Unlocking Opportunities: How an Autism Career Fair in Ottawa Is Changing Lives Amidst a Tough Job Market

A job fair designed to connect job seekers with autism to employment opportunities attracted hundreds of attendees in Ottawa, offering a glimmer of hope in a challenging employment landscape.

Annual Event Comes Amid Worsening Job Market

The Spectrum Works Career Fair is an annual event held in Ottawa and Toronto, dedicated to creating meaningful employment opportunities for autistic job seekers. This year's fair comes at a time when Canada's unemployment rate has climbed to 7.1%—the highest since May 2016, excluding pandemic years. For individuals with disabilities, the situation is even more dire, with Statistics Canada reporting significantly lower employment rates compared to those without disabilities.

Hager Kassab, one of the attendees, shared her long and frustrating job search journey. "It's hard for me specifically to find work because there's not a lot of jobs out there for people who have [a] disability," she said. Kassab, who hopes to move to Ottawa to be closer to family, was among the 300 registered participants at the event held at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building.

Discrimination in the Job Search

Many job seekers at the fair recounted experiences of discrimination and ghosting during their job hunts. Greyson Toombes, a recent graduate from Algonquin College's radio broadcasting program, expressed his frustration: "I'll get to the interview portion, and then I tell them I have a limited amount of hours because of my disability and then it's like crickets. I get ghosted." He emphasized that autistic individuals can perform tasks just as well as others but may require more time or understanding.

Rodney Smith, another attendee who was laid off from his retail job in February, noted that interviewers often noticed he "sounds different" when answering questions, highlighting the subtle biases that can hinder employment.

A Glimmer of Hope for Job Seekers

Neil Forester, co-founder of Spectrum Works, explained that the fair aims to bridge the employment gap for autistic individuals. Since its inception in 2017, the event has successfully connected hundreds of people to jobs. "We have been very successful in finding a lot of people employment, and I think that's what really kind of pushes us to keep doing this event," Forester said.

The fair featured 11 employers and several agencies dedicated to assisting job seekers, providing a supportive environment for networking and exploration. While some attendees remained cautiously optimistic, others, like Kassab, were open to any opportunities that offered accommodations for part-time work and flexible hours.

The Toronto edition of the Spectrum Works Career Fair is scheduled for October 17, continuing the effort to foster inclusive employment across the country.