Beyond accommodation: Integrating career and accessibility in the transition to employment
Overview
Creating more accessible pathways from postsecondary education to employment requires attention to the experiences of students with disabilities, the realities of postsecondary service delivery, and the expectations and practices of employers. The David C. Onley Initiative (DCOI) uses a collective impact lens to bring these perspectives together and identify opportunities for greater coordination and skillset development across the employment journey.
This webinar will explore key lessons from the DCOI and share practical strategies drawn from its implementation of the Employment Pathway Facilitator (EPF) approach. The session will highlight ways for student service providers and employers to create more accessible and responsive pathways into workplace experiences.
Participants will be invited to consider how these concepts and strategies can be adapted within their own roles and contexts to best support inclusivity and sustainability in transitions from postsecondary education to employment.
Speaker
Tara Connolly is Assistant Director, Research and Development at the Accessibility Institute at Carleton University. She contributes to national work on accessibility standards and neuroinclusive design. She leads applied research and national initiatives focused on advancing accessibility, inclusion, and systems change across multiple areas of community and institutional life. Her work includes the co-leading the David C. Onley Initiative, which brings together students with disabilities, service providers, and employers to identify and advance more accessible transitions from postsecondary education to employment.
Host
Dan Samosh is an Assistant Professor in Employment Relation at Queen’s University and Academic Co-Lead of the IDEA Incubator Hub on Transitions to Work and Career Development.
About the IDEA Speaker Series
The IDEA Speaker Series provides an opportunity to hear guest speakers talk about their efforts to create stronger and more diverse labour markets that include persons with disabilities.
