CASE Member Spotlight – Autism Resource Centre
CASE Member Spotlight
The Canadian Association for Supported Employment (CASE) is committed to facilitating inclusive employment in Canada for persons experiencing disability and who may have intersecting identities. Our work is guided by our values and the guiding principles of supported employment. This work also involves learning and promoting best practices in Canada and across the world with the shared goal of advancing supported employment.
For the French version of this post, please click here. | Pour la version française de cet article, veuillez cliquer ici.
Autism Resource Centre (ARC)
Kateryna Zmytrovych, CASE Member Experience Coordinator, spoke with staff at the Autism Resource Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan:
- Antara Zareen, Inclusive Employment Consultant
- Jassia Wedewer, Inclusive Employment Consultant, Program Manager, Life Skills
Please introduce your organization.
Jassia: Autism Resource Centre, or ARC for short, is a community-based non-profit organization that provides skill-building, recreation, and therapeutic programs using a person-centred neuro-affirming approach. We are dedicated to supporting the autistic community by raising awareness, through engagement, supporting autistic-led initiatives, and providing opportunities for self-advocacy and empowerment.
ARC provides programming for our members in three core areas: life skills, mental wellness, and employment. Our employment program provides one-to-one support, group support, volunteer opportunities, and workshops to meet the needs of each member.
Share with us a particular moment that made you proud to be a part of your team.
Antara: One moment that made me proud to be part of our team was when we took the initiative to educate our members in our regular job search groups. We ran short presentations on practical skills, like how to email employers, read job postings, and focus on the quality of application rather than quantity.
A few months later, seeing many of them start receiving interview calls showed the real impact of our efforts. It was incredibly rewarding to see how our initiative helped members gain confidence and take meaningful steps towards employment.
Jassia: The moment I want to share is when we brought our volunteer group to a local football game. We were assigned to run the Kid Zone, which included several games and interactive activities for families in the community. Our team quickly divided the responsibilities and took initiative.
Our members actively encouraged children and families to participate and clearly explained the rules of the games. And what stood out most was watching our members step into leadership roles with confidence and enthusiasm.
And what stood out most was watching our members step into leadership roles with confidence and enthusiasm.
What are some of the regional issues that are important for you to address or consider?
Antara: Creating inclusive workplaces and supporting diverse employees are key issues. This includes providing accommodations, implementing an adaptive recruitment process, and fostering diversity and equity in the workplace.
It’s also important to educate employers and employees about diversity to build understanding and a culture of inclusion. Everyone, regardless of their ability, has a meaningful opportunity to contribute and succeed.
Kateryna: Thank you for sharing. This sounds not only like a regional issue. I think, in one way or another, it can be applied to almost every region and nationwide as well.
What are some things that people don’t know about your team?
Jassia: I would like to speak about how collaborative our approach is. We work closely together to create meaningful opportunities that support our members in achieving their employment goals.
These opportunities range from volunteer to MentorAbility placements and other skill building initiatives. We work together to help members build confidence, gain practical skills, and expand on their professional networks.
Kateryna: Collaboration is the key. When we look at the bigger picture, working as a team, supporting each other as you mentioned, enables us to achieve more impactful outcomes together.
What advice do you have for other organizations in the sector?
Antara: I would advise other organizations in this sector to focus on collaboration and open communication and sharing ideas, experiences, and best practices with each other and with employers.
It’s important to recognize and respect multiple perspectives and to develop awareness among staff about the diverse needs of the people they serve. By fostering a culture of learning, inclusion, and support, organizations can enhance outcomes for clients and strengthen the sector overall.
Photo above (supplied by ARC): The ARC team
What’s a small joy that always brightens your workday?
Antara: Seeing a member make progress, no matter how small it is, always brightens my day. It could be a participant understanding a new skill, sending a professionally worded email, or gaining confidence in an interview. These moments remind me why I do this work and make the day feel meaningful.
Jassia: One of the most rewarding parts of my day is watching members build confidence through their employment journey. I especially love hearing members share what they’ve learned and see their excitement about new topics. Watching them smile after successfully completing something like a job application or finishing their resume.
How has being part of the CASE network supported your work?
Jassia: It has been incredibly valuable in supporting our work. CASE offers a wide range of resources that are helpful not only for us as service providers but for employers and job seekers.
The network also creates meaningful connections with other employment agencies, which strengthens our collaboration and expands opportunities for people we serve. Additionally, all the courses and training sessions are very informative and help us stay current with the best practices and new developments.
Visit the Autism Resource Centre website to learn more about their work.