Employment Options…

The following is a list of non-profit advocacy and employment support groups across Canada for people with various disabilities. Services offered by these groups may include employment assessment counselling, skills training, job search training and placement. All services are available at little or no cost to people with disabilities. Many of these organizations also offer support services to employers.

The information in this list has been extracted from the "1994/95 Canadian Employment Equity Handbook," with permission from News-Update Communications Inc. (NCI), publishers. To order the handbook, contact Susan Baka, Publisher, NCI, PO Box 10, Stn. F, Toronto, ON M4Y 2L4; tel.: (416) 696-9199; fax: (416) 696-2263.


NATIONAL:

Canadian Council for Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW)
Winnipeg, MB
Focuses on improving employment opportunities for people with all types of disabilities.
Rob McInnes, Executive Director
(204) 942-4862
TTY: (204) 944-0341

Canadian Hearing Society
Toronto, ON
Provides assessment, skills training and job-search assistance to deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Also offers interpreter services.
Employer Services
(416) 964-9595
TTY: (416) 964-0023

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
Toronto, ON
Grassroots programs help people with mental illnesses cope with crises, regain confidence and return to their communities, families, and jobs.
Sylvia Sosa, Employment Services
(416) 484-7750

Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
Toronto, ON
Services to people who are deaf-blind or have visual impairments include access to assessment, training and job-counselling services.
Charlene Muller, National Director, Employment Services
(416) 486-2500

Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA)
Ottawa, ON
Provides counselling and information services to Canadians with paraplegia or quadriplegia.
Eric Boyd, Managing Director
(613) 723-1033

Canadian Rehabilitation Council for the Disabled (CRCD)
Toronto, ON
Provides disability awareness training for employer and community groups.
Henry Botchford, Executive Director
(416) 250-7490 (voice/TTY)

Epilepsy Canada
Montreal, QC
Branches across Canada provide links and assistance in skills training and job search.
Denise Crepin, Executive Director
(514) 845-7855

Neil Squire Foundation
North Vancouver, BC
Provides skills training, employment and advocacy services to people with severe mobility impairments.
Leslie Rogers-Warnock, Coordinator, Consultation Services
(604) 929-2414

BRITISH COLUMBIA:

Semiahmoo House Society
Surrey, BC
Provides skills assessment, on-the-job training and job placement assistance for people with intellectual disabilities.
Brenda Cowie-Hanssen, Coordinator, Supported Work
(604) 536-1242

Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Vancouver, BC
Provides vocational assessments, employment counselling and job assistance for people with hearing disabilities.
Dominique Michel, Executive Director
(604) 736-7391
TTY: (604) 736-2527

ALBERTA:

Creative Employment Services
Calgary, AB
Provides employment assessment, counselling, job referral, placement services and follow-up support to people with disabilities (mostly psychiatric, deaf or hard-of-hearing).
Jim Kimmel, Executive Director
(403) 229-3010

SASKATCHEWAN:

Saskatchewan Abilities Council
Saskatoon, SK
Provides vocational training and placements to people with disabilities.
Kirsti Clarke, Executive Director
(306) 374-4448

Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
Saskatoon, SK
Provides assessment, interpreting services and liaison with employers on accommodation and assistive devices for hard-of-hearing employees.
Gwen Germann, Coordinator
(306) 665-6575

MANITOBA:

Society for Manitobans with Disabilities
Winnipeg, MB
Provides employment assessment and counselling, training, work experience programs and job search assistance services to Manitobans with physical disabilities.
Terry Wiebe, Communications Manager
(204) 786-5601

ONTARIO:

Alliance for Employment Equity
Toronto, ON
Representing Ontario’s four designated groups, its primary objective is to share experiences, gather and analyze data on workplace discrimination and conduct public education programs on employment equity.
Margaret Hageman, Provincial Coordinator
(416) 974-9357

Goodwill Industries of Toronto
Toronto, ON
Provides vocational and employment training and job search assistance to all people who are disadvantaged in employment, including aboriginals, people with disabilities, racial minorities, and women.
Terry Long, Work Training & Employment Services
(416) 362-4711

Alternative Computer Training for the Disabled (ACT)
Toronto, ON
Provides assessment, training, internship programs and job placement for people with physical disabilities. Susan Brown, Placement Coordinator
(416) 488-4076

Audio Tactile Network
London, ON
Improves employment opportunities for visually impaired and print-handicapped individuals through access to pre-employment counselling, office skills training and job placement.
Vicki Mayer, Executive Director
(519) 433-7950

Bronte Labour Exchange
Oakville, ON
Provides subsidized training, employment counselling and job placement, primarily to consumers with mental illness.
Jean Mull, Executive Director
(905) 338-1111

Community Vocational Alternatives (CVA)
Mississauga, ON
Provides assessment, training and on-the-job support to people with intellectual disabilities.
Jennifer Bolton, Placement Coordinator
(416) 896-1288

Halton Employment Assessment Centre
Oakville, ON
Provides vocational testing, pre-screening, placement, on-site training and follow-up to people with intellectual disabilities.
Sharon Livingstone, Vocational Programs
(905) 845-9264

Meta Centre: Ethnic Organization for the Handicapped
Downsview, ON
Provides training and job search assistance for adults with intellectual disabilities from a variety of ethnic groups.
Mimma Regina, Executive Director
(416) 631-6540

Ontario March of Dimes
Toronto, ON
Provides a variety of training to people with physical disabilities, including computer studies.
Sandra Prowse, Executive Director
(416) 425-3463

Toronto Centre for Career Action
Toronto, ON
Provides career counselling and job search assistance services to people with physical disabilities, outreach and counselling services for employers.
Sharon Hill, Placement Supervisor
(416) 393-0550

Training Coordinating Group for People with Disabilities
Toronto, ON
Provides access to training, and job search counselling and placement to people with disabilities.
Wenda Abel, Executive Director
(416) 413-4922

QUEBEC:

Acces-Cible (SMT)
Montreal, QC
Provides vocational assessment and training, including a 20-week employability development program for people with mental health disabilities.
Claude Charbonneau, Director
(514) 525-8888

Action Main-d’Oeuvre MTL Inc.
Montreal, QC
Provides full vocational counselling job search guidance and assistance to people with intellectual disabilities.
Sylvie Roy, Director
(514) 721-4941

Le Centre Local d’Integration Professionelle (Le CLIP)
Donnacona, QC
Provides both individual and group career planning and job search assistance.
Sylvie Noel, Coordinator
(418) 285-5454

Service d’Emploi Le Demarrage Inc.
Joliette, QC
Provides employment assessment and job search assistance to people with intellectual disabilities (between the ages of 16 and 30).
Audette Lachapelle, Director
(514) 755-2757

Trav-Action
Sherbrooke, QC
Provides career counselling, vocational assessment and job-search assistance for people with hearing disabilities.
Dominque Perron, Director
(819) 564-1271

MARITIMES:

Jobs Unlimited
Fredericton, NB
Provides employment training and on-the-job support to people with intellectual disabilities.
Kathy Collinan, Vocational Manager
(506) 458-9380

Provincial Artisans
Saint John, NB
Provides arts-and-crafts-related training, employment assistance to people with disabilities.
Bill O’Connell, Executive Director
(506)459-1404

Ability Network
Dartmouth, NS
Provides employnent counselling and job search assistance services to people with disabilities.
Spencer Bevan-John
(902) 461-9009

PEI Council of the Disabled
Charlottetown, PEI
Provides Preparation for Employment (PEP) program for people with disabilities and maintains a library with information on accommodation and barrier-free design.
Anne Lie-Neilsen
(902) 566-1919

Consumer Organization for the Disabled (COD)
St. John’s, NF
In addition to advocacy for people with disabilities, delivers community and workplace awareness programs.
Mary Ennis, Executive Director
(709) 722-7011

HUB, The Physically Disabled Service Centre
St. John’s, NF
Provides counselling, training and employment placement services.
David Scott, Executive Director
(709) 754-0352

Newfoundland Coordinating Council on Deafness (NCCD)
St. John’s, NF
Provides assessments, career counselling and job-finding services for both deaf and hard-of-hearing persons.
Jim Lulb, Executive Director
(709)576-4592
TTY: (709)576-4908

Preparatory Rehabilitative Employment Program (PREP)
St. John’s, NF
Provides counselling, job-search assistance and ongong support to people with psychiatric disabilities.
Cliff Auget, Director
(709) 739-5068