Dougie has had low vision since birth, with 20/300 vision acuity. Last August, Dougie left his corporate job of 15 years, in part because he found it difficult to get the workplace accommodations he needed. While he was able to do some part-time work for a non-profit organization that he had volunteered with, finding full-time employment was a challenge.

After several months of job searching, he learned about the Neil Squire’s Creative Employment Options program and decided to see if it could provide him with support. He began working with a Case Manager and really appreciated the regular meetings and the personalized support he received on all aspects of the job search process, including updating his resume.

“You just get way more personal attention [with Neil Squire],” he says. “Anmol, my case manager, was super professional. I think me being older, she really helped give me a different perspective and understanding of just how people are doing job searching nowadays.”

Dougie also appreciated how hard the Creative Employment Options team worked to help him find job leads that he was really interested in and well suited for — he was adamant that he wanted to work in the non-profit sector rather than get back into another corporate job.

Before long, Dougie found a perfect fit. He was recently hired by the Individualized Funding Resource Centre (IFRC) Society as a Navigator for their clients who receive individualized funding from the Choice in Supports for Independent Living (CSIL) program. The CSIL Program enables people with significant physical disabilities to hire their own Personal Care Attendants, so they may live independently and successfully in their own homes and community. Dougie is able to use his own experiences with disability to understand and connect with clients. He’s currently training for the role and can’t wait to start.

“I found that Neil Squire really did a great job of recognizing my different skills,” he shares. “I kind of gave a description of what I was looking for and they connected me to exactly honestly what I was looking for, which is incredible, and I actually felt that right through the process.”

“This is exactly where I wanted to be.”

Dougie says he “absolutely 100%” recommends the Creative Employment Options program to others. “Amazing program, I just can’t say enough [good] things,” he says. “This has been amazing, and so helpful, and I’m very grateful.”