The Journey to Inclusive Employment

Are you considering the following questions?

Is inclusive, paid employment really possible for people with an intellectual disability or autism?

When is the ideal time to start planning for employment?

Is it too late to start planning for a job?

What is the role of family members?

What strategies could be most helpful?

What is this online workshop about?

A meaningful job provides many benefits - a reason to get up in the morning, a purpose and a positive sense of self as you contribute and benefit others. It’s an opportunity to belong and form friendships with colleagues in addition to an improved income. Inclusive employment provides adults with an intellectual disability and autism a chance to flourish, offering the same benefits and opportunities for growth that a job brings to everyone else.

More adults with an intellectual disability and autism can work alongside their non-disabled peers in a greater variety of roles than is commonly believed. However, the path to employment is often limited by the misconception that job preparation begins only in the late teenage or young adult years. A belief that can be held by both families, schools, organisations and systems. The journey to inclusive employment actually begins much earlier, with families playing a pivotal role. Although it’s never too late to start!

This online workshop will:

• Describe when the journey to employment should ideally begin and the optimal time to start planning.

• Discuss getting started, no matter what the timing.

• Share proven strategies that families and others can apply to significantly increase the likelihood of successful, inclusive employment.

• Illustrate how families naturally have access to some of the most powerful means of enabling inclusive employment and its successful continuation.

• How families have contributed to the successful employment of thousands of adults with intellectual disabilities, irrespective of the complexity of their disability.

Who is this event for?

This event will be of particular interest to families, allies, and supporters of people with developmental disabilities who are keen to discuss a journey to inclusive employment.

Guest Speaker

Bruce Uditsky has consulted and taught across Canada and internationally, including Belonging Matters! He is CEO Emeritus of Inclusion Alberta, a Senior Advisor to Inclusion Canada and an Associate of Inclusive Education Canada. Bruce is internationally recognised for his leadership and advocacy in social justice and inclusion for persons with intellectual disabilities and their families.

He is the principal founder of inclusive university post-secondary education and co-founder of the Rotary Employment Partnership, both of which have been formally recognised as world leading innovations. This work has led to the inclusive employment of thousands of individuals with an intellectual disability. He is the parent of an adult son with an intellectual disability who is living a fully inclusive life.