Be connected with neurodiverse candidates
Ready, Willing and Able
Ready, Willing and Able (RWA) is a national partnership of Inclusion Canada (formerly the Canadian Association for Community Living), the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance (CASDA) and their member organizations.
As a national strategy to develop inclusive and effective labour markets, RWA will:
- Connect and support employers, persons with an intellectual disability or ASD and local, provincial and national community agencies
- Promote understanding and awareness among employers and the general public as to the business value of hiring people with an intellectual disability or ASD
- Complement and enhance the capacity of community employment service delivery organizations by connecting them to new employer demand
Find out more at RWA’s website.
Project SEARCH
Project SEARCH is a unique, business-led, one-year, transition-to-work program for young people with developmental or intellectual disabilities. The main objective is to prepare students for employment with job skills training through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on career training.
Best practices for a neuroinclusive organization
- weaving full inclusion into organizational values, mission, and practices,
- creating welcoming, engaging and pleasant environments with zero-tolerance for exclusion and/or bullying,
- encouraging disclosure during the interview process so support needs can be determined and put into place,
- introducing accessible employment, on-boarding, and training practices, including experience sessions to replace behavioural interviews,
- building awareness with current and future employees,
- assigning dedicated staff to consult with external subject-matter experts and partners,
- developing partnerships and advisory teams, including internal and external stakeholders to ensure critical training and supports are in place,
- ensuring all meetings, communications, training, and events are accessible,
- adopting and delivering supportive performance management practices for all supervisors and people managers, including regular check-ins and evaluations, and
- developing person-centred employment plans and transition goals for all employees.
Practices for creating an environment and eco-system for all abilities to thrive:
- encouraging comfort and familiarity by advanced introduction to the work environment,
- ensuring the physical environment is accessible or that appropriate modifications are in place, like noise-cancelling headsets or quiet work areas,
- beginning employment as a group to foster relationship and peer support networks,
- setting visual goals and recognizing achievements,
- offering wayfinding maps or instructions throughout the workplace or at work stations,
- training in travel and team-building and communication activities,
- providing an initial job coach or skills trainer to learn the essentials of the job through task and needs analysis, and develop a person-centred training plan until core skills can be performed independently,
- providing accommodations and assistive technology solutions, if required,
- introducing employee immersion and experiential learning,
- providing opportunities for employees or candidates to network and connect with employees at all levels, inside and outside of their department,
- providing ongoing career skills development training for all employees, and
- creating a buddy-system for job and social integration support.
Benefits of neurodiverse workplace:
