Are you a job seeker with a disability facing barriers to entering the workforce? Or are you currently employed but encountering obstacles in advancing your career?

ODEN wants to hear about your experiences. ODEN is launching the “Beyond AODA Compliance – Disability Inclusive Hiring” project to explore employment barriers faced by individuals with disabilities. Your feedback will help shape a free learning module for employers called “Beyond AODA Compliance – Disability Inclusive Hiring”. The module will be accessible at no cost and housed in ODEN’s Learning Centre, learn.odenetwork.com.

To participate, please take the survey: Beyond AODA Compliance – Survey (English); (French)

Families often tell us that one of the more challenging aspects of future planning for a family member with a disability is creating and exploring options for home. In response, P4P offers a unique program in partnership with housing expert, Kelly Casey, aimed at helping families plan and create their housing vision for the future.

In this 10-week facilitated workshop called Crafting Your Individualized Housing Action Plan, families gain practical tools, expert guidance, and a supportive space to take real steps toward helping their family member create a home of their own.

Our next workshop starts this Fall on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm EST. The program will run over the course of 11 weeks each Tuesday, with 6 whole-group sessions, 3 facilitation sessions, and 1 consultation with Kelly. The final date of the workshop will be December 2nd, 2025.

TOPICS COVERED:

• Plan and create your housing vision for the future
• Explore various individualized housing & support models
• Explore how natural supports and relationships can help make the plan possible
• Create a plan for all your support needs and learn about ways you can maximize financial resources
• Discover strategies to help reduce costs
• Identify goals and tasks to begin implementation of your plan

SERIES INCLUDES:

• Group learning sessions and individual support of an Independent Facilitator
• Dedicated time with your Independent Facilitator between workshop sessions to support your planning process
• Individual consultation with housing specialist Kelly Casey to optimize your plan
• Preparation of your individualized housing plan complete with a budget
• Meet with and learn from other families interested in individualized housing
• Cost for the series is $1600.00 (HST included) and is an eligible Passport expense. Once we have reviewed your intake form we ask that you send a $250.00 deposit to secure your place.

If you are ready to start creating an individualized housing plan with your family member, register for the program by completing THIS FORM. Once you have completed the form, a member of the P4P team will contact you by email with further details and next steps.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• The 10-week workshop is a comprehensive and intensive learning experience for families. Prior to enrolling in the workshop, families will be asked to complete a check list of tasks that would be nice to have in place before starting the workshop – this is not a however requirement and we will be able to work on these things during the workshop as well.
• This workshop is meant for one individual and one plan at a time. If you have more than one family member requiring a housing plan, please reach out to Anna Bruno at abruno@p4p.ca.
• This workshop is not meant for families who are in crisis. Please contact your local DSO if you are experiencing changes in your situation which has left your family in a vulnerable position.

ORIENTATION SESSIONS

We also have free upcoming Orientation Sessions where you can learn more about the workshop, and what to expect. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and see if the workshop is the right fit for you and your family member. Join us for one of our upcoming sessions below:

Wednesday, August 13th at 12:00 pm EST – REGISTER HERE
Tuesday, August 19th at 6:30 pm EST – REGISTER HERE

DSO Housing Navigators will host March of Dimes Canada (MOD) for a free virtual information session about Skilling Up: Free tech programs for daily living and employment readiness for people with disabilities.

Date: Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM EST

See flyer for more details

A monthly discussion for women, non-binary, transgender, two – spirit folks with disabilities and without disabilities.

DATE: Friday July 18, 2025 
TIME: 2:30- 4:00 PM
LOCATION: Vibrant Community Health – 2398 Yonge St. (Yonge and Eglinton) – In person and Over Zoom

PRESENTED BY Women with Disabilities Action Awareness Group in Toronto (WDAAGi.T)

WDAAGing meet once per month Peer Support groups/events operate under the Independent Living Environment and is committed to providing safe & inclusive spaces.

To Register contact Lucy: 416-486-8666 ext.226 / lucyn@vibrantch.ca

See flyer for more details

L’Arche Toronto’s Trying It on For Size (TIFS) program is accepting applications for new participants to join TIFS starting this Summer/Fall!

We now have 8 program spots available:

• 2 spots for August 2025 – July 2026
• 2 spots for September 2025 – August 2026
• 2 spots for October 2025 – September 2026, and
• 2 new spots for November 2025-October 2026

TIFS is a unique, person-centred life skills program designed for adults with intellectual disabilities who are eager to grow their skills and confidence for living independently. Over the course of one year, participants receive individualized coaching and have the opportunity to “try out” independent living through short-term overnight stays in our TIFS apartment.

Attached to this post:

• Our 2025 TIFS Information Booklet
• A breakdown of available start dates and their coaching timelines

If you or someone you know would be a great fit for TIFS, we’d love to hear from you!

Though many participants sign-up individually, we also welcome pairs of potential roommates to go through the program together. If you have a possible roommate in mind, TIFS can support both individuals in trying out this dynamic through shared coaching and overnight experiences, while still working on individualized goals. 

Interested in Applying?

The first step is to come for a visit to the program—meet the team and some current participants, tour the apartment, ask questions, and discuss your goals. 

To arrange an appointment for your TIFS visit, please email alyssa@larchetoronto.org

With only 8 spots available —and limited space for each start date— we encourage interested applicants to get in touch soon. Applications for the September–November start dates are due by Friday, August 22nd, though some spaces may fill before then.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or to book a visit.
We look forward to hearing from you—and please share this opportunity within your networks! 🙂