CASE Member Spotlight
Inclusion Yukon
For the French version of this post, please click here.
Pour la version française de cet article, veuillez cliquer ici.
Inclusion Yukon has been operating in Whitehorse, Yukon, since 1964. Whitehorse is the largest city in Northern Canada with about 36,000 people.
Inclusion Yukon considers intellectual impairment or developmental delay to be part of life’s diversity and a component of community to be included, rather than excluded or hidden.
Vision
We consider neurodiversity as part of life’s diversity, and a component of community to be included rather than excluded or hidden. We seek to promote inclusion for individuals and families by finding ways to educate that public, inform professionals, and develop service strategies.
Inclusion Yukon’s main focus is supporting people with intellectual disabilities through:
- Day programming, respite program, and advocacy
- Two employment programs: MentorAbility and Ready, Willing and Able
Mission
To promote meaningful inclusion for people who are neurodiverse and their families into all aspects of community life by providing advocacy, public awareness and education, community capacity development, and program support.
MentorAbility
MentorAbility is a national initiative that offers one-hour to one-day mentorships for people to try jobs and see if they would enjoy them. Inclusion Yukon approaches business owners in their community to ask them to become a mentor for their clients for a day.
It’s a great option for clients with disabilities to get their foot in the door and see how things are run in a workplace.
Ready, Willing and Able
Ready, Willing and Able is a nationwide initiative to make the employment climate in communities more inclusive for people with intellectual disabilities. They help to create a level playing field for all.
Inclusion Yukon helps clients draft their first resume, do a mock interview, and understand what kind of job they would enjoy doing. They collaborate with local employers and talk about the benefits of hiring inclusively: loyalty, punctuality, lower turnover rates, and positive workplace morale.
Inclusion Yukon stands out by offering both employment programs for their clients. providing tools that leverage each other. Together, these programs help clients determine what employment sphere would work best for them, then clients can aim to get the job that would be most fulfilling and meaningful.
Leading by Example
The organization’s hopes and goals are to influence big changes in their small community, leading by example. “We want to be the beacon of help, support, and inspiration for people with intellectual disabilities, their families, and our community. We know we can do it!”
Learn more about Inclusion Yukon on their website.
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