Sometimes the first question we get from prospective members (and often from their parents or guardians) is "Do you give people jobs?" The short answer is "no" because jobs come from employers. But "YES" we do help people find and keep authentic paid employment and volunteer opportunities.

LiveWorkPlay Employment Supports take many forms. It is everything from helping the individual with their employment preparation to building a network of employers who understand the benefits of a diverse workplace that includes people with intellectual disabilities. We help employers by matching them with ideal candidates and establishing a supportive relationship where LiveWorkPlay expertise is always available.

Quite often the ability to obtain and keep paid or unpaid employment has less to do with specific work skills than it does with the development of more general abilities. This includes in particular communication and problem-solving skills. LiveWorkPlay staff can help identify areas in need of improvement and also identify potential fields of employment.

At LiveWorkPlay there is support for finding and keeping paid employment as well as volunteer positions. It is a reality that if you need income, you can't get it if you don't have a job that pays. Beyond those obvious financial considerations, it is up to the individual to make their own choice about how they wish to contribute to society. What is important is that the work is real, and that the contribution of the individual is respected. Workplaces that view people with intellectual disabilities as "charity cases" are unhealthy, whether there is money involved or not.

Generally speaking, LiveWorkPlay supports work arrangements that entail one of two types of work: either paid work in the market economy, or unpaid work in the volunteer sector. While there are other types of arrangements where a person can be paid at less than minimum wage as part of some type of specialized workplace, in the LiveWorkPlay experience such arrangements are often stigmatizing and do not promote growth. It is also an issue of basic human rights when specific segments of the population are targeted for pay that would otherwise violate employment standards.