Technology and 'leap of faith': Edmonton company benefits from employing displaced deaf Ukrainians
When working as a team, communication is key — and as Edmonton-area landscaping company Jansen Group has found out, technology goes a long way when it comes to employing a group of workers from Ukraine with an additional challenge on top of the language barrier.
Five of the six newcomers are deaf.
It was a challenge for company president Adam Jansen.
"I don't speak Ukrainian, and I definitely don't know sign language, but we found a way to make it work," he told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.
The workers talk to each other using Ukrainian sign language, but when it comes to communicating with their English-speaking colleagues, they use hand signals such as gestures and pointing with each other.
And when words are needed, there's an app for that.
"I was a little worried about communication, but we smoothed that out pretty quickly," said Jason Hilmoe, the crew's foreman. "Today's technology with the translation apps is very quick. Sign language is a bit of an issue still because it doesn't translate ... but it's good. We've figured out some universal hand signals that work very well."
Volodymyr Tymchuk, a hearing-impaired Ukrainian with eight years of landscaping experience and the first worker of the group Jansen hired, told CTV News Edmonton via the Google Translate app that they enjoy working for the company.
"We are lucky to have chosen to work with Adam. And we feel like a family," Tymchuk said.
Hilmoe said the skilled, experienced crew is one of "the best" he's worked with in his many years in the industry.
"I wish we'd known about this situation years ago and been able to have such good workers in my whole tenure here," he said.
Jansen says the Ukrainians have inspired them. After hearing about their journey, fleeing a war and leaving everything behind, it was an easy choice to try something new.
"It was important to just take a chance, take a leap of faith and just see how it works out," Jansen said. "And I think other business owners should do the same thing."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Police investigating shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
3 Indian nationals accused of murdering Hardeep Singh Nijjar facing court in B.C.
Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are due to face court Tuesday over the killing that triggered a major diplomatic rift with India.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.