A Friday afternoon shindig, complete with cake, at the Willowbrook A&W on a snowy Feb. 23 was about much more than the awards received by owner Nick Nuraney and manager John Archibald.
It was a celebration of inclusiveness.
Nuraney and Archibald received 2017 Widening Our World (WOW) awards from Community Living BC (CLBC), which notes that “their courage, leadership, innovation and dedication in supporting their communities to more fully include people with diverse abilities,” makes them worthy recipients.
For the past two-plus decades, Nuraney and Archibald have been providing employment for workers with diverse abilities in the Langley area.
Nuraney owns all six A&W locations in the Langleys and as the operations manager, Archibald oversees each one of them. In total, six per cent of the workers at Langley’s A&W restaurants have diverse abilities.
Since 2009, CLBC has presented WOW awards to recognize British Columbians who are creating opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to lead full lives, have rich relationships, choices in how they live, and employment opportunities.
“I would like to congratulate all of the award winners and nominees for their commitment to helping make our communities inclusive and engaging for people of all abilities,” said Seonag Macrae, CEO, Community Living BC.
“It is because of your efforts that people with disabilities are able to continuously improve their quality of life through engaging community activities, employment, and recreation opportunities.”