For Diverse Youth (4DY): A national initiative for neurodiversity and employment

Overview

This session will explore IDEA For Diverse Youth (4DY), a knowledge-to-practice initiative that supports organizations in developing barrier-free, sustainable employment opportunities for youth with disabilities, especially neurodiverse youth, youth with intellectual disabilities, and youth with mental health challenges. The presentation will describe what the initiative is and how IDEA 4DY is using the foundational concepts of inclusive design, continuous improvement, and systems thinking to advance workplace disability inclusion. The IDEA 9-domain framework for disability inclusion and associated areas of inquiry related to the framework will be described.

Speakers

Andrew Dixon is an interdisciplinary PhD candidate at Memorial University whose work focuses on building inclusive employment systems for neurodivergent and disabled youth. He is a senior research officer with the For Diverse Youth (4DY) initiative, a knowledge-to-practice project within Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA) that supports construction and manufacturing employers to create barrier-free, sustainable workplaces.

Andrew brings expertise in qualitative research, evidence synthesis, and applied systems analysis, with a strong focus on translating research into practical tools and resources for employers. His doctoral research examines workplace inclusion, disability rights, and social justice, with particular attention to how organizational systems shape employment outcomes for neurodivergent people.

Andrew has lived experience with neurodiversity and invisible disability, which informs his commitment to co-design, accessibility, and youth-centred approaches. Outside of his research role, he is actively involved in community advocacy and volunteer work, including with Scouts Canada and disability organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador.e.

Host

W. Francis Fung is the Senior Manager, Skills Development and Employment at March of Dimes Canada. He is lead for stakeholder engagement activities at IDEA and co-lead of IDEA’s Incubator  Hub on  Employment Support Systems. Fung has a master’s in education, community rehabilitation and disability studies from the University of Calgary, and a BSc in psychology from Trent University. He holds a number of designations and certifications related to vocational rehabilitation and evaluation, as well as disability management.

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.