Sometimes, the bravest thing is simply showing up.
For many people with disabilities, work isn’t just about a paycheque — it’s about hope, identity, and being seen.
That’s what the Ability Work Experience Program (AWE) has been about from the start: creating a space where people are reminded of their worth, where confidence grows, and where real support makes room for real change.
This July, we celebrated the graduation of the first in-person AWE cohort — a milestone filled with warmth, reflection, and pride. Families, staff, and participants gathered in community, not just to mark an end, but to honour everything it took to get here.
From the job-readiness training and coaching, to the hard personal work happening behind the scenes, this graduation was about growth — visible and invisible.
One graduate shared:
The ability to have and maintain a job was not just tied to my personal survival — not just a necessity to pay my bills — but imperative to maintain hope, and to believe that despite disability, I can exist and belong to the world. I can achieve, and I can contribute.
Her words speak for so many.
Because too often, people with disabilities are expected to navigate employment barriers alone. But with the right support, space, and community — something shifts. Employers are reminded of what inclusion really looks like. And together, we begin to build a future that makes room for everyone.
What Is the Ability Work Experience Program?
To understand what made this graduation so powerful, we need to look at the heart of it all — the program that made it possible.
The Ability Work Experience (AWE) Program supports individuals with disabilities to prepare for, find, and maintain meaningful employment — or even begin their own self-employment journey. It’s about more than just getting a job; it’s about long-term empowerment and belonging in the workforce.
What the Program Offers
Participants in the AWE program have access to:
In-person employability workshops and one-on-one coaching
Flexible online training (in limited cases)
Support with job search, applications, and interview prep
Connections to inclusive employers and potential work placements
Financial assistance for eligible participants
Employer incentives that support inclusive hiring practices
Who Can Join
The program is open to individuals:
Living with a disability
Eligible to work in Ontario
An intake interview helps determine fit for the program.
What Comes Next
This graduation was more than a ceremony — it was a reminder of what’s possible when people are met with care and dignity.
As participants prepared to step forward with new tools and confidence, AWE Coordinator Cecilia offered a message that reflected the heart of the program itself.
As you go out into the world with all the tools you’ve gained, you’ll be branded with labels — shaped by other people’s backgrounds and perspectives. But only you can choose which labels to accept. Keep the ones that reflect your values. The rest? Peel them off and throw them away.
This program isn’t just about employment — it’s about agency, identity, and choosing your own story.
If you’d like to learn more, join the program, or hire a participant, reach out to us at ability@lefca.org
