fred’s Farm Fresh since April 1992. At the age of 61, she has served half of her life, mostly doing janitorial services.  

“I do dishes and clean the office,” Hornsby says. “I also clean the bathroom. People like the way I clean the bathroom because I do a very good job.” 

Being it her bread and butter for years, most tasks are easy for her. In fact, there are some days when she has to spend only three hours as she finishes some tasks quickly.  

However, she has had to face some challenging days. One was when the COVID-19 pandemic hit when businesses closed and people were forced to remain at home during lockdowns.  

“For the last couple of years I didn’t see people and I feel abandoned,” she says. “When you don’t see nobody, you feel like you’re isolated.”  

Another challenge she pointed out was the use of technology. According to her, she feels different while using technology because she doesn’t understand how to use it. 

But those challenges didn’t stop Hornsby from working hard. In fact, she lives in an apartment with her friends and shoulders most of the expenses from rent, groceries and other house related costs. 

Nobody knows Fred’s Farm Fresh better than Michelle  

Hornsby is taken care of like a family member at work as owner and store manager Linda Yacoub said she grew up in the business by her side.  

She was 11 when Hornsby became an employee. Fred, Yacoub’s father, was manager of the family business when Hornsby joined 30 years ago.   

Yacoub described Hornsby as an “excellent worker” and her presence teaches inclusivity for other people as well as to Fred’s Farm Fresh. 

“I believe that there is a place for everyone in our workplace and I’m allowing someone like Michelle to be successful,” Yacoub says. “It’s really fulfilling for everybody and just having her around others also teaches inclusivity that we want to express here in the workplace.” 

Being an employee for a long time, Hornsby was “valued” for her dedication and work. Her manager said nobody else knows Fred’s Farm Fresh better than Hornsby. 

“She’s very happy when she comes to work because she knows that we count on her for a lot of things,” Yacoub says. “She gets fulfillment in that. She knows that without her, there are certain things that can’t get done throughout the day so that really that adds value to her life.” 

Community for all, opportunities for all 

“Don’t look at the disability, look at the abilities of the person and you will be amazed,” says Community Living Windsor’s manager of employment services Terry Cloutier. 

Community Living Windsor is an organization that supports adults with intellectual disabilities. They help these individuals to make choices and pursue opportunities to achieve the life they want. The group’s goal is to focus on developing skill building to foster independence.  

“They bring a lot of positivity,” Cloutier says. “A lot of employers say they’ve really changed the organization. It has really changed the environment and a lot of employers were very happy with that.”  

According to Inclusion Canada, approximately 500,000 people with intellectual disability are within the working age population but only 25 per cent, are employed in Canada. 

In the 2022 report published on the Community Living Windsor’s website, they were able to aid 138 people with intellectual disabilities with employment support. These people were trained for job and interview readiness, assisted with resume writing, job application and coaching. 

A total of 502 people with intellectual disability across Windsor have been supported with services including independent living and family support.  

“When someone gets their job, especially their first job and you just see their excitement,” says Cloutier. “I remember someone getting their first paycheque coming over, showed it to me and almost in tears saying ‘I’m so happy I get my family out for dinner.’”