Ready, Willing & Able | Inclusion Works Webinar

What is RWA?

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. Funded by the Government of Canada and active in 20 communities across the country, RWA is designed to increase the labour force participation of people with an intellectual disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

In today’s hyper-competitive business environment, the difference between success and failure lies in the talent and diverse skill set of your workforce. There are approximately 500,000 working age adults with intellectual disabilities or ASD. This untapped workforce can help address current labour shortages while making businesses stronger, more diverse and more productive.

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

RWA provides

Information about why hiring a person with an intellectual disability or ASD is good for business

Individualized assistance to help you become a more inclusive employer

Assistance in identifying persons with an intellectual disability or ASD to address labour force needs in your company

Disability awareness information for your current employees

Direct connections to community agencies who provide employment-related services and supports to persons with an intellectual disability or ASD

Individual on-the-job support for the employee to do their job effectively, including disability related accommodations if necessary

Connections to other employers who have hired individuals with an intellectual disability or ASD

Connections to available research, best practice and expertise in the field of inclusive labour markets