Our Partnership with Pacific Autism Family Network
Written by Karen Lai, Employment Connector
As part of the employment component of Spectrum Society for Community Living, we work with many partners and one of them is the Pacific Autism Family Network (PAFN). The PAFN is “a centre of excellence and network of supports for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families across the province. They have an extensive employment program that Spectrum works quite closely with. Much like us, they are passionate about individuals on the autism spectrum to meet their potential and participate in community in meaningful ways.
The PAFN Employment program is part of the national campaign, Ready Willing and Able which is a collaborative initiative working to build a more inclusive workforce across BC. As such, they work closely with many employers who wish to increase the diversity of their workforce. The PAFN staff work with the companies to develop strategies and ideas to build a more inclusive workforce. Once this step is completed, then PAFN turns to all service providers, including Spectrum, and offers employment opportunities if they are available. Spectrum and PAFN have a wonderful relationship where there are many opportunities that have been appropriate for a few of our job seekers.
It is fortunate to work with PAFN as we are all working to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities. We work together to shift perceptions, shift attitudes, and to really engage the employers in the talents of people with disabilities. At the end of the day, the workplaces should be reflective of our community. There are many people that are part of the community and they should be continued to be recognized as a contributing member of the community. 