EMPLOYERS

Most inclusion efforts begin after barriers have already surfaced. VELA helps employers build before that point.

Neurodiverse employees and students on placement are best supported when the role, the team, and the process are set up well from the start. Not after disclosure. Not after something has gone wrong. VELA works with employers on the design side of inclusion.

A group of five young professionals in a meeting room. Two are standing near a whiteboard, one presenting with charts and graphs. Three are seated at a wooden table with laptops, notebooks, and coffee cups, engaging in discussion. The room has large windows, potted plants, and sunlight.

Who is this for

  • WIL employer partners and co-op hosts supervising neurodiverse students on placement

  • HR leads, DEI teams, and people managers hiring and onboarding neurodiverse employees

  • Workplace supervisors who want practical tools, not just policy

  • Organizations that have made inclusion commitments and want to know what that looks like in practice


What we offer

WIL and co-op placement support

Students arriving in placements may have formal accommodation plans, undisclosed disabilities, or learning profiles that do not fit standard supervision assumptions. Most supervisors want to support these students well. Most have not been trained to do it. VELA builds supervision practices, communication approaches, and onboarding structures that make placements workable for neurodiverse students without placing the full burden of disclosure and accommodation on the student.

Inclusive hiring and onboarding

Neurodiverse employees need onboarding and workplace practices that support different ways of thinking, communicating, processing, and organizing work. VELA works with employers on inclusive onboarding design, supervisor training, communication practices, and workplace structures that make neurodiversity part of everyday operations rather than something addressed only when issues arise.

Speaking and keynotes

Available for employer PD days, HR conferences, and sector panels on neurodiversity in the workplace, inclusive supervision, and WIL accessibility.

Training

Half-day and full-day sessions for supervisors, HR teams, DEI leads, and people managers. Built for teams with real operational responsibilities, not just awareness objectives.

Consultation

Project-based support for specific onboarding or placement challenges. Offered on a scoped, project basis.

Resource and toolkit development

Practical tools for inclusive supervision, onboarding, and placement support that staff can actually use.


What makes this different

Most employer-facing inclusion work stops at awareness. VELA brings clinical insight into how neurodiverse individuals actually experience systems, alongside direct experience building accessibility and WIL frameworks inside post-secondary institutions. That means employer guidance is grounded not only in policy, but in the real transition points where students and employees are most likely to be misunderstood, unsupported, or left to navigate barriers on their own.