OUTSIDEĀ·IN

Ready.Set.Work.

ABOUT

Outside-IN provides a diverse set of individualised youth training and mentorship programs informed by current demands. This means you can apply what you learn immediately, be paid for your work, receive recognition and feedback regarding your skills, and continue to gain skills at your own pace.

Outside-IN will help you build your way towards financial independence. When you are ready and sure of your competencies you can participate in service entrepreneurship training. Outside-IN will help you set up a service enterprise.

  • Are you facing barriers to employment? Are you interested in job training that you can apply the same day?

  • Is it difficult to find jobs that match your strengths and abilities?

  • Are there times when you cannot work because of a disability or because of your health?

  • Are you looking for meaningful work that meets a critical and growing demand?

Earn and build upon certification and skills that you can apply immediately

Learn valuable skills that address current accessibility gaps. This is a growing, future-proof market.

Work toward your own service enterprise.

For organisations that need help with accessibility

Outside-IN takes your inaccessible documents and audiovisual media and makes them accessible. We use your documents to provide training and work to young people with episodic disabilities and provide you with a quality-assured, accessible file. We also provide website accessibility reports and can help you understand any changes you should make to your website to make it accessible and compliant with legislation such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If you would like to work with Outside-IN to meet your accessible media needs, please contact the project coordinator.

Our services

  • PDF document remediation
  • Word document remediation
  • Video captioning
  • Website accessibility reports

For youth with episodic disabilities

Outside-IN provides free online training for young people (ages 15-29) who know or think that they have an invisible and/or episodic disability that makes it challenging to gain formal training or maintain traditional work hours. This training will teach you how to make digital media more accessible, and includes topics such as: making digital office documents such as Word and PDF accessible, adding closed captioning to videos, and reviewing websites for accessibility. Under the guidance of a mentor you will learn at your own pace.

Outside-IN will provide digital badges for each skill that you learn so that you can show your skills to others. After you have completed the program, you will be supported in finding independent work or in creating a resume to apply for industry jobs. You can train anywhere that you have access to a computer and the Internet. Access to computers and necessary software will also be provided at locations in downtown Toronto.

Our training programs

  • Making PDF documents accessible
  • Making Word documents accessible
  • Adding captions to videos
  • Checking websites for accessibility

Who is eligible?

This training program is open to you if you are between the ages of 15-29 and self-identify as having an invisible disability (for example, a learning disability or any other condition that may not be apparent to others) or an episodic disability (for example, MS, lupus, or any other condition where you have good days and bad days). We do not require a doctor's note or other documents. No prior experience is necessary. However, basic literacy and familiarity with windows operating systems and computers would be an asset.

PARTNERS

Outside-IN is creating a vibrant and responsively evolving, inclusive design ecosystem and learning community. Outside-IN will scale up from successful cycles of youth engagement in addressing real industry demands.

Participants are actively engaged in shaping the program through a strategic, multi-sector partnership led by the Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD University.

About our partners

The Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD University

The Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) at OCAD University is dedicated to developing policies, systems and practices that support human diversity. The IDRC has successfully led over 50 multi-sector, multi-partner projects dedicated to digital and economic inclusion. The IDRC leads the Inclusive Design Institute (IDI), Canada's first research hub focused on digital inclusion, with 8 post-secondary institutions and over 60 researchers. The IDRC is active in international decision-making bodies ensuring that emerging information and communication systems and practices are inclusively designed from the start and leverage the affordances of digital systems to enable participation in the digital economy.

TakingITGlobal

TakingITGlobal empowers youth to understand and act on the world's greatest challenges. As a partner in the project, TIG will provide support in training in social entrepreneurship, mentor training and mentor matching, and the review/badging process.

Centre for Social Innovation

The Centre for Social Innovation is a social enterprise with a mission to catalyse social innovation in Toronto and around the world. We believe that society is facing unprecedented economic, environmental, social and cultural challenges. We also believe that new innovations are the key to turning these challenges into opportunities to improve our communities and our planet.

RISE Asset Development

RISE works to empower business owners with access to financing and business supports. We recognize the interdependency of financial well-being to one's overall quality of life. Rise is committed to improving the lives of people who are unable to secure employment due to mental health or addiction challenges.

Youth Employment Services

YES is the leading organisation in Toronto providing employment, entrepreneurship training and job placement for disadvantaged youth. As the first youth employment centre in Canada, established in 1968, YES has helped over 120,000 youth with 80% success in jobs, business start ups or return to school results.

CONTACT

To register with Outside-IN or for more information please contact idi@ocadu.ca