March of Dimes Canada (MODC) is launching a new Employment Project specifically designed for youth with disabilities. They're seeking your insights and experiences to help enhance post-secondary skill-building and employment programming for young people like you.

Why Your Voice Matters March of Dimes wants to understand your needs, dreams, and the barriers you encounter when seeking employment. Your feedback will be invaluable in identifying programming gaps and creating more inclusive employment opportunities as you transition from school to the workplace.

Who Can Participate? Young individuals who:

• Are between 18-30 years old
• Currently reside in Canada
• Identify as a person with a disability
• Have access to a computer with internet
• Can join from a private space

  About the Creating Inclusive Employment (CIE) Project The CIE project aims to improve and develop new ways for young people to build digital skills, including:

• Email Communication
• Content Creation using Microsoft Products (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Web Development (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
• Computer Programming (e.g., Python)
• Data Analysis
• Digital Marketing
• Mobile App Development

Your input will help March of Dimes refine their programs to offer more inclusive employment opportunities.

How Can You Participate? Join March of Dimes for a World Café event from September 16th to 20th, 2024. This virtual event will involve small group discussions on various topics related to digital skill development. Participants will rotate through virtual ‘tables’ covering different subtopics. The World Café will take place over approximately 2-2.5 hours online via Zoom, with captions and other accessible supports available.

Compensation As a token of appreciation, March of Dimes will provide participants with a $50 gift card for their time and contributions. Gift cards will be sent through EverythingCard, an online platform offering options for physical or digital gift cards at a variety of businesses.

What Are the Risks and Benefits? The project involves minimal risk. While there may be some emotional or psychological risks due to discussions about marginalization, you are free to skip any questions or topics that make you uncomfortable. The benefits include compensation, contribution to improved MODC programs, and the opportunity to share your experiences with MODC and potentially the broader community.

How to Register Ready to make a difference? Fill out the registration form to participate in the World Café.

Questions? For more details or to discuss accessibility needs, please visit: https://www.marchofdimes.ca/en-ca/aboutus/research/Pages/Creating-Inclusive-Employment.aspx